The far northwest corner of Illinois is its own little ecosystem of despair. Aside from the cutesy tourist town of Galena and the pockets of Chicago exurbs featuring gaudy McMansions, this region feels like a part of the rust belt. A couple months ago, we visited a town in the area which I’ll leave nameless.
The first stop was this old church most notable for its concave collapsing floor. It also had a lovely tiny office bathed in morning light diffused through its stained glass window.

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Afterwards, we stumbled upon a small factory. It was nothing special, but every quiet old building has its charms in places.

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The building had a tower on one side, a blocky few floors rising above the rest of the roofline reached by slender staircases. On the top floor, a previous visitor had hung a swing.

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I think for a lot of explorers, spaces like these are some of the rare places where they can just be at peace with their thoughts. Maybe a bit trite, but its better than leaving penis graffiti.
Thanks for stopping by.