Weekend Away
Last weekend was my side of the family's annual Engelke campout. As you can tell from the pictures, we didn't really "camp out" this year. My brother Ken and his family lined up a discount at the nicest place I've ever been--the Grand Geneva Resort at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Interesting backstory: Hugh Hefner bought a couple of farms near Lake Geneva in the 1960s, built a lodge, a ski hill, and sold the place in the 1990s. This "place" just happens to be the Grand Geneva Resort! Only there weren't any Playboy Bunnies hopping around anymore!! Now there are two lodges, and we stayed at this one--the Timber Ridge.
As soon as I entered the lobby to check in, I knew we were going to have a very special time. There were staff members and guests bustling about everywhere, and right by the fireplace were 3 naturalists hosting a "petting zoo" with an arctic fox, lemur, and other exotic animals. The whole lodge had a "moose" theme going, definitely a year-round attraction.
One of the amenities was this trolley that would take you all over the 1300-acre complex.
Of course we had to check out the whole place...
...and we weren't very excited at all!
Between our lodge and the original lodge was this stunning 18-hole golf course. There were also lots of beautiful woods, trails, and paved running/biking paths.
After a brief tour of the older lodge (which my nephew and his wife stayed in, and I hear they had a flat-screen TV in the bathroom mirror!), we took a few pictures by this fountain. Remember the opening song on "Friends"? This is our version, with 100% Siegert kids and 60% Tashner kids! Cousins all the same age....how could it get any better than this?!
The moms and dads (and Garrison) try not to squint into the glaring sun. Not the best picture! After this, Mark and I snuck into the spa/fitness center. They had a 35-foot climbing wall (just trained the Department of Defense on it last week), a huge weightroom, basketball and tennis courts, outdoor tennis, an Olympic-sized lap pool, a yoga/dance studio, saunas/showers/spa areas--all for a mere 21-million $ renovation. (All services for a small fee, of which we did not partake.) Swanky, to say the least!
About 1.5 miles south was Dan Patch Stables. There were horses, ponies, llamas, goats, ducks, and a dog. We watched some folks saddle up for a trail ride.
Paige made 2 fast friends!
Four pretty maidens, all in a row!
On our walk back to the lodge, we saw these heron (I think they're heron).
In the arcade, we spotted this Young Male Video Game Player. He is very common in these parts, but the inside-out t-shirt is a rare feature, only to be found on those species who have been water-soaked and screen-dazed. You can also find him in hotel gift shops, staring at the overpriced Lego selections.
Did I mention this place had a waterpark? Just a little watering hole.
It wasn't very fun at all.
There was nothing to do there...
And no one to do it with!
Everyone wanted to get out of there and go back and sit in our hotel rooms.
Even the outdoor pools were boring.
"Let's go home and do some chores, Mom!"
We managed to force the little one down this extremely boring slide six times. Yawnsville.
Engelke cousins and cousins' kids after cookies-and-milk bedtime story-time in the main lobby!
For 30 bucks extra, we booked the 2-bedroom suite with loft. In addition to a full kitchen, there were 2 full baths, 3 flat-screen TVs, and a jacuzzi. It was a SWEET suite!!
Leave it up to our two little whinies to find something wrong with a luxury suite. "I don't want to sleep with her....she kicks!!" Sigh.
But those two little girlies were all smiles in the jacuzzi!!
And the 3-hour ride home was peaceful. Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.--Deuteronomy 33:27
Interesting backstory: Hugh Hefner bought a couple of farms near Lake Geneva in the 1960s, built a lodge, a ski hill, and sold the place in the 1990s. This "place" just happens to be the Grand Geneva Resort! Only there weren't any Playboy Bunnies hopping around anymore!! Now there are two lodges, and we stayed at this one--the Timber Ridge.
As soon as I entered the lobby to check in, I knew we were going to have a very special time. There were staff members and guests bustling about everywhere, and right by the fireplace were 3 naturalists hosting a "petting zoo" with an arctic fox, lemur, and other exotic animals. The whole lodge had a "moose" theme going, definitely a year-round attraction.
One of the amenities was this trolley that would take you all over the 1300-acre complex.
Of course we had to check out the whole place...
...and we weren't very excited at all!
Between our lodge and the original lodge was this stunning 18-hole golf course. There were also lots of beautiful woods, trails, and paved running/biking paths.
After a brief tour of the older lodge (which my nephew and his wife stayed in, and I hear they had a flat-screen TV in the bathroom mirror!), we took a few pictures by this fountain. Remember the opening song on "Friends"? This is our version, with 100% Siegert kids and 60% Tashner kids! Cousins all the same age....how could it get any better than this?!
The moms and dads (and Garrison) try not to squint into the glaring sun. Not the best picture! After this, Mark and I snuck into the spa/fitness center. They had a 35-foot climbing wall (just trained the Department of Defense on it last week), a huge weightroom, basketball and tennis courts, outdoor tennis, an Olympic-sized lap pool, a yoga/dance studio, saunas/showers/spa areas--all for a mere 21-million $ renovation. (All services for a small fee, of which we did not partake.) Swanky, to say the least!
About 1.5 miles south was Dan Patch Stables. There were horses, ponies, llamas, goats, ducks, and a dog. We watched some folks saddle up for a trail ride.
Paige made 2 fast friends!
Four pretty maidens, all in a row!
On our walk back to the lodge, we saw these heron (I think they're heron).
In the arcade, we spotted this Young Male Video Game Player. He is very common in these parts, but the inside-out t-shirt is a rare feature, only to be found on those species who have been water-soaked and screen-dazed. You can also find him in hotel gift shops, staring at the overpriced Lego selections.
Did I mention this place had a waterpark? Just a little watering hole.
It wasn't very fun at all.
There was nothing to do there...
And no one to do it with!
Everyone wanted to get out of there and go back and sit in our hotel rooms.
Even the outdoor pools were boring.
"Let's go home and do some chores, Mom!"
We managed to force the little one down this extremely boring slide six times. Yawnsville.
Engelke cousins and cousins' kids after cookies-and-milk bedtime story-time in the main lobby!
For 30 bucks extra, we booked the 2-bedroom suite with loft. In addition to a full kitchen, there were 2 full baths, 3 flat-screen TVs, and a jacuzzi. It was a SWEET suite!!
Leave it up to our two little whinies to find something wrong with a luxury suite. "I don't want to sleep with her....she kicks!!" Sigh.
But those two little girlies were all smiles in the jacuzzi!!
And the 3-hour ride home was peaceful. Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.--Deuteronomy 33:27
posted by Amy Siegert | 6:02 PM
1 Comments:
What an AWESOME trip! That's quite a resort you went to. That waterpark looks like tons of fun!!!! I think I would have spent all my time there!
I do *love* that last photo. Ahhhh...peace and quiet. LOL!
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