Plenty to do on or off water
By LEE ANN GILL - editorial@nwherald.com
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| Lily Girzadas, 3, of Hinsdale plays with a pin wheel on Geneva Lake's Rivera Beach earlier this month. Lily was vacationing with her family – Dad, Mark; Mom, Patti; and brother Jack, 8 months. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com) |
If you think you can’t afford to take your family away this summer, think again, said George Hennerley, executive director of the Lake Geneva Area Visitor’s Center.
With boating, swimming, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, shopping, dining, lodging, and special family events available, Lake Geneva, Wis., offers families a vacation close to home.
“You can hike and bike and horseback ride and do whatever you want to do and save all that money on airfare and gas,’’ said Hennerley, gearing up for another busy summer, with his office situated across from Geneva Lake in downtown Lake Geneva, a 20- to 30-minute ride north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border, off the west side of Route 12.
Even early in the season, from his office, Hennerley can see visitors walking along the lake shore, fishing off the piers and walking along the downtown beach.
“You can spend the day on the beach and walk up the stairs and do some shopping,’’ Hennerley said. “It’s primarily the opportunity to mix great services and lodging with a great natural setting. You can get out and enjoy nature without actually roughing it.’’
The beach, he said, is a favorite with locals, visitors and even a celebrity or two.
“It’s David Hasselhoff’s favorite beach,’’ he said, adding that the actor was discovered by producers of the Young and the Restless on the downtown beach.
“Our water’s crystal clear and very healthy. One end is very quiet, and the other’s more for family and kids.,” Hennerley said.
The money generated from entrance fees to the beach goes back into maintaining the beach and for beach amenities, he said.
And there’s more to do than just swim in Geneva Lake.
“You can rent to go over the water with parasailing or under the water with scuba diving and everything in between,’’ Hennerley said.
For those who would rather sit back and relax on the lake, boat tours, dinner cruises, mail boat tours, architecture tours and more take off from the Riviera Docks downtown.
“The cruise ships are very comfortable and entertaining for families,’’ Hennerley said.
Families can inquire about the various boat tours by calling 262-248-6206. For families who would rather stay ashore, there are horse trails and hiking and biking trails around the city.
A 26-mile hiking trail stretches around Geneva Lake and a trail system winds through the Grand Geneva Resort property on Highway 50, where horses can be rented. Call
800-558-3417 for information on renting horses.
“We also have an extensive bicycle trail through Lake Geneva,’’ Hennerley said.
Special events for families this summer include Art in the Park, a juried art show sponsored by the Geneva Lake Art Association, which will be in Library Park on Main Street on Aug. 8-9. A children’s art activity center will be featured.
The Venetian Festival, sponsored by the local Jaycees, will be Aug. 19-23 in Flat Iron, Seminary and Library parks in downtown, with carnival rides, a craft fair, water ski show, music, a boat parade and a fireworks show.
The Lake Geneva Visitor’s Center, 201 Wrigley Drive, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
