It can be difficult to choose a B&B in such a historic city. After much research, we decided on Farmers Guest House for a 2 night stay for my parents and my husband and I. I am so thankful that we did! From the moment we arrived, I felt as though I was home for a relaxing visit with family and friends.

First of all, the house is warm and inviting. Our rooms were just the right size. The beds are comfortable and the bathrooms clean. With the temperature control just a few steps away from the bed so you could get the perfect temperature in your room. We even enjoyed taking advantage of the DVD player in the room-we grabbed a DVD from the 100's to choose from and were able to enjoy a movie with no interuptions from our daily life, unlike home!

We took advantage of the public rooms. One morning, my mom and I sat in the library talking for about an hour before breakfast. Coffee is available at 7 am in the library. Very cozy and set up for conversations. One night the room was full of friends sharing wine and laughter. The dining area was perfect for us to not only have breakfast, but to enjoy the never ending cookies, pretzels, water, and soda pop. We actually played an afternoon game of cribbage in the dining room over snacks. Living room was perfect to watch TV and work on a puzzle. This is not a 'museum' historical home where you are afraid to touch anything, rather it is a place to look through and discover new things.

Besides the warmth of the home, the warmth of Jess and Kathy is truly touching. Over the 2 nights we were there, we were truly made to feel like family. They will certainly let you have privacy but will sit and talk with you, if that's what you desire. We really appreciated Kathy meeting with us to give us ideas on things to do. She is very knowledgeable and really does a great job of coming up with interesting things to try. In fact, Kathy had true menus for almost every restaurant in the area, unlike the Welcome Center in town that only had photocopies!

My husband and I have stayed in B&B's in Lake Geneva, Pepin, and Door County, WI and Williamsburg, VA. Out of all of these, Farmers Guest House has been our favorite due to the warmth that we felt the moment we walked through the door.

Finally, for those that worry about visiting in winter, I wouldn't have done it any other way. We were able to do the trolley, with only us! We spent a great deal of time talking to 2 different shopkeepers due to the slowness of their day. Our tour of the US Grant home was only 8 of us. Lunch at Otto's Place (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) was spent laughing with the waitress since she wasn't super busy, our candlelight tour of the Ryan Mansion was just the four of us, allowing us to really linger, and our dinner at Log Cabin was not rushed. All benefits of going during a quieter season.

Husband and I took advantage of the 3-day weekend to make our first trip to Galena and stay in a B&B for the first time. Jess and Kathie are great - made us feel right at home. Breakfasts were great - especially the Swedish Pancakes! Loved the location - short walk to all the shops. Lucky enough to stay in the beautiful Camelot suite. Nice sized room with comfy king bed and fireplace. Will definitely be looking to stay with Kathie and Jess again on our next trip to Galena!!

The Farmers Guest House is what a B & B experience should be. The hosts...Kathie, Jess, and Charles, are wonderful! They are very informative on the area including great restaurants to go to and places to see. Their home is your home. The holiday decorations were a feast for the eyes, especially the Christmas village. The house itself has a lot of history and it is interesting to hear the stories from our hosts. Our room was the Emily and Jess room. It was cozy with a warm fireplace which made it romantic too. We loved looking through the DVD collection that we could take back to our room to watch or watch in the tv/music room. We enjoyed French toast flavored with egg nog one morning and a vegetarian quiche the next. Both were delicous! The breakfast also included yogurt with fresh fruit and granola and special breads with a strawberry spread to put on it. Delicous cookies were at our fingertips at anytime. Wine, cheese, crackers, and good conversation were provided each evening at 6pm. A nice way to wind day after a fun day of shopping in the great stores of Galena.

Jess, Kathie & Charles made our first anniversary a memorable one.