This past weekend, my husband and I decided to take a bit of an impromptu mini-getaway to nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. We wanted to relax, have a change of scenery and break from our usual routine and crazy work schedules.
So I found a great deal for the Grand Geneva hotel via Travelzoo and off we went!
A comfy king bed awaited us for our Lake Geneva getaway…
As well as a balcony with a great view of the golf course…
And a TV in the bathroom! Best invention ever.
We grabbed dinner in downtown Lake Geneva and then headed back to the terrace at the resort for a bonfire, live music and dessert after reading about it in booklet in our room. Only problem was- the service was awful. The waitresses seemed to be playing “Where’s Waldo?” with the entire section outside and the dessert menu didn’t feature the advertised “cheesecake on a stick” or “make your own s’more” that I was very excited about. Regardless, we stuck around and enjoyed the music and fire and grabbed some gelato on our way back to our room instead.
The next day, we slept in, grabbed hot coffee and fresh croissants and lounged around watching HGTV before checking out. Then we grabbed some lunch and got ready for a cruise tour on the lake! We were on a small yacht from the 1800s and the tour guide told us all about the houses lining the lake, and the rich and famous that live in them…
From there, we stopped at Williams Bay and got off (the boat was going back to Lake Geneva bay). We decided to walk along the path by the lake so we could get a view of the homes up close and personal! (Lake Geneva requires its occupants to maintain a public easement, so there is a 20 mile path around the lake. We did a total of 8 miles.)
We saw some AMAZING homes…
Climbed some serious terrain….and the photo doesn’t do it justice…it was a STEEP incline!
Yeah…this would be about all we could afford.
After we made it back to our starting point, we headed to Sprecher’s, where two ice cold root beers on tap hit the spot along with our dinner.
It was such a nice, mini getaway and definitely helped us unwind and de-stress!
Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment getaway? Ever been to Lake Geneva? What were your highlights?
Linking up with Olives n’ Wine.
I love Lake Geneva! I have walked around the lake 2-3 times and the houses are just drool worthy! I haven’t stayed the night before though. The tv in the bathroom is awesome!
Around the whole lake?! That’s quite a hike! I couldn’t believe how big these houses were…and so much fun to basically be in their backyard to check it out…we felt like the paparazzi!
Haha! Yes my friend and I did the whole lake! I have heard the property taxes are just insane! They probably pay more in taxes than I do for my mortgage!
So impressive! And yeah I think the cruise guide was saying that it was $20K-30K per linear foot for just shoreline land…let alone HOUSE! That said, I don’t think I could even afford to live in their little “supply sheds” (which are gorgeous too!)
What an amazing getaway!!!!!! Sounds like heaven. I really need one!!!!
Agi:)
vodkainfusedlemonade.com
It was SO nice and I’m glad we decided to go at the last minute! Hope you can find some time to destress and relax- it’s important!
The cruise sounds like fun! I have been up there a few times but haven’t seen all the gorgeous homes. I want to check out the path, too!
Did Travelzoo sponsor your getaway?
You would LOVE the path– all 20+ miles around! And no, they didn’t sponsor it (I would have indicated it…) Just wanted to provide helpful resources on finding a good deal, places we visited/ate, etc!
Maybe I will check it out when I am there at the end of June!
Thanks for your answer. I had never heard of them so my go to now is to assume most things are sponsored. Pretty awful, huh? I read awhile ago that even if something is not sponsored, you are supposed to say so, which makes me feel like I can’t even talk about products I like! But I think I must be interpreting that wrong.
Wow! Those home are to-die-for and look like they’re out of a movie!
They are definitely larger than life…so incredible! Thanks for reading Julie!
What a fun, relaxing weekend! I’ve never been to Lake Geneva, but there are a few triathlons up there that I’m itching to make into a race-cation!
Katie- you and Rich would love it! The downtown area by the lake is so much fun…so many cute shops, restaurants, etc. The Lake Geneva Cruise Line is a must too!
I cannot believe that I’ve never done a last minute getaway! Now you have me thinking that I must do one this summer or fall. I haven’t been to Lake Geneva but it looks gorgeous and since it’s such a close drive, it’s heading toward the top of my list. Thanks for linking up!
I’m so glad we did it- so worth it! You would love Lake Geneva…lots of the homeowners reside in Chicago and these are their second homes…they call it the Hamptons of the Midwest!