Lake Geneva

A few months ago on a warm sunny fall day, Jackie, Kathy and I told a walk along a lake.  Specifically, Lake Geneva.  First we grabbed a lunch at Popeyes, at a table with a view of the lake.  Popeyes specializes in BBQ chicken, beef and pork which we all enjoyed.  After lunch, we walked to the lake and had to make a decision, do we go right or left.  For no real reason, it was decided to go to the left, or in the southern direction.  So come along and enjoy our walk along the lake.
Lake Geneva has a unique lakeshore pathway.  It is 21 miles around the whole lake, not something the average person would walk in an afternoon.  Plus the terrain makes it a challenge in some locations.  Whether its limestone, stepping stones, or dirt, you have to make a point to look down where you are walking AS you are looking at the mansions on one side, and a beautiful lake on the other side. There is a sign at the beginning that explains a few rules:

With people walking through your land everyday we wondered how accepted this was by the homeowners.  We found a variety of landscapes, some homes that embraced the idea by creating garden wonderlands, and others that had thick trees and shrubs that completely shielded their home from view.   Some homes with lounge chairs out front to people watch, and a few for sale signs.

Almost immediately we came upon the largest home on the eastern side of the lake.

 But as you can see, there isn't much in the way of landscaping at this mansion.  I did a little research and this building, it is called Stone Manor (officially Younglands) and was built by Otto Young from Chicago in 1900-1901.  It had a basement bowling alley and an indoor mini golf course.  It was a private residence until 1939, then was made into a girls school but only for a few years.  Then it became a French restaurant until it was purchased for back taxes in the 1980s.  It was renovated and now houses six condominiums.
Lets continue on the path......

 Since it was fall and most plants were already dormant,  we imagined that in the summer this pathway is lined with flowers and flowering shrubs.

Here the path was much more rustic, with tree roots making the path anything but easy to walk on.

 Lake Geneva, blue sky, blue water, crisp breeze, a wonderful view!  Some piers stay in the water all winter, but many homeowners had taken their piers out and they lined the pathways.  

We saw a lot of these mussels on the piers that were taken out, lying on the shoreline.  Are these the Zebra Mussels that are causing concern at area lakes?  

Another large home...

                                                     a narrow pathway

                                                  a flower absorbing the fall sunlight...

                                            and time for a group picture (thanks to a stone wall that held my camera)
We walked about 40 minutes, then stopped and reversed ourselves.  Time to head back.

                                     This is a view of the marina and downtown Lake Geneva at the end of our walk.

If you go online and check out Lake Geneva, there are many links to the walkway around the lake.  There isn't any reason to purchase a map.  Just go there, and start walking.  Since we did the east side of the lake this time, we all decided we would head back in the summer and walk the west side.  We also would like to see how the whole area looks with flowers in full bloom.  So, Lake Geneva...We'll Be Back!