The waitress, who will remain unnamed, probably didn't realize how well she summed up her native county of Walworth.
"We have at least one of everything," she decided, with a shrug. "One college town (Whitewater), one big resort town (Lake Geneva), one circus town (Delavan)."
OK, that's oversimplifying it, but Walworth County's diversity certainly does stretch in several directions.
The university? For 140 years, it has competently honed the next generation of teachers and business leaders. Plus there's that Warhawk football team, which almost routinely qualifies for national championship play.
The resort? Although Lake Geneva is the largest of the tourism-friendly communities, don't rule out the allure of smaller lakeside sisters. This part of southeastern Wisconsin is flush with lodging and restaurants that almost kiss the water.
And the circus? The original P. T. Barnum was among the more than two dozen traveling shows to make Delavan its winter home. This history makes for odd stories, like the one about the elephant Juliet who died in the winter of 1864 and was dropped through the ice on Delavan Lake because the ground was too hard to dig a grave for her. They say fishermen still pull up remnants of her skeleton from time to time.
Productive farmland blends with an abundance of lakes, parks and protected conservation areas in Walworth County. What else contributes to the county's character? Consider this sampling:
Darien
Nibble your way into the annual Corn Festival Sept. 11-13, for cobs of kernels aplenty and chugging contests that are all about downing milk by the jug. Test culinary prowess during the corn cook-off. Test muscle and hand-eye coordination during the hammerschlagen, where contestants hammer nails into a thick chunk of wood. West Park, dariencornfest.com.
Delavan
Stroll Spring Grove and St. Andrew's cemeteries, in search of long-ago circus performers. Over 130 are buried in this community, which was the winter home of at least 26 circuses in the mid to late 1800s.
Bookworms who love felines are a purr-fect match for Bibliomaniacs, where a trio of felines-Xena, Yum Yum and Zoey-lounge lazily in patches of sunlight. Rare titles and collector editions are the business specialty. 262.728.9933, 324 E. Walworth Ave.
Seeking a bigger kick from four-legged creatures? Watch horses dance to music and learn about the menagerie of exotic animals that lives at Lake Geneva Animal Gardens. What's the range? Think camel to skunk. 262.728.8200, 5065 Hwy. 50, animalgardens.com.
Colorful décor and friendly service await patrons at Hernandez El Sarape, known for its fat menu of Mexican specialties and from-scratch Mexican bread. It's hard to spend more than $10 for an entrée, unless you're ordering a dozen tamales to go. 262.728.6443, 212 S. Seventh St., hernandez-restaurant.com.
East Troy
A four-page ice cream menu, a jukebox that plays 78s and abbreviated business hours make Lauber's Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor a unique and little-known gem. The old-time soda fountain, next to the resilient East Troy Electric Railroad Museum, is only open seasonally. 262.642.3679, 2010 Church St.
Phish (June 20-21), Coldplay (July 25) and Jimmy Buffet (Aug. 29) lull livestock on neighboring farmland and lure thousands of music lovers to the outdoor seating of Alpine Valley Music Theatre. Watch your speedometer en route. 262.642.4400, 2699 Hwy. D.
Pick up a Sunshine Bar (like a granola bar, but with OJ and honey as sweeteners) from Nokomis Organic Bakery at Fields Best, the in-season food and gift shop associated with Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, a research hub and proponent of sustainability. 262.642.9665, W2463 County ES.
Elkhorn
The absence of alcohol doesn't keep the crowds away from the Walworth County Fair. Around 190,000 are expected to attend Sept. 2-7, in part because this fair is one of the last in the state to stage harness racing. After 160 years, the fair is among Wisconsin's oldest. 262.723.3228, 411 E. Court St. (Hwy. 11), walworthcountyfair.com.
Hook up with Dave Duwe's Guide Service for four hours of lake trout or northern pike fishing on Geneva, Delavan and other county lakes. The rate of $180 for one or two people includes boat transportation, tackle, rods and reels-and a promise to clean what you catch. Bait is covered too, unless you want chubs and suckers. That costs a little extra. 608.883.2050; 7265 Robins Way; fishdelavanlake.com.
Fontana
For 45 years, vacationers have migrated to The Abbey Resort in summer, and now the 90-acre complex on Geneva Lake presents a fresh look because of extensive renovations. The new Avani Spa offers the Royal Escape, five hours of head-to-toe pampering for $460. theabbeyresort.com; 800.709.1323; 269 Fontana Blvd.
To read the full story, check out the May/June issue of Wisconsin Trails, on sale May 14.
