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Story and photos by Bob Lindsey

Looking for a getaway to a lake region? Don’t overlook Lake Geneva, WI, a 5-hour drive from St. Louis.

Kansas City and St. Louis area residents have been taking the two-hour drive to the Corp of Engineers-made Lake of the Ozarks for the past 50-plus years. Chicago and Milwaukee folks have been going to Lake Geneva for more than 100 years, dating back to the 19^th century when Chicago industrialists and entrepreneurs started building summer homes along the glacier lake. Their wives and children would spend the summers there away from the hot, gritty city and the men would join them on weekends whenever they could get away from work.

Wealthy families such as the Wrigleys dominated the lake shore property with several large homes and mansions. Today, the entire 20+ miles of shoreline is studded with one gorgeous home after another, with little available property left to buy. But even though the wealthy may occupy the shores of Lake Geneva, the area has become a weekend and vacation mecca for couples, retirees, and families with affordable lodging, restaurants and attractions.

Summer is the dominant season, but there are year-round activities at Lake Geneva, including big holiday light displays in December and a Winterfest in late January and early February that features phenomenal ice sculptures.

We spent a three-day weekend at Lake Geneva earlier this month with mid-70s temperatures and cool early summer breezes. The downtown lake area offers a variety of accommodations including condos, weekly rentals and quaint hotels, small and large, but only a few chain hotels. We stayed at The Ridge, a recently remodeled hotel five minutes from downtown, overlooking Lake Como. The sleek, modern lobby features the Bean & Vine coffee and wine bar that has both premier and exotic coffees, wine, local craft beers, and lunch items. Two restaurants are located off the lobby and open to an outdoor pool area with live music on weekends. For more information go to: RidgeLakeGeneva.com

You can find several of the major fast-food chains in town and on the outskirts, but it’s the local family restaurants that bring people to downtown Lake Geneva. The town has only a few square blocks, but they are packed with restaurants, quaint and quirky shops, and even a few beaches. The downtown beach was busy on the 75-degree days we were there, but we’re told that when the weather gets hot, the beach is so crowded that you can’t see the sand. Rest assured, there are also three other beaches on the outskirts of downtown.

Lake Cruise to Black Point Estate Gardens

No trip to Lake Geneva is complete without a scenic boat tour. Lake Geneva Cruise Line has several cruise options from half lake to full lake and meal cruises. One of the most popular is the one we took–a four-hour Expanded Bay tour that included a visit to the famed Black Point Estate and Gardens where you step back in time in a Queen Anne Victorian home, which still does not have heat or air-conditioning.

Black Point Estate was the home of Chicago beer baron Conrad Seipp and reflected the lifestyle of Chicago millionaires in the late 1800s who sought a refuge in the summer away from the city heat. Mrs. Seipp and their children spent summers at the mansion swimming in the lake, entertaining guests, practicing their musical instruments, and playing with their beautiful dollhouse. Our guide gave us a fascinating tour of the opulent mansion and grounds as we learned how the rich spent their summers at the lake. The original house had 13 bedrooms but only one bathroom. Most of the furnishings are original. Two dining tables—one on the porch and the other in the dining room—can open up to extend the width of the house. A staircase to a cupola takes ends in spectacular views of the lake.

The Lake Geneva Cruise dropped us off at the foot of the bluffs of Black Point Estate where there is a steep walk to the top of the hill and entrance to the estate, which is now owned by the State of Wisconsin. The house tour is included in the cost of the boat cruise. If you have a problem climbing the stairs, you can also drive to Black Point Estate. More information: blackpointestate.org

For more information visit visitlakegeneva.com

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