Lake Geneva is sometimes called “The Newport of the West” due to the many mansions situated along the shores of Geneva Lake. (Note: The town is called Lake Geneva while the lake is called Geneva Lake). Some of the famous families who currently have or used to have estates around the lake are the Wrigley Family (known for chewing gum), Wacker Family, Schwinn Family (known for bicycles), and the Wacker Family (a prominent Chicago family—Charles H. Wacker championed the Burnham Plan for Chicago and was the director of the 1893 Columbian Exposition).
We opted to take the Full Lake Tour of Geneva Lake from the Lake Geneva Cruise Line, which was a two-hour cruise aboard the Walworth II, a boat that is still used as a mailboat during the summer. I loved our time cruising along the lake, hearing stories of the families who have built estates there and seeing the vibrant fall colors.
It was the perfect fall adventure. The fall color was some of the most stunning I have ever seen, especially along the lakeshore. I enjoyed seeing all of the massive estates while Chris loved googling more information about the families. If we lived in the area, Lake Geneva is a place I would visit every year.
