Last week my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary (woo hoo!) Since our plans to Hawaii didn’t happen, I thought it would be nice to get away still. One of our favorite places to do so without having to deal with a long drive is the Lake Geneva area. As you may remember, we had a great time for spring break and also summer. Can you tell we absolutely love Lake Geneva?
This time around we stayed at one of our favorite places around the area, The Abbey Resort & Spa in Fontana. Located in a much quieter area but still close enough to Geneva Lake, it was exactly what we wanted and needed. Since The Abbey Resort is super family-friendly we decided to book a room for the grandparents to watch the kids while my husband and I enjoyed some needed quiet time. It was perfect! The parents got to enjoy a mini-vacation away while spending time with the grandkids, while my husband and I were also able to spend time together alone enjoying The Abbey Resort and the lovely area.
Wake up and enjoy the day
Who wouldn’t want to wake up every day with this view out your window? One of the best features of The Abbey Resort is its location to Geneva Lake and the marina.
Grab coffee
We took advantage of our day by starting it right — getting coffee first thing in the morning. Located down the street from The Abbey is a local coffee spot, Coffee Mill, that was voted Best of Walworth County. What a great find! I knew I would love it the minute I saw their porch with colorful chairs and rocking chairs. And once I walked in, I totally dug the vibe – rustic, chill, totally something you would find in any hipster neighborhood. The hard part was choosing what to get, but the barista was patient and helped me choose one of their signature drinks, Honey Bee, made with Anodyne Coffee (Milwaukee) while my husband chose a cold brew coffee (his new choice of coffee drink), and a couple muffins for the kids. The muffins were actually from Swiss Maid Bakery just over the border in Harvard, IL. We tried the zucchini and blueberry muffins and it was a hit.
Tip: Walk up the winding staircase to find a working area for adults only. The view upstairs was pretty great!
Go for a walk (not run)
Just down the street from our resort was the Geneva Lake Shore Path. I had explored the Lake Geneva side and loved it, and knew I wanted to share the gorgeous views with my husband. We actually ran parts of the path, and with the path’s uneven sometimes and rocky terrain, my husband twisted his ankle. Even though it was unfortunate, my husband said it was worth it. We’ll definitely be walking it next time.
Beach Time
If you’re looking for a clean, quiet beach take a short walk down the street from The Abbey to Fontana Beach. The resort will even provide free beach passes! Prefer to ride a bike? The Abbey can help you with by lending out bikes.
Relax
The Abbey Resort’s Avani Spa is an amazing spa and I’d highly recommend a massage or even better a couple’s massage. If you don’t have time for one, I’d still take advantage of the spa facilities that includes an inhalation spa, dry sauna, and wet sauna, and of course the private adults-only Atrium pool and whirlpool. It was an awesome way to relax, grab coffee, and just relish the quietness (along with a good book.)
Studio Winery
Studio Winery is a perfect example of what happens when a musician and artist combine their talents and love of wine. Such a cool place where you’ll find music on the weekend and art everywhere you turn (some even for sale.) You can even grab a canvas and paint if you’re so inclined. For a real treat, head outside to the patio next to the vineyard. (Yes, there are vineyards in Lake Geneva!) If you want, you can grab a canvas and paint for a little self-guided painting session.
Not only is the space cool, but the wine is fabulous. We did a tasting and just adored the tasting cups on a palette. As a lover of sweet wines, I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole tasting menu full of it. If you prefer, they also offer other non-sweet wine varieties to try out too.
It was hard to choose just one, but in the end, we took Axl Rose home (the wine, that is). Our plan is to open it next year on our anniversary, or if we can’t resist opening it (which will probably happen), we’ll need to make a return trip.
Tip: On the way out to the patio, make sure to just stop and smell the wine on the way out. They make their wine on-site!
Lake Geneva Pie Company
Taking advantage of our time alone, I thought we’d drive across the street for a little dessert before dinner. And we didn’t need to share! Lake Geneva Pie Company offers all sorts of handmade pies with plenty of different flavors of pie. With so many choices we couldn’t decide! Thankfully, one of their lovely customers helped us out by suggesting a few of her favorite pies. She claimed that they made the best key lime pies around. Such high honors given the fact that she was originally from Florida. We did end up taking her advice (she walked away with three full pies so she must know what she’s talking about!), and chose two of her favorites – chocolate cream and banana cream. And boy was she on point. Both were so, so good! Now we need to make it our mission to try the key lime pie next time around.
Tip: Love their pies? Bring home a frozen pie (or two) for the family.
Enjoy dinner with a view
We had a peaceful and romantic dinner at The Abbey’s restaurant, 240 West. The food was innovative, wonderfully presented, but most of all delicious! It was the perfect anniversary meal.
Read more about our fantastic dining experience at 240 West.
Bottom Line:
My husband and I had a great time celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Lake Geneva, but especially The Abbey Resort. We may make this our yearly tradition!
Disclosure: Although the Abbey Resort provided a complimentary stay, the thoughts and opinions presented are those of my own.
Lake Geneva sounds so wonderful! What a nice way to celebrate 10 years (congrats!).