Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an endearing, beautiful travel location. Approximately 2 hours from Chicago, the resort town is a haven for city-dwellers in winter and summer alike. A world away from urban living, the area is a calm respite for harried professionals and their families.

Geneva Lake is the deepest lake in Wisconsin (note that the City is Lake Geneva, and the lake is Geneva Lake), at 135 feet deep. It is approximately 8 miles long and 2 miles wide.

In the winter, Lake Geneva is known for its amazing snowmobile trails and ice fishing on the lake. Year-round, an indoor waterpark thrills children and adults alike. The water is heated to bathtub temperature!

Any time of the year, women will enjoy the high end boutique shopping in the Lake Geneva area.

The Grand Geneva Resort, located at 7036 Grand Geneva Way at Highways 50 East and 12, is the home of the original Playboy mansion.

Just imagine, you can swim in the very same pool as all those gorgeous women did, many years ago. Stroll the halls and dream about what it must have been like, crowded with scantily dressed women, the smell of cigar smoke hanging in the air, and cocktails all around.

If images of playboy bunnies don't bring you to visit, then who knows what will? Perhaps your interests range to gaming instead: The Dungeons and Dragons Role playing game was founded in Lake Geneva. Plenty of trivia and souvenirs can be found in the area for game enthusiasts.

The idea for the soap opera, "The Young and the Restless" was born in Lake Geneva, too. The producers' home is one of the many mansions lining the lakeshore. The fictional setting for the show is actually based on a nearby town, Genoa City, and not Lake Geneva.

Although the town is a quieter, more family-friendly place these days, years ago Chicago residents would escape the dull city, traveling to the north where they would have fun, gamble and drink in Lake Geneva. Today, vacationers and urban escapees alike can relax by playing golf, swimming, sight-seeing and just generally enjoying the beauty of the Wisconsin countryside.

This is not to say that some of the earlier influences are completely gone, however. The Mob is still said to have a presence in the area. Organized crime is still alive in the Chicago area, and some of its leaders have found hideaways at Lake Geneva and stops along the way.

Chicago is a rich city, filled with amazing restaurants, museums and theatres, and shopping! But for those who wish to get away from the stresses of urban life, its an amazingly short drive to Lake Geneva, a town filled with its own history and cultural influences.

Be sure to schedule in a few extra days for a trip north of the windy city next time you plan your vacation. You're sure to have some great stories to tell when you return!