How About A Valentine’s Visit To Illinois’ Most Romantic City?

((Just a quick reminder for the forgetful among us: Valentine's Day is this coming Wednesday. You don't want the trouble that comes with forgetting it))

If there's one thing that the newly-released rankings of the most romantic small towns in America shows, it's that you don't have to head off to a wildly-expensive Chicago hotel in order to have a romance filled getaway here in Illinois, and especially Northern Illinois.

Sure, there are things that a metropolis can offer you (Metropolis, Illinois is a tiny town, but they've got a giant Superman statue, and that guarantees romance), but let's not sell the Illinois small town experience short.

Plus, if the small Northern Illinois town named as most romantic in our state was good enough for a former president and his wife, it should do the trick for you, too.

To Come Up With Their List Of The 140 Most Romantic Small Towns In America, New York Travel Guides Looked At 600 Small Towns And Compared Them In Several Categories

According to their website, NewYorkTravelGuides.com compared the 600 small towns across four areas: romantic places to stay, romantic activities, historic architecture and scenery and cozy coffee shops and restaurants.

Before we get to the most romantic small town in Illinois, here are the places in our neighboring states that New York Travel Guides named as most romantic:

• Wisconsin: Lake Geneva
• Iowa: No town named (well, that's gotta be a bit embarrassing)
• Indiana: Nashville
• Kentucky: (gets 3 towns on the list) Paducah, Danville, Shelbyville
• Missouri: No town named (which makes Iowa feel a little bit better)
• Michigan: (gets two) Petoskey and Holland
• Minnesota: (also gets two) Nisswa and Stillwater

You've probably already guessed the most romantic small town in Illinois, right? If not, here it is:

It's Really Not Too Hard To Understand Why Galena Was Chosen As Illinois' Most Romantic Small Town

Sure, Loves Park has the most romantic-sounding name of all Illinois small towns, but Galena has got the goods, according to the NewYorkTravelGuides.com study:

Galena, Illinois, is a beautiful small town that’s incredible for a romantic getaway. Whether you’re looking for a luxury resort, a historic hotel, or a cozy bed and breakfast, there are plenty of romantic places to stay in Galena. From doing a spoon carving workshop to learning about coffee during an interactive coffee experience at Trolley Depot Coffee, there are many unique and romantic things to do in Galena. In addition to that, a part of Galena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District.

Check this out for a 2-minute tour of Galena.