Unique naming skills were not a talent of the founders of American cities. To me, Geneseo is of New York, is home to Pizza Paul’s, and is the location of one of the numerous traffic tickets I earned in my youth years.
This Geneseo, which exists in Illinois, does not have a Pizza Paul’s and did not earn me a traffic ticket. I wasn’t even invited to a frat party where I definitely did not drink because I wasn’t yet 21.
This Geneseo was peaceful. It offered seemingly endless miles of canal-style gravel trail riddled with swamp-type creatures: turtles and snakes and otters galore. It is home to two breweries. We patronized both. We preferred the beer and rainbow cake at Great Revivalist over the downtown location of Geneseo Brewing Co.
We were only in town for a few days. The campsite we booked while driving to Geneseo Campground was not sparking joy in terms of accessibility, and while the friendly owner suggested an easier campsite, we found out a day later that this new site was double booked. We’re easy, and a refund was provided – so it was all good. We enjoyed our stay. Access within the campground was questionable, but so is our ability to maneuver New Dyna, so I am withholding judgment beyond mentioning that it could be tricky.
Geneseo, IL is home to an original gangster of a Walmart. The kind that is not Super, or even updated. Joy sparked! It’s no longer common to stumble on a non-super style Walmart or Target. And a Kmart? You’d need to make a pilgrimage down to the Florida Keys or out to Jackson, WY to enjoy a Kmart. Does anyone else miss the chocolate milk stomachache of a Kmart diner meal with your parents on a Sunday morning after winning a crusade for a new model horse during a Kmart shopping trip?
Geneseo is cute.