Restful Retreat: Lake Geneva Style

A few weeks ago J surprised me with a celebratory and relaxing get away to Grand Geneva Resort & Spa! For some time now I knew that he would plan a restful retreat the week after my dissertation proposal, but he outdid himself. Here is the picture of The Lodge where we stayed at Grand Geneva.

I was so excited to go to Lake Geneva for the weekend as I had heard great reviews. Lake Geneva has a long history of being a popular summer retreat for Chicago's wealthy termed, the "Hamptons of the Midwest." The town is so cute with a scenic downtown area filled with boutiques, fudge shops, and other great fooderies!

Our room faced the golf course and lake

Although this shot was taken from their website, I think it is a pretty close estimate of our location from the 2nd floor balcony. 

And we had a tv INSIDE the bathroom mirror! How cool is that?

The weekend was filled with many firsts!

Our first FIRST: We went horseback riding!!!! I had never been horseback riding and have shared with J my desires to so one day. When he told me to dress casually in jeans and tennis shoes for our ride from Madison to Lake Geneva; I was a little skeptical as to what was in store. I NEVER wear jeans and tennis shoes! (The only time I wear tennis shoes is to go running or to go to the gym!) When I saw the jeans J was wearing to pick me up,  I was still clueless. Clueless because he was wearing jeans that I despise and the whole car ride down I was thinking how I should have disposed of those particular jeans last summer when we purchase two new pair! To make matters worse- we checked in, walked around the resort and even downtown Lake Geneva with him IN THOSE JEANS! When we pulled up to the barn I finally got it! I began to cry out of pure excitement! I have found a man that truly listens!

Our second FIRST: Wine tasting!!!! Now, I have partaken in plenty of "wine tasting" in my day, but never with professionals! Now, that we have one under our belt, I am ready for more. I so enjoyed the interesting facts the wine guides (I am not certain of their official name) shared during the wine tasting. We tried 6 different wine (3 white, 3 red) and we even found a red that Jason and I both enjoy. The food at the wine tasting was also ah-ma-zing! They had mustard pickled dried fruit that was simply delicious, so light and refreshing. I am sure many of you are thinking eww, but do not turn up your nose until you try it for yourself. And there was so many other good yummies to accompany the dried fruit like breads, cheeses, olives, artichokes, the list goes on..... Yum! Next time we go on a wine tour, one of us has to be the note-taker like Js mother does when his parents visit Napa Valley. She does not drink alcohol, so Dr. K enjoys the wine tasting and she takes notes!

Our third FIRST: Couples massage!!!! Before our Lake Geneva Retreat J had never gotten a message! It was his first time getting a massage, my 100th, but both of ours first couples massage. It too was so nice. They gave us a foot bath prior to the massage and really made us feel calm and relaxed. J was so relaxed that he fell asleep and began snoring softly. It was so cute and I just smiled checking in on him periodically from my table.

Our fourth FIRST: Lake Geneva Boat Ride!!!!  It was so neat going on a narrated excursion of the Geneva Bay area of Lake Geneva. This portion of the lake houses all the elegant estates and summer homes of the very wealthy including: the Wrigleys, Schwinns, Maytags, and countless others. Simply breathtaking!

Thank you Love for a wonderful, restful retreat and I look forward to many more to come!

<3
Michelyn