But today's Osthoff was built from scratch as an all-suite resort in the mid-1990s. It appears as if it was built during the gilded age of the 1880s, when visitors arrived at the original Osthoff Hotel for extended stays. That Elkhart Lake has been a vacation destination since the 1880s explains the resort's old-fashioned look and layout.

But a short walk to town ends in good dining and a short ride out of town leads to Road America car races. To work off breakfast and treats, guests borrow the inn's bikes.ДЇrom cooking classes to spa services and sports, there is so much to do at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake that guests don't have to leave the property. Perched on a small bluff, the Inn overlooks its beach about 250 steps down from the back door. The Inn at Union Pier's reputation for elegant hospitality, good breakfasts, day-long treats and good-sized, good-looking rooms with porches or balconies draws repeat visitors. Union Pier, the next village north of New Buffalo, is in the middle of Harbor County and was a favorite vacation spot of former Chicago mayors. Related: Best Spring Break 2015 Destinations Near Chicago For Families

Click here for a list of wineries and wine festivals. Click here to explore the eight villages of Harbor Country. Guests work off the ice cream with a short walk to the beach and downtown galleries and shops. The hotel caters to vacationers with breakfast in bed or by the room's fireplace, wellness spa room, pool, jacuzzi, comp bike rental, 24-hour Ben & Jerry's ice cream availability and water-side terrace dining. A fun place to use as a home base for exploring the area is The Harbor Grand Hotel in New Buffalo, Michigan. Small vacation towns dot Southwest Michigan's Harbor Country, about 75 minutes from Chicago. Downtown Lake Geneva is a five minute drive. Spread across a small bluff, Geneva Ridge has everything expected from a classy lake resort including live entertainment, Wi-Fi, steam and sauna rooms, a game room, a cool veranda bar, grills, bike rentals and a boathouse to rent kayaks and stand-up paddle-boards. Geneva Ridge is the latest addition to the Geneva National Golf Resort properties. It's a place to relax or bike the lake path rent a boat or do laps in the indoor pool sit around the outdoor pool or take a spa treatment listen to piano music in the bar or pair wine with steak or seafood in its 240 West restaurant that overlooks the harbor.ДЄnother Lake Geneva choice is Geneva Ridge Resort on Lake Como across Highway 50 from Geneva Lake. But to get away from the bustle for a weekend, stay with water sports and vistas - look for The Abbey Resort in Fontana on the southwest tip of the lake. About an hour from Chicago, the town is a fun place to visit for a day of boutique shopping and gallery hopping between stops for fudge and ice cream.

But when spending less time driving and more time at the destination is important, consider these five excellent resorts and inns.Д¬hicago vacationers have been traveling north to the town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Geneva Lake since the turn of the last century. Certainly there are good Midwestern water-side vacation destinations three to six hours from Chicago.

Don't worry if living or working near Lake Michigan has become so much a part of the DNA that a getaway has to include a water view or boating.

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