Hello and welcome to
Discover Wisconsin.
With 35 long and successful
years behind us,
we head into a new year
of discovering Wisconsin.
And I couldn't think of a
better person to lead
the way
that my friend and former
co host Stephanie Klett.
Thank you, Rick.
Today on Discover
Wisconsin, we're
exploring Lake Geneva.
It's always been the place.
Hello and welcome
to Discover Wisconsin.
Located
in southeastern Wisconsin,
Lake Geneva, has a long
and colorful history
of attracting visitors
from around the world.
A great way to experience
Lake Geneva is on the water,
so I'm sending it
over to Josh, who's
going to show you
a unique boat tour.
You have to do.
Tour boats have been
an important feature
of Lake Geneva
since the 1800s.
They provide
transportation services
and mail delivery
to local residents.
In fact, U.S.
mail boat has been
delivering
mail in Lake Geneva
for over 100 years.
But did you know
you can ride along?
That's right.
Just jump aboard
the Walworth,
one of Lake Geneva
historical tour boats.
Ray.
I'm excited to go
on this mail boat tour.
Tell me about
how did this get started?
Well, mail boats
started back in 1916
and up until then,
the people on the lake
had to come here
to the city docks
and walk up
to the post office
and get their own mail.
For 1916 and the
predecessor of this company
then called
the Wisconsin Transportation
Company, had a conversation
with post office
trying to figure out
how to make this
economically viable.
That's where the
passenger carrying
part of it comes in
and ends up being our
most popular tour.
So this boat
goes around the lake
just as a tour of the lake
and then stops and delivers
mail on the way.
Oh, yes and no.
We don't do much stopping.
We drive by.
We have a contract
with the post office
to deliver the lake mail
for that summer season.
The summer season is
and always
has been, mid-June,
and ends September
on the mail boat tour.
You'll also get to see
and learn
about some of the most
beautiful
homes in Wisconsin.
For the people on the
lake, the mail boat
sort of spells summer
that first time the mailboat
comes in the spring.
That means that summer
we're here at the lake.
It's very special to people.
Let's join Alex at
one of the historical
estates on Geneva Lake.
Lake
Geneva Cruise Line
also offers a tour
that stops at Black
Point estate.
Over 130 years
old, this Queen Anne style
mansion and gardens
offer a glimpse into
Lake Geneva's past.
So we are at the beautiful
and historical black point
estate for those
who aren't familiar.
What is this place?
So Black Point Estate
is a 19th century queen
anne stick style
summer cottage
that was built for
the site family.
They were a Chicago
Brewing family.
Conrad Sipe was the brewer,
Catarina was his wife.
And they have this house
built as a summer retreat
so that family could escape
the hustle and bustle
and to be honest,
the pollution of Chicago
and really recreate
and enjoy
this beautiful lake.
Unfortunately, he dies
in January of 1890,
but his widow,
Catarina, expands
the property from
the original 27 acres
to roughly 100 acres, fully
functioning farm,
additional lake frontage.
And then it's passed down
through the female side
of the family for
almost 100 years.
This same family
for generations owned
and operated
this as a summer
retreat until 2005.
And when they donated it
to the state, we opened up
as a museum in 2007.
All the furniture
that you see was left here,
all the artwork,
all the personal effects.
So we did not need
to go to a antique shop or,
you know, rummage sale
to repopulate the house
with period items.
It's all part of
this collection.
We're on the
National Register
of Historic Places, mainly
because of the architecture
and it's open to the public.
How can people enjoy
and see this place?
So we're open
through the Lake
Geneva Cruise Line.
All of our guests
come through the
cruise line by boat,
which provides a
really nice experience.
Take the steps
down to the lake
and you'll find
a lakeshore path,
and that will lead you past
other historical
and impressive estates.
I think I'll take a walk.
I am pumped
to be part of the historic 35th
season of Discover,
Wisconsin.
My name is Jack Taylor
and I join the team
as a host back in 2019,
and I can't wait
for you to join us on some more
Wisconsin adventures.
Welcome back to Lake Geneva
on Discover Wisconsin.
Lake Geneva
is one of Wisconsin's
favorite destinations.
The area
offers award winning
restaurants,
shopping and resorts
with all the amenities.
The Geneva Lakeshore
Path is a public footpath
that allows you to walk
the entire shoreline
of Geneva Lake.
Let's join Alex on her
trek along the short path.
I don't know
what's more stunning.
The lake or
the homes on the lake.
I think it's the homes.
The walking path
gives you a closer look
at some of the most
valued properties
in all of Wisconsin.
And the history of these homes
makes it
even more interesting.
The development of
the railroad
and the Chicago fire in 1871
brought many prominent
Chicago families to the area
and further development
on the lake.
You may recognize
the names
of Wrigley, Schwinn, Morton
Fields or Olmstead.
And of course, you'll find
a range of architectural
periods and styles.
Stone Manor
is the largest estate
on Geneva Lake.
It was built for Otto Young.
Construction began in 1891,
and there are seven levels,
including a rooftop
terrace and pool.
And one particular stretch
known as the Miracle Path,
is intended to be
a place of peace
and inspiration
for all visitors.
A journey
of a thousand miles begins
with one single step.
Luckily,
this path isn't a thousand
miles.
It's only 21.
The miracle path
is lined with art and
motivational quotes.
Walkers are encouraged to
sign a guestbook,
sharing a miracle.
They're hoping for a prayer
request or a simple
thank you.
Walking through here
just puts a smile
on your face.
Another fun and unusual land
experience in the area.
Is Safari Lake Geneva
perfect for families
and animal lovers?
Cute
Safari Lake Geneva
allowed me to manifest
this overarching desire.
I've always had to
really immerse
people in wildlife.
They'll drive through
multiple game reserves here
at Safari Lake Geneva,
each with different
resident animals.
The ostrich, the world's
largest living antelope,
the Ellen,
the giraffe, of course,
as well as a lot
of other animals
that most
people have heard of.
But oftentimes many
have never seen one.
The yak
and the water buffalo.
Those are miniature zebu.
We've got one of
the smallest zebus
in the world here.
These guys like to eat.
That's. That's
an understatement.
Folks purchase special
grain made just to
our specifications.
You can feed the
giraffes at Safari
Lake Geneva from a
standing position
right near our baby
Boma Animal Nursery,
where they can get up
and close
to a variety of new babies
and expectant mothers.
Are there animals here
that are threatened?
There are
the scimitar horned
oryx, an antelope
from northern Africa
that classified
as extinct in the wild.
Even though efforts
are underway to reintroduce
the addicks and antelope
from northern Africa
that is considered
critically endangered.
This was the culmination
of a lifelong dream for me
since I was probably ten
or 11 years old.
The fact that it is
a family business
means it's extra special.
Of course, I consider myself
so fortunate
that we were able
to make it
materialize right here
in beautiful Walworth
County, Wisconsin.
Clearly, these are
memorable experiences.
In addition
to being quite educational,
the look in the little kids
eyes when they see
an exotic animal up
close is also
a tremendous sense
of satisfaction
in some small way.
I like to think that
this might be the spark
that creates the next
generation of Jungle J's.
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Find out where
Chicago Gangsters
Used to getaway
when we return.
Discover Wisconsin
is back in Lake Geneva.
There are
two other beautiful
lakes in the area.
Delvin Lake and Lake Como
both offer
unique opportunities
to get away and relax
or get out and play.
Delvin Lake is really
unique in the area.
Not only is it a great size
lake so close here
to Lake Geneva, it's
just a little over
a third of the size.
But you can get out here
with little less activity
that's going out
there and openly
great for fishing.
We look at all
the different attractions
that we offer.
Everything from golf
to a beautiful spa
to the lake activities.
Three pools, beautifully
appointed guestrooms.
The Lake One queen
was originally a boat
that was assembled
in northern Wisconsin.
This is a boat that is 76
feet long, twenty feet wide.
We have great
offerings on the lake.
Narrated tours about
the history of the lake.
This is one of the largest
collections of Frank Lloyd
Wright homes
that individuals
would get to hear about.
But in addition to that,
we have sunset tours.
There's wine tours,
perfect for weddings,
for rehearsal dinners,
gatherings of a family.
And this is really
the perfect excursion
for Lake Delvin.
Lake Como
is another beautiful jewel
in the Lake Geneva area.
It's a little quieter.
It's great for fishing
and for water.
It has a lot of unique
points of interest
and a very colorful history.
So we're going to take
a tour
starting here at
Mars Resort.
So, Ernie, here we are.
We're only like a
mile from Geneva Lake,
but Lake Como here
seems to have
a whole different vibe.
This lake
has a great mixture
of residential and
commercial along it.
There's golf courses here.
There's other restaurants.
The French country
inn, our hotel.
And then there's
Mar's resort.
So when you're here,
you never have to leave.
This lake
seems like you could do
just about
every kind of outdoor
recreation on it.
Lake Como is great
because it's a
little bit smaller,
so it doesn't get as rough.
But you can definitely do
water sports here
and have a great time
with your family.
There's a lot of space
to anchor up and fish
for large mouth bass,
so already
this place
looks interesting.
What do we pass by here?
This is the French country
inn, it's a 25 room hotel,
literally
ten feet from the water.
When you're on the deck
and come out of your room,
you actually feel like
you're on a cruise ship.
The original lobby
was actually built
in Copenhagen
and it was brought over
on a ship for the World's
Fair in Chicago in 1893,
a gentleman named
Christian Hermansen,
piece by piece,
brought it up here
and then rebuilt
it as the lobby,
and it was called
the Lake Como Hotel.
His son took over
and ran it through
prohibition, became friends
with the Dillinger
Gang, John Dillinger,
Bugs Moran, Babyface Nelson,
and they would bring beer
and there was a speakeasy
in the basement
and they would try
to distribute it
back into Chicago
through the speakeasy
here at the Lake Como Hotel.
Mars Resort is going
on 100 years
as a popular lakeside
restaurant inside.
You got a cool supper
club vibe outside
the patio is perfect
for a beautiful day
like this.
The food is renowned.
They have amazing ribs
and fish fry and yes,
you can get a brandy
Old-Fashioned here.
I got mine. Cheers.
My resort has been
around since 1923.
It was originally called
the Old Glory Camp,
just a little fishing camp.
It was only open
in the summertime.
And around 1946, the Mars
family actually bought it
and it became our year
round, open restaurant.
As kids,
we grew up on the lake,
spending our summers
in the water
all summer long,
and we never knew
we'd be part of Mars Resort.
We were looking for
a new opportunity.
Arnie reached out to me
and said, Let's do a joint venture,
something near and
dear to our hearts.
We closed January of 2016,
did a full renovation of it
and made it. What is it say?
It's like a throwback
in time.
You walk in
and you feel
like you're back
with your family and friends
hanging out,
pull up around the bar
so you're able
to see everybody
and talk to everyone
across the aisle.
Our food is fantastic.
Prime rib, charred chicken.
We sell about 40,000
pounds of ribs a year.
And of course, our famous
fish Fry
Mars Resort could
get pretty
busy in the summers.
But we have a wonderful
waiting area for people
right down here by the lake.
We have live bands
of other entertainment
options
for you to just relax and
let everything
dissolve away.
Have an old fashioned or two
while you're waiting for dinner
right down here by the water
and we'll
even bring the boat out.
Goes out every half
hour from the dock
so that you're able
to go out
and see the actual lake
customers come up to you
all the time and say, Wow,
this is such a fun place.
When we get full
and we're busy
and you just walk
from the front
all the way down
along the beach
and everyone's having
a great time.
Hey, everybody.
Josh Casey here.
Happy 35th anniversary.
Discover Wisconsin.
I just started hosting
last year, and I already got
stuck in a cave.
Like land and sky.
We're exploring Lake Geneva
on discover Wisconsin.
Well, we've seen Lake
Geneva by lake and land.
Let's take to the sky
for a totally different
vantage point.
At Lake Geneva
Balloon Company.
They've been giving guests
to lift since 2002.
So, like many of our guests,
I was completing
a bucket list.
We were celebrating our 10th
wedding anniversary,
and I thought it'd be
a romantic thing to do.
I'm a romantic at heart,
but I was in the air
for 15 minutes and thought
it was the coolest
thing I ever did.
That's real quick.
Inspiration. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
I was bit by the bug.
I mean, it was immediate,
so I started taking lessons
within a couple of months.
First it was about learning
how to fly a balloon
really well.
Then it was about
building a business
because I hadn't done that.
But now it really is
those interactions
and those experiences
that I have with people.
They're in the basket
with me for an hour.
We get to chat about
a lot of different things
while we're up
there, and many,
many times it's emotional.
We're bringing back
childlike wonder to people.
People ask me all the time,
What do you do for a living?
I turn people into ten year
olds,
whether we're on the ground
or in the basket.
There's something
about a hot air balloon
that just kind of taps
into that childlike wonder.
Now, what makes ballooning
going up in a hot air
balloon in the Lake
Geneva area so unique?
Well, I think the first thing is
the Lake Geneva area is beautiful.
We have lakes
at the Kettle Moraine area
that's just east of town.
Could see a lot of wildlife.
You know, we usually see deer,
fox, coyotes.
It really is just a
beautiful area to fly over.
Another way to explore
the sky and beyond
is that Yerkes Observatory
in Williams Bay.
It opened in October 1897
and is home to the world's
largest
refracting telescope.
The incredible building
was designed by Henry
Ives Cobb in 1895.
Henry Ives Cobb built
what I think
is his masterpiece, but
it's also his most
ridiculous building.
It's so fun and whimsical
and just full of mystery.
What is it most known for?
So it's famous
for being a full
astronomy school,
the birthplace of
American astrophysics,
studying
the personality of space,
telling you
that moon's a jerk.
How fast
that moon is moving.
William Morgan discovered
the shape of the Milky
Way in this building.
This is where Edwin
Hubble, the most famous
astronomer of
the 20th century
and got his Ph.D.
Carl Sagan lived
and worked here also.
And to
walk in their footsteps
is a really neat experience.
But it's not like
typical observatories
where it's one dome
and one telescope
or it's one telescope
on top of a mountain.
This is 50 acres
and a complete
astrophysics school.
It is home to the world's
largest
refracting telescope.
The old lens style
technology changed
really quickly after this
thing was built
and they went to the mirror.
So it's remained
the great dinosaur
in the sky.
And it's just breathtaking
to walk into this dome
and see this 90 foot
diameter dome and a 63 foot
160,000 pound tube.
American Engineering
at its finest.
I'm really excited because
you are now open for tours.
We get to take people
in all the hidden spaces,
as we call them,
like underneath the dome
where Thomas Edison's DC
motor is been able
to take people in the
research libraries
where you can look
in the back of the books
and see that Nancy Grace
Roman, check this out.
It has so many different
topics from landscape
design to restoration
to science
to astrophotography.
Somebody is going to get
something out of this.
Lake Geneva offers
extraordinary adventures
and a rich history that will
have you coming back
time and time again
by boat, land or sky.
You'll discover what
generations before us knew.
It's always been the place.