Go to Galena, IL, to ski Chestnut Mountain

St. Louis Today reports…

I like skiing at Chestnut Mountain because, in my slightly offbeat way of looking at the world, it’s upside down.
Let me explain.

Most ski and snowboard resorts operate facilities such as restaurants, rental operations and lodging at the bottom of their slopes. That means you roll in, get your lift ticket and then hop on a chairlift or gondola to ride to the top of the mountain.

Not at Chestnut.

Here — up in the northwest corner of Illinois, near the old mining town of Galena — the drill starts out the same, complete with a drive through a handsome forest. But if you look up when you get to the hotel, all you’re going to see is sky. Maybe some clouds, too.

That’s because the slopes and lifts are below the lodge buildings, tumbling from a wooded bluff nearly 500 feet down to the braided strands of the Mississippi River. The view — across the river and into the rolling hills of eastern Iowa — is pastoral and majestic. Especially at sunset.

The skiing and snowboarding at Chestnut, which has been operating for more than half a century, aren’t bad either.

Source: Go to Galena, Ill., to ski Chestnut Mountain

Sure, the lodge at Chestnut Mountain is nice, but so is Teddy Bear Place! If you’re looking for a place to stay, why not check out the calendar above and book a weekend before they all fill up…