A Geneva in the American Mid-West

Lalit Mohan

There is Lake Geneva, and there is Geneva Lake, and neither is in Switzerland. The first is a resort town and the latter is the vast shimmering body of crystal clear water in the Wisconsin state in the US that is the primary reason why the town exists. Spread over 5500 acres, it is one of the most picturesque and popular holiday destinations in mid-West America.

Geneva is a part of Walworth county in Wisconsin, which is dotted with 24 large and small lakes. It lies 140 km from Chicago and a little less than that from Madison. The lake itself is longish in shape, being 14 km in length and about five km at its widest. At places, it is up to 40 m deep. The town has a population of about 7,000.

Although not located in Illinois, the lake attracts more visitors from Chicago, and many of its 19th century millionaire families, like the Wrigley’s (of chewing gum fame), Schwinns and Maytags built mansions on its shores. Black Point Estates and Gardens, developed by beer baron Conrad Sepp in 1888, is one of the ticketed venues that tourists often visit. Heritage tours by boat take visitors by these holiday homes as the guide drops names of the rich and the famous, who own these.

Low-forested hillsides surround the vast expanse of water that has a variety of sporting activities to attract the expert as well as the amateur. Boat or catamaran rides, water skiing, jet skiing, diving, paddle-boating, paragliding, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, you name it and it is there. The lake has spring-fed fresh water. If you get dunked, you will not die if you don’t spit out what you may have swallowed! The 33-km periphery of the lake is good for a hike with convenient halts in case one gets tired. The path goes through a forest rich in its variety of flora and fauna.

Fortunately, the lake is large enough to allow everyone enough space to indulge in a bit of robust aquatic fun. But safety is not neglected and every visitor is briefed well on how to tackle emergencies. The jet ski’s ignition key is tied with a chain to the driver’s wrist. In case he falls off, the key gets pulled out and the ski comes to a halt. The guy at the counter also told us, “If weeds get entangled with the motor, just dive under it and pull them out.” So easy!

The topography of Lake Geneva lends itself to a variety of nature-centric activities such as golfing, ballooning, mountain-cycling, beach frolicking, or just getting pampered at one of the spas. Adventure parks which offer sports such as archery are another of the outdoor attractions of Lake Geneva. A word of caution here: pulling the bow string on one of those fancy contraptions is not as easy as it looks. If handled wrong, the backlash could sting the fore arm. But camp retreats are guaranteed to be fun outings.

During prohibition days 80 years ago, Lake Geneva became a haven for Al Capone and his mobsters. In 1968, Hugh Hefner built his first Playboy club in Lake Geneva. It shut down in 1981, and next year was converted into a golf resort known as Grand Geneva, which has much more to it than just golf.

FACT FILE

Getting there: One has to drive to Geneva, whether by a private car or a hired one. Tour agencies in big cities close by provide day round trips by bus.

Where to stay: A vast choice of lodging and eating places is available on the net. The town has at least 15 quality hotels.

What to shop: Lake Geneva teems with quaint boutique shops. Just roaming around its low-rise down town area makes for a pleasant walk.