Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

Eagle Ridge Resort sits in Illinois's most dramatic landscape — the Driftless Area near Galena, a region of rolling hills, wooded ridges, and river valleys that was untouched by the last ice age's glacial flattening that created the rest of Illinois's characteristic flat terrain. The result is topography that surprises: real hills, genuine valleys, and an aesthetic that feels more like Wisconsin or Minnesota than central Illinois. The resort's spa includes Finnish sauna, steam, and heated pools, while four championship golf courses wind through the hills. Galena itself is one of Illinois's most historic towns — Ulysses S. Grant's home stands here, and the 19th-century Main Street has been preserved almost intact. The resort is the preferred Illinois escape for Chicago's North Shore suburbs.