Weekend Getaway- Lake Geneva, WI? Ever been there?

111Kate111

Hey everyone- my H and I moved to Chicago a few months ago and want to take a little weekend getaway for our anniversary.  We would like to explore little places near Chicago, and Lake Geneva, WI looks promising. 

Has anyone stayed/visited there? I see that you can take the Metra there (we live downtown Chicago and don't have a car and prefer not to rent one). What did you think? 

Any recs on where to stay also? We would like a place that is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, bars, etc (I guess the Lake Geneva "downtown") and would like a room with a view of the lake.

Worth it or not? Just thought I would see any other Chicagoans opinions on it before we decide!

Thanks!  

joshandmal

Hi! My husband and I celebrated our 1 yr anniversary in Lake Geneva and had a blast. We stayed at The Cove, which was nice because it was centrally located and we could walk to everything. It was nice too because when they found out we were there celebrating our anniversary, they bumped us into a bigger sweet. It was more than we needed since it had a kitchen, but it was nice! There was a fireplace, two bedrooms, and a balcony. The town has tons of cozy bars, shops and restaurants.

We kind of did an unofficial pub crawl, just going for bar to bar, trying local microbrews and beers. It was so much fun! We were there in October so the fall colors were in full gear, and the views of the lake were stunning. I'm sure it's more crowded in the summer, but at least you'd be able to relax at the beach or by the pool!

I don't think there are any Metra trains that go to Lake Geneva. The closest you could get would be Antioch, which is still 23 miles away... probably too far for a cab.  I personally would say it's worth renting a car if that's at all possible. It's a great weekend getaway place. Totally relaxing, you can't go wrong wherever you choose to eat/drink, and there are plenty of fun little shops to check out if you want to.

calex33

We love Lake Geneva and we go up there about twice a year.  We have stayed at several different places, but our favorite place to stay is The Abbey.  It's on the other side of the lake in Fontana but it's fabulous!  It has a spa with an indoor pool that is for adults only.  It's great for relaxing.  We drive into Lake Geneva and walk around so that we can enjoy that side of things, as well.  If you like fish, the best fish fry in the area is at the Village Supper Club in Delevan. 

I agree with PP - I don't think the Metra goes to Lake Geneva, so renting a car would be the way to go.

111Kate111

Thanks so much for the recs!

I guess I got the Metra idea from this article:

http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/09-09/7-very-worthwhile-midwest-weekend-getaways.html

It says it will take you to the Harvard Metra station but I have no idea how far away that is from lake Geneva (the article says The Abbey will pick you up from there)??

It sounds great though- we love exploring new places and I am glad a lot of you like it for an anniversary  

 

 

joelen&louis

We had our honeymoon at Lake Geneva and it was beautiful. We stayed at the villas of the Grand Geneva

lilmeli22

I've stayed at the Mill Creek Hotel, which is conveniently located within walking distance from the downtown shops. Very cute hotel with a great size room (kitchenette, dinning room table, big bathroom, living room, tv/dvd player, fireplace, and even a balcony). CHeck it out...worth a look! Will definitely go back! 

niuchick21

I grew up in Lake Geneva, lived there for 19 years.  Email me if you have any questions.  javaqueen13@hotmail.com