Lake Geneva Snow Sculptures Return

I don't know what's happening in southeastern Wisconsin this weekend, but last weekend the temperatures were hovering around 20F in Lake Geneva.  Believe it or not this was a good thing, our winter has been abnormally mild here and it was time for the town's annual Winterfest which includes the big snow sculpting event.

Lake Geneva on a chilly but sunny morning

Parking can be a problem on the busy weekend of this festival so I was glad to leave on Friday afternoon and not return until Monday, but shuttles are available.  Also available besides viewing the sculptures during the weekend are other events including a garden turned into an Ice Bar, a human dog sled race, and a Cocoa Crawl.

Sculptors at work

The mood was high as I walked around watching the sculptors at work, they all started cheering when the radio station that was playing over the loudspeakers announced the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition going on in Lake Geneva.

I don't know how they stay out there working in that weather.  Even though it was sunny it was a frigid 15F that morning with a light breeze off the lake.  I was wearing a long down coat and wool mittens and I was back in my car after a five minute brisk walk around the Riviera Fountain area.

The fountain is a replica of New York's Angel of the Waters fountain but is all covered up for the winter.  I'm not usually down by the lake early enough in the summer to see it lit by morning light, I bet it's beautiful.

My favorite was the entry by Maine, but there were more on Wrigley Drive as you continued along the street that were quite elaborate as well.  If you want to see more about the competition and the entrants from past events go to this link.

Better Than Gold in Lake Geneva

So now that we're back home in Wisconsin I figured I better get out quick if I wanted to have any chance at all of catching some fall color.

Of course there are spots here and there with a blaze of color, but mostly it's in manicured yards.  I like that big burst you get from a bunch of trees all in one spot, don't you?

I work in Lake Geneva, and this year it's a veritable gold mine of color.  It's been years since the elements that go into vivid leaf color have come together in southeastern Wisconsin, but this year is definitely our year.

On Tuesday I found this haven of gold on Snake Road, just behind some of the ritzier homes that line the north side of the lake.  Snake Road is a Wisconsin Rustic Road, a road designated for its outstanding natural features that is a lightly traveled local road and not a main thoroughfare.

When I went to the Rustic Road website I discovered they are holding a photography contest.  Hmmm, maybe a submission is in order.

view of the north shore of Lake Geneva from Stone Manor

After my tour of Snake Road I looped around the lake to see what things looked like on the south side.  Stone Manor is always a favorite to have a peek at, either from the road or the lake, and their open lawn gave a great view to the eye-popping color happening on the north side of Lake Geneva. 

Stone Manor used to be a private mansion, but now has been converted  into condominiums.  I'm sure the interior doesn't look anything like it used to in 1901, but I bet the view hasn't changed much.

  

There were some nice trees lining Lake Shore Road on my way around the end of the lake, and they sported a healthy coat of lichen too.

I parked at the Inn on Lake Geneva and thought I'd walk on the Shore Path for a few minutes to see if the color was any good on the south side up close and personal.  If you haven't read my posts on the Shore Path around Lake Geneva before, you can catch up here.

the Shore Path

Not much was happening as far as color goes, but the piers that were out of the water sported a nice layer of barnacles.

Also on the path were a few late bloomers.

Since my eyes had had their fill I called it a day.  But don't worry, the Wisconsin fall color tour isn't over yet.  On Thursday I headed out to Bald Bluff to see what the Ice Age Trail had to offer.