This is one of a series of quite interesting, carefully done field trip guides produced by the Illinois State Geological Survey of various featured areas in and adjacent to the state.

The guides are actually done for trips guided by a person or persons from the ISGS, but some are still available online. Each guide contains a point by point discussion of the features (from a geological and, sometimes from a more general or historic, point of view) in the area; where they are located and what distinguishes them. If I'm not mistaken, the guides used to be free but, hey, our fair state is having a tough time financially as I write this in 2010 and they're still inexpensive. The guides are inexpensively produced; stapled in some cases.

This particular guide covers part of far northwest Illinois and an adjacent county in southwest Wisconsin. Both areas are a part of the so-called driftless area which wasn't leveled by glaciers millions of years ago, as contrasted with most of the rest of Illinois and much of Wisconsin. The driftless area also covers parts of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa.

Did you know (or care) that the highest natural point in Illinois at a somewhat pathetic 1,235 feet is Charles Mound in Jo Daviess County in the far northwest corner of Illinois? Charles Mound was part of the tour described in the book above. My wife and I and some friends "climbed" to the top of Charles Mound in July, 2010 and found a little cleared area with two folding chairs and a guest book in a box. The guest book was interesting in terms of the homes of the people that have visited Charles Mound (Australia was the furthest we found) and the view from the top is quite bucolic and lovely as is most of far northwest Illinois. It is, by the way, on private property and only available on certain weekends in summer. Technically, the "top" where the clearing and two chairs are located, isn't quite the top of Charles Mound. The top is occupied by the owner's home and respecting their privacy is only right and fair.

During and prior to the Civil War, lead (Galena, the main town in the area, takes its' name from the Latin for lead ore) was mined in the area. After the Civil War the demand for lead for ammunition plummeted leading to an economic decline in the general area. Recovery was helped by the fairly recent "rediscovery" of Galena is an architecturally and historically interesting, beautiful 180 year old town and the tourism industry blossomed. ( )