Lake Geneva Getaway

After years of living within 15 minutes of an ocean, I find myself in a permanent state of withdrawl without one.  That said, I started this summer with a determination to rediscover my love for lakes. Not for a minute am I trying to replace the ocean that I miss so much with a lake.  One thing I have learned through all the moves is that if I look for something to take the place of what I lost, I will only be disappointed.  Instead, I try to discover the attributes of each place that make it unique and beautiful.  I am certainly not going to see pelicans or hear crashing waves at a lake beach, but Midwestern lakes, in contrast, may have sand dunes or be surrounded by fluffy trees.

Midwesterners have long been heading "up north" to the lakes of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.  Just watch movies like The Great Outdoors and Cheaper By the Dozen 2, and you'll see what I mean.  In fact, I can trace my own love for the beach to one summer spent in Holland, Michigan as a child while my dad attended grad school.  I spent almost every single day at the beach that summer, and I haven't been the same since.

Thanks to some amazing deals at the Grand Geneva Resort, we kicked off our summer by heading up north to Lake Geneva for a couple days.  It is an easy drive from the Chicago area, and it was a perfect way to see how Brayden would fare on vacation without the risk of being too far from home if he did get sick.  Thankfully, we all stayed healthy and had an amazing time!

Highlights of the trip included evening walks by the lake, time at the beach, golfing (for my husband), shopping (for me!), and swimming at the awesome outdoor pools at the resort.  And, the fact that there was a cafe that made Starbucks in the resort certainly enhanced the trip for me. We are already planning a return trip!

I used A Beautiful Mess app (I am addicted!) to edit all pictures in this post and Instagram to add filters in 2 of the pictures.