The last time we visited the Hotel Baker, appreciating its charm was not on our agenda. It was Aug. 25, 1985: our wedding day. That day began with a tentative sliver of sun that lasted long enough for an afternoon alfresco ceremony in the hotel’s rose garden. It ended with my mother precariously poised on the edge of a garbage dumpster. (More about that later.)
Lured by the news that the hotel had recently undergone a $9 million renovation, we decided to return to the Fox Valley and discovered that the unique and historic Baker can be the anchor for a great overnight escape from the city, even if you don’t have nuptial memories to relive.
The Spanish-Baroque-style structure is perched alongside the Fox River, smack dab in the center of downtown St. Charles. It’s a pleasant business district that resists being aggressively quaint, yet offers an ample supply of shops, restaurants, a riverfront suitable for strolling and even a former vaudeville performing palace turned movie theater.
Built in 1928, the hotel was the creation of “Col.” Edward Baker, a wealthy local racehorse owner, who spent a then-staggering $1 million to construct the 54-room luxury resort. Its most stunning feature was the Rainbow Room, a two-story, oval-shaped, balconied ballroom that would attract performers such as Guy Lombardo and Louis Armstrong. Dancers glided across its 300 glass floor blocks, illuminated by 2,600 red, blue, green and yellow lights that were synchronized with the music and powered by generators beneath the building that were fed by the flow of the river.
Baker family members in 1968 bequeathed the property to Lutheran Social Services, which turned the facility into senior-citizen housing, though the Rainbow Room remained popular for weddings and proms.
In 1996, Craig Frank and Neil Johnson purchased the place and began an extensive overhaul to reclaim the hotel’s original opulence, concentrating on plush guest accommodations — including marble-accented bathrooms and luxurious linens. Room options now feature 10 suites with whirlpools, and even penthouse quarters with a rooftop hot tub.
In its heyday, the Baker treated its guests — including notables like Edgar Bergen, Jeanette MacDonald and a pre-presidential John F. Kennedy — to extravagant amenities. During the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, guests could cruise the river in several Venetian gondolas, complete with serenading Italian gondoliers.
The only watercraft in sight during our visit, however, were pedalboats, available for rental (along with canoes) across the river at Pottawatomie Park (630-584-1028), an impressive recreation area, with swimming pools, picnic grounds and tennis courts. River tours aboard two paddlewheel boats (630-584-2334) also depart from here.
Golfers can get in nine holes on a park course featuring the first island hole ever created by famed links designer Robert Trent Jones. Those seeking a purely novelty sporting experience can opt for Pottawatomie’s River View Miniature Golf Course.
Cycling on the area’s bike trails, an exceptional network of mostly paved paths, is a worthy active endeavor; ask front-desk staff at the Baker to give you a map.
If you head south on the trail from St. Charles, about 3 miles later you’ll arrive in Geneva. Continue along the east side of the river and into the Fabyan Forest Preserve, which features a towering windmill, a villa-turned-museum (Frank Lloyd Wright worked on its 1907 re-design) and even a soothing Japanese-style garden (630-232-4811).
When you’re ready, head back to downtown Geneva and park your bike in the rack at the Mill Race Inn. Then reward yourself with a cold beverage at the riverside restaurant’s picturesque Gazebo grill. Or, keep going until you return to St. Charles, leave your bike at the Baker and head across the street and down a half a block to Vi’s Last Call for an icy draft for $1.25.
Our weekend also included reservations at 302 West, an elegant Geneva eatery — formerly a bank building — that will never make it onto anyone’s budget dining list. Chef/proprietor Joel Findlay has earned a reputation for imaginative American cuisine, and he didn’t disappoint on our visit. We left savoring the perfectly prepared sweet potato gnocchi with toasted walnuts and gorgonzola cheese, tender roast duckling breast on mushroom risotto and ethereal Valrhona milk chocolate pudding.
To work off dessert, consider trolling the Kane County Flea Market. The well-known tchotchke-and-furniture fest takes place on the first weekend of every month — all year, rain or shine — at the Kane County Fairgrounds, just a few minutes drive from downtown St. Charles at Randall Road and Illinois Highway 64.
If you don’t want to wade through junk to find treasures, opt for the downtown antique emporiums; St. Charles has nearly 20. Try Antique Market I and its sister shops, Antique Markets II and III, all within a few blocks of the Baker.
Other area diversions include Kane County Cougars minor league baseball games at Elfstrom Stadium (34W002 Cherry Lane, Geneva; 630-232-8811) and gambling at the Grand Victoria riverboat casino, 8 miles north in Elgin (250 S. Grove St.; 847-888-1000).
History buffs can check out the St. Charles Heritage Center museum (630-584-6967) chronicling the growth of the community from the arrival of its first settlers in 1833.
But we were content to return to the Baker, revisit the rose garden, peruse some of the photos of the hotel’s early days and attempt to make one more sentimental stop.
Which brings us back to the dumpster. After our wedding reception in the Rainbow Room, a cherished hand-embroidered Irish linen handkerchief I had carried during the ceremony turned up missing. Seeing my stricken face, my mother assured me she would locate it. After we had left for our California honeymoon, my mother, concluding that the item had been mistakenly tossed out, asked incredulous kitchen staff to direct her to where the garbage had been carted. She climbed up and partially into the outdoor receptacle and — after sifting through the contents — retrieved the intended heirloom, unscathed inside an envelope. (Never underestimate a mother’s will to fulfill a promise to her child.)
Though we scouted around the Baker’s exterior, looking hopefully in alcoves and service areas for the particular dark green container, we left without being able to complete our pilgrimage. Sadly, in this town rich in history, we never found the dumpster that was part of ours.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Expenses for two:
Lodging (1 night) ……….. $121
Gas/tolls ………………… $8
Meals ………………….. $186
Flea market admission …….. $10
Miniature golf …………… $10
Total ………………….. $335
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE
St. Charles and the surrounding towns of the Fox Valley are about 50 miles from the Loop, approximately an hour’s drive. Chicago-Northwestern Metra trains (312-836-7000) stop in downtown Geneva, about 3 miles from St. Charles. If you call ahead, Baker Hotel staff will ferry you to the hotel in style in a vintage Rolls-Royce.
LODGING
Hotel Baker (100 W. Main St., St. Charles; 630-584-2100); rooms $145-$200, suites $245-$495. Inquire about specials; we got a room for $109 (plus tax). Ask Thomas Sayasane, a genial guest services representative, for a tour of the Baker suite (unless you’ve booked it!), where the hotel’s namesake lived.
The Herrington (15 S. River Lane, Geneva; 630-208-7433); $140-$215. French country flair in a small hotel constructed from the former Geneva Rock Springs Creamery.
Pheasant Run Resort & Convention Center (4051 N. Main St., St. Charles; 630-584-6300 or 800-999-3319); $140-$215. Extensive recreational facilities, including pools, an 18-hole golf course, dinner theater, restaurants and shops.
DINING
The Trophy Room at the Hotel Baker. The restaurant gained its name from the many racing awards displayed here, won by the original proprietor’s horses. Lunch and dinner menus emphasize Mediterranean dishes and classic American favorites. Entrees: $10-$27. Breakfast is also served; a Sunday buffet brunch ($19.98) is always crowded.
302 West (302 W. State St., Geneva; 630-232-9302). Entrees: $20-$26.
Francesca’s by the River (200 S. 2nd St., St. Charles; 630-587-8221). A sophisticated trattoria. Entrees: $8.95.-$22.95.
Filling Station Pub & Grill (300 W. Main St., St. Charles; 630-584-4414). Chock full of vintage gas station memorabilia, it’s a great place for basic pub grub. Outdoor beer garden. Entrees: $5-$9.
Mill Race Inn (4 E. State. St., Geneva; 630-232-2030). A reliable mainstay with a fine-dining restaurant (entrees: $13.95-$20.95) and a pretty, informal, outdoor grill (entrees: $6.95-$11.95).
Vi’s Last Call (9 S. 1st St., St. Charles; 630-377-9875). Also serves budget meals. Entrees: $2.95-$5.75.
INFORMATION
St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, 311 N. 2nd St.; 630-377-6161 or 800-777-4373.
