Snow Sculpting Championship, in Lake Geneva, WI. (Chamber of Commerce photo 2019)
To see some the country’s best snow sculptures and vote for your favorite, drive up to Lake Geneva, just over the Illinois border into Wisconsin on Hwy 50, this weekend.
They start work midweek when snow is delivered to their stations in the Riviera Plaza , 812 Wrigley Drive abutting Geneva Lake (Yes, that is the lake’s name).
The teams sculpt their creations through Friday night to be ready for the judging after the “tools down” bell at 11 a.m. Saturday. Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award, Saturday until 2 p.m.
The snow sculptures are amazing but also stay to see ice sculptures in town. Youngsters may want to stop at a children’s tent at 201 Wrigley Dr. in Flat Iron Park where there are games and the Boy Scouts are selling cider donuts and hot dogs.
There are several inns and resorts that turn a Lake Geneva visit into a getaway.
Visitors who stay over Saturday will want to see the free Laser Light Show on the ski slopes of the Grand Geneva Resort, just south of the downtown at WI7036 Grand Geneva Way.
The light show goes from 8:30 to 10 p.m. For more information call (312) 218-3848 or visit Laser fusion shows. The resort is kid friendly and also has a good spa.
View from balcony at Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, WI. (Jodie Jacobs photos)
When “The world is too much with us… late and soon, as English poet William Wordsworth said with a poem that continues with “we are out of tune” you know it is time to take a break.
A good place to get back in tune is to plan a girls’ getaway where the view out the balcony door stretches across water and hills, where stress is forgotten over cocktails and delicious food and tension is massaged away by experienced hands.
My sister and I found such a place when we chose Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva, WI for our annual spa getaway.
This year, my sister flew into O’Hare from Dallas so we could drive from my home in a northern suburb of Chicago. It took about an hour which is the same amount of time for someone flying into Milwaukee’s airport.
The resort is just on the eastern outskirts of Lake Geneva so we first parked downtown for a bit of boutique shopping then headed to the Grand Geneva to unpack and unwind. FYI, the lake is called Geneva Lake and the town is Lake Geneva.
Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva, WI
The resort has lots of accommodation options ranging from deluxe rooms and suites to condos. We loved our deluxe double on the third floor of Building 3 with a view of a lake on the property.
BTW Grand Geneva has 1,300 acres that include ski hills in winter turned into an adventure spot in summer, golf, horseback riding and plenty of paths to hike and bike.
I liked the lap pool in the spa and fitness facility across the lane from our building. My sister liked the fitness center where she could work out with the type of equipment she used back home.
While waiting for our spa services in the women’s locker room, we heard happy chatter from girlfriends enjoying the spa’s whirlpool. Another waiting area open to males and females, was a quiet relaxation space with good fruit juice, crackers and cheeses.
We booked massages for one day and mani-pedi services, the next. Definitely recommend both.
The resort had two top notch dinner restaurants, the Geneva Chop House and Ristorante Brissago. Both have good food and good service. The night we ate at the resort we were in the mood for Italian flavors and loved our choices of a pumpkin bisque, Osso Bucco and eggplant parmigiano.
Pumpkin bisque that is sweet and savory with the added balsamic.
The resort’s Sunday morning brunch in its Grand Café was tempting but after a weekend of eating we ordered light breakfasts from the menu.
We left on Sunday but heard there was a shuttle that went into Lake Geneva on Monday for a tour of the town that included lunch. Maybe will do it next time.
I’m thinking the resort would be a good place to visit next Valentine’s Day or birthday or anniversary or Mother’s Day.
But regarding our experience, best of all was that everyone at Grand Geneva seemed to really care about the guests.
For reservations and more information visit Grand Geneva.
Snap pictures of gorgeous snow sculptures. Relive Groundhog Day. Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a sharp new vehicle. All three possibilities will brighten February days. So, post the one you love on the calendar.
‘Door Master’ by Milwaukee team of Dave Andrews, Gina Dilbirti and Zach Ruezter won the National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, 2016. Visit Lake Geneva photo
The National Snow Sculpting competition takes over Lake Geneva’s lake front Feb. 1 through Feb. 5, 2017.
But the town’s Winterfest’s fun events such as a Cocoa Crawl, visiting Baker House’s Ice Bar, Maxwell Mansion’s tours and activities at the Grand Geneva Resort continue through Feb. 12.
The snow sculptures are amazing. Each of the fifteen, three-member teams from across the U.S. transform tall snow cylinders into beautiful works of art.
The cylinders are typically delivered on Wednesday. By Friday night, the sculptures are gleaming in the moonlight ready to be judged on Saturday morning.
Wintervest visitors vote for a “People’s Champion.” The gold, silver and bronze categories are voted on by the sculptors based on creativity, technique and message.
Walk the sites where Harold Ramis’ popular “Groundhog Day” film was shot in Woodstock, IL. The town is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the filming there from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5. But it will likely be celebrating again next year to mark the movie’s 25th anniversary of when it was released in 1993.
Co-written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, the film has Pittsburg TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) trying to cover Groundhog Day when he gets stuck in a time warp.
Also starring Andie MacDowell as news producer Rita Hanson and Chris Elliott as cameraman Larry, the movie supposedly takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. However, with the exception of a couple of opening and highway shots to set a sense of place, it really was filmed in the cute, countryside town of Woodstock. Ramis had been searching for a site within a day’s drive of his Winnetka home.
The film site tour and showings of the movie are free. If you go early enough (7 a.m.) on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, you can see how Woodstock Willie reacts when he comes out of his tree trunk home. Pray for clouds so he doesn’t see his shadow. No shadow would mean an early spring if you believe this animal’s behavior predicts the weather.
Annual CAS draws a crowd at McCormick Place. CAD photo
CAS, the annual big introduction to what will officially be out for 2018, features about 1,000 vehicles and draws thousands of visitors.
In town Feb 11-17, it spreads across McCormick Place but with all those vehicles and visitors the best way to avoid the crowd crush is to go charity preview night.
The show starts off with a dressy charity party, Feb. 10. Its $275 ticket benefits 18 local charities but $222 can be tax deductable as a donation. Expect comp hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, entertainment and celebrities.
Regular tickets are $13 adults, $7 for seniors 62 and older and $7 children ages 7-12. Discounted ticket day is Feb. 15 when women pay $7.
