Page 137 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Chicago

BEY OND CHIC A GO  135

The town was established
in the 1850s by a group of
Presbyterians who planned
to build a college. The St. Louis
landscape architect hired
to plan the town took
advantage of the area’s
beautiful prairie lands, ravines,
and hills, designing streets
to follow the natural curves
of the landscape. Lady of the Lake, a reproduction of a Mississippi paddle wheeler
Presbyterian Lake Forest
College, established in 1857, 6 Lake Geneva skiing and snowmobiling are
has many grand, late-1800 n 201 Wrigley Dr, WI. Tel (262) 248- popular activities. However,
buildings. The Romanesque- 4416, 800-345-1020. Open 9am–5pm accommodations fill up quickly
style Hotchkiss Hall was Mon–Fri; 10am–4pm Sat & Sun. 8 in summer and traffic is heavy.
designed by Henry Ives 0 = ∑ lakegenevawi.com Lake Geneva has a rich
Cobb (see p28) in 1890 history. The Oneota tribes of the
and named after the Lake Geneva, 70 miles (113 km) now-extinct Hopewell Culture
town’s planner. north of Chicago in the state of Indians, an agricultural people,
The First Presbyterian Wisconsin, nestles on the shores lived in the area as long ago as
Church (700 N Sheridan Rd) of a spring-fed lake of the same 1000 BC. In 1836, the local
was designed by Charles Frost name. There is much to keep you Potawatomi tribe was evicted
in 1887. The church’s unusual occupied for a weekend in this from the area, and pioneer
design is an adaptation of picturesque resort town and its Christopher Payne built the first
the New England cottage surrounding rural communities. log cabin in town. The site is
style, known as Shingle style. Boating on the wide lake, hiking, marked with a plaque on Center
Market Square, in down- and ballooning are just a few of Street, north of White River.
town Lake Forest, is one of the possibilities. The town, laid out in 1837,
the first planned suburban Lake Geneva is also a was originally a sawmill town.
shopping centers in the shopper’s and diner’s paradise. Following the Civil War, it
US. Designed in 1916 by Many of the charming bou- became a resort for wealthy
Howard Van Doren Shaw, tiques and antique stores are in Chicagoans, who built their
this pleasant town square has turn-of-the-century buildings. homes on the lakefront.
a quaint English character. Several of the town’s restaurants, One of the best ways to see
The best way to experience particularly those along Wrigley these mansions is by boat.
Lake Forest is to drive on Drive, provide spectacular Geneva Lake Cruise Line’s fleet
meandering Sheridan Road. views of the lake. of ships includes replicas of a
Along the route are many In autumn, the countryside Southern paddle wheeler and a
beautiful homes on spacious, is ablaze with fall foliage. It is an turn-of-the-century lake steamer.
landscaped grounds. ideal backdrop to the 21-mile The Walworth II operates as a US
Golfers can take advantage (34-km) trail encircling the lake, mail boat, one of the last in
of Deer Path Golf Course, a trail that once connected service. A mail carrier delivers
while at Forest Park Beach, Indian camps. On the western mail during the tour.
beachgoers can enjoy the edge of town is a state- Geneva Lake Area Museum
cooling waters of Lake designated “Rustic Road,” an of History (255 Mill Street)
Michigan during the ideal route for a leisurely drive displays interesting historical
summer heat. through the country. In winter, photographs and artifacts.

Riviera Docks, departure point for Lake Geneva boat cruises

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