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F8 EZ EE KLMNO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2011
The Impulsive Traveler
Lakeside luxury, whether you’re rich or poor
DETAILS
GETTING THEREAirTran offers nonstop flights between BWIMarshall and Milwaukee, with faresstarting at $208. Frontier offers nonstopflights between Reagan National andMilwaukee, with fares starting at $224.Lake Geneva is about 55 miles fromMilwaukee.
WHERE TO STAYBella Vista Suites335 Wrigley Dr.262-248-2100www.bellavistasuites.comLakeside inn with a four-story atrium ringedwith very comfy suites with jacuzzis andkitchenettes. Rates from $139, includingbreakfast basket.
The Baker House327 Wrigley Dr.262-248-4700www.bakerhouse1885.comRestored lakeside Victorian featuring fourfantasy palace suites decorated by ownerBethany Souza of HGTV’s “Designed toSell.” $265 a night includes garden dining,spa bath and other indulgences.
WHERE TO EATSimple Cafe525 Broad St.262-248-3556www.simplecafelakegeneva.comExquisitely seasoned made-from-scratchdishes from seasonal whole foods sourcedfrom local independent farms. Entreesunder $10.
The Baker HouseZesty seasonal small plates starting at $12and sassy creative cocktails at dinner.Decadent all-you-can-eat $23 Sundaybrunch.
WHAT TO DOLake Shore PathStroll the 26-mile path between GenevaLake and grand estates. Open year-round.Tours on a historic mail delivery boat(www.cruiselakegeneva.com) are alsoavailable for those not inclined to walk.
Clear Water Outdoor744 W. Main St.877-348-2429www.clearwateroutdoor.comKayak and stand-up paddle board rentalsstarting at $40 for two hours, snowshoerentals at $15 per day. Also offers guidedpaddle tours, fun runs and yoga classes.
INFORMATIONwww.lakegenevawi.com
— R.S.
BY ROBIN SOSLOW
I’m traipsing across the lakefrontlawns of retail, industrial, brewing andchewing gum tycoons. In broad daylight.With a gang of locals and two houndsthat bound in the water near dockedboats that cost as much as a house. Thechances that we’ll get busted for tres-passing? Zero.
In the town of Lake Geneva, Wis.,(pop. 7,700, give or take) the law requireslandowners to grant lakefront access tothe public. Not only do the ownerscomply, but most also maintain bloom-laden footpaths of pavers, pebbles,bricks and grass that together form the26-mile Lake Shore Path. It follows a trailused by Potawatomi Indians since 2,500B.C. to circle crystal-clear Geneva Lake, a5,500-acre bowl carved by a crawlingglacier.
This is just one way Lake Genevansshare the wealth.
Express interest and they’ll tell youabout the wealthy Chicagoans who builtsummer lakeside estates here starting inthe mid-1800s; how the local PlayboyClub turned into Grand Geneva Resort &Spa; why it’s worth spending $6,000 ayear to dismantle docks each fall (freez-ing water is murder on wood); and about“hard water” escapades such as iceboating.
Awaiting carryout flatbread at Sprech-er’s Restaurant & Pub, I’m engaged by athird-generation Lake Genevan who tellsme about free Saturday tours of YerkesObservatory, an architectural wonder onthe lake’s northwest shore that boaststhe world’s largest refractory telescope.My “Sprechtangle” arrives; he suggestsreconvening over coffee or a New Glarusbrew to discuss a conspiracy theorylinking Yerkes and the Vatican. Lessonlearned: These folks love to share theirgood fortune — the juiciest apples, thefreshest greens, the purest lake, thequaintest and quirkiest antiques.
That civic pride is in full force when Ivisit the Baker House, a lakeside QueenAnne restored to Gilded Age glamour.There, lifelong Lake Geneva residentRodney Whetlow and his friends Lor-raine, Helen and J.B. regale me with talesof four-season fun at the lake.
First stop: a hallway with racks of
saucy vintage hats. A bystander docksone on my head. All guests must wear ahat; that’s dressing for dinner at theBaker House. Meanwhile, the staff wearsperiod costumes complementing thesumptuous interiors of the 1885 turretedVictorian, which owner Bethany Souzarevived last year as an inn, the culmina-tion of a lifelong dream.
Over specialty cocktails (star fruit,apple), finger foods and mismatchedvintage tableware, local lore flows as thesetting sun is reflected in the quicksilverlake that reaches depths of 146 feet. Inthe background — soon to become theforeground at singalong time — TomStanfield, outfitted in ragtime regalia,plays yesteryear standards on piano,pocket trumpet and fluegelhorn.
Rodney describes riding motorcyclesacross the frozen lake, praising J.B.’sskills in studding tires for an optimal mixof traction and speed. They’ve sailed theice as well. “Most of Geneva Lake freezestwo feet below the surface, which isperfect for ice boating,” says Rodney. Anice boat has a long, narrow hull, like akayak; its large main sail acts as anairfoil. “Sailors with good winds canreach speeds over 100 miles per hour,”
Rodney explains. “Some parts of the lake,such as the Narrows, don’t freeze.” These“faults” are one to 30 feet wide. “You tryto gain enough speed to jump the fault.”
The next morning, a shimmery sun-rise jump-starts my bicycling trip onroads around the lake (the shore path isfor foot travelers only). Going from thesouth shore to the north, I pass throughBig Foot Beach State Park (named for aPotawatomi chief ) and the towns ofLinn, Fontana, Williams Bay, then, oddly,Linn’s north shore half before returningto Lake Geneva. Landmarks range fromChuck’s waterside bar, opened in the1950s, to Green Grocer, a new localproduce mart.
In downtown Lake Geneva, quaint oldshops and neon-signed lounges flanknewcomers: Refined Rustic, a trove ofsalvage cobbled into lamps, jewelry andfurniture; I Love Funky’s, where vintagehome decor oddities include antiquecoffee urns, jukeboxes and ornatelycarved tables; and a java/bake shop, achildren’s boutique and a novelty purseoutpost slotted into a creatively adaptedBaptist church.
To refuel, locals pointed me to SimpleCafe, which pairs cheery modern design
with old-school reverence for farm-freshfoods. Umbrellas shield the patio; theinterior sports waves of color and amus-ing salvage-collage lamps from RefinedRustic. Under one lamp lunches RefinedRustic’s owner, Philip Sassano, who re-cently relocated from Chicago to LakeGeneva because “it’s the epicenter ofwhere we antique.”
Chef and co-owner Young Cho sumsup Simple’s mission as super-fresh,healthful fare sourced from local inde-pendent farmers using ethical andhealthful practices. All dishes are pricedunder $10 so everyone feels welcome. Irefresh with a delectable wheatberrysalad and a thick butternut squash soupthat could pass as a fabulous pudding.
Next door, the also-new Sweet Houseof Madness displays ornately designedcakes and artisan breads. I dig intosample bowls for research purposes;rustic texture and flavor distract mefrom the nearby pies made with localapples, pumpkins and cranberries.
A “Now Open” banner lures me intoRose’s Fresh Market. “I wanted a placewith foods we ate before food conglomer-ates changed what we eat,” explains RoseMennella. Wares include baskets of fra-grant honey crisp apples, caramel dipsmixed by a community nonprofit groupand locally crafted Blue Collar Blackber-ry Pepper Jam and River Valley KitchensHeirloom Tomato Salsa.
On my last day, I jog along Lake ShorePath. I pass Covenant Harbor BibleCamp; the Wrigley gum family com-pound; and homes more than a centuryold, such as Wadsworth Hall, a classicalGeorgian style, and the House in theWoods, whose wind chimes mingle withtrilling birds. Honored back in the dayfor mating old-world elegance with mod-ern technology, the latter was oncedecorated with lavish murals painted bythe owner’s son, a respected artist. Sub-sequent owners removed the murals.Today, abundant outdoor art includesbeautiful ironwork footbridges and windsculptures.
For views from the lake, I set off on astand-up paddle board rented from ClearWater Outdoor. Stone Manor emergesfrom the south shore woods. The man-sion, reputedly the lake’s largest, wasbuilt by a German costume jewelry
salesman turned real estate magnateafter the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.Seven levels, Bedford limestone exterior,Tennessee marble interior, 14-karat-goldfixtures, a ballroom and a bowling alley.Auctioned for back taxes in the 1960s, itwas snagged by a developer for $75,000and housed a restaurant and a Christmastree museum before being partitionedinto condos.
As I paddle, Lake Geneva’s secretbecomes clear: You don’t need to be richto enjoy the good life.
Soslow is a Washington-based writer andphotographer. She can be reached [email protected].
PHOTOS BY ROBIN SOSLOW FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Stone Manor is the largest mansion on Wisconsin’s Geneva Lake — and you can share in its views, thanks to a requirement that lakeside landowners grant public access.
Yerkes Observatory, built in 1897 on the Williams Bay shore of Geneva Lake, hasthe world’s largest refractory telescope. Free tours are offered each Saturday.
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