One of the pluses of The Galena Territory is the wide range of housing options.  Residents will find everything from villas on large lots of land to mid-size single family homes to small weekend cottages and town homes, with prices up and down the scale.  The Territory is divided into three subdivisions, Eagle Ridge, Thunder Bay and Shenandoah, and homes may be found overlooking Lake Galena, along a golf course or nestled in the woods.  Small 1 bedroom, 1 bath, furnished condominiums overlooking the Lake start at about $125,000.  A furnished, 2 bedroom, 2 bath town home (950 square feet) can be had for $139,000.

Single family homes with 2-3 bedrooms and 2 baths (1,800 square feet) on wooded lots begin in the high $100,000 to low $200,000s.  Homes with 4-5 bedrooms, 3-4 baths, acreage, 3,500 square feet start in the high $200,000s to low $300,000s.  As in many developments, there are much more expensive residences as well (the most expensive one we found was 1.2 million).

Central to The Galena Territory is the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa, a world-class vacation resort (this is where the golf courses are) around which much of life here revolves.  Guests will find vacation rentals, restaurants and fitness facilities in addition to the spa and 63 holes of golf (green fees range from $35 to $170, depending on the time of year, the day of the week and the course).  220-acre Lake Galena has a marina and offers the chance to enjoy numerous water activities.

The Galena Territory Homeowners' Association has its own parks and recreation department and sponsors an assortment of  recreational and social activities, including golf outings, coffee get-togethers,  wine and cheese socials, tennis tournaments, fishing contests, walking clubs, yoga, bridge games, poker tournaments and more (call 815-777-2000 for information).  Volunteer opportunities include primarily serving on one of several community committees.  The Owners' Club Complex, the clubhouse, includes meeting rooms, banquet and party facilities, outdoor swimming pools, an activity center and tennis courts.

Pretty nearby Galena is home to a small hospital, Galena-Stauss Hospital, which has 25 acute care beds and operates a 24-hour emergency service.  Two larger hospitals are located in Dubuque.  Restaurants, art galleries, a winery, bed and breakfasts and florists, most of which are housed in mid-nineteenth century buildings, line the main one-way street downtown.    There is a library, a history museum, a local theater and several annual festivals.  A modern shopping center is located on the west side of town, and outlet malls line Highway 20.  Galena sees roughly one million tourists a year, and many Chicagoans have second homes here.  Crime rates are well below the national average.

This area of Illinois has seasonal weather.  Summer temperatures can reach the 90s but average in the low 80s.  Winter temperatures average in the 20s and 30s.  Humidity runs 60% to 75% on average, and the area receives 1 to 5 inches of precipitation per month.