This post might be one that really doesn’t require words. I mean, what more needs to be said than the couple thousand words held by these two pictures?
Front porch @ French Lick Springs
Even the drive seems to say "relax!"
But I wouldn’t feel like I was doing my job if I just left it at that. So let me give you another reason to head to French Lick, Indiana.
If you’ve never been to French Lick, you might not know that there are two fabulous hotels that neighbor each other. The French Lick Springs Hotel, pictured to the left, and the West Baden Springs Hotel.
In the early 1910′s and 20′s, both hotels were renowned for their medicinally-magical sulphur springs and spa treatments that made good use of what the land had to offer.
West Baden was deemed the 8th Wonder of the World, primarily for its elaborate and unique atrium and dome, which spans 200 feet. The hotel was built in 1902 and is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
I had the opportunity to tour West Baden about 10 years ago when it was undergoing renovations. I am so looking forward to the opportunity to see it in all its restored glory when I return to French Lick for a “Twilight Tour” of West Baden on October 16, 2010.
The wondrous interior of the West Baden atrium.
The last event of its kind in 2010, the Twilight Tour aims to transport visitors back to the 1920′s when the West Baden Springs Hotel was a destination for America’s rich and powerful. Hosted by Indiana Landmarks and interpreted by costumed characters, the tours paint a picture of what it was like to be a guest during the grand hotel era.
A guide portraying a long-time, early 20th-century hotel employee leads participants through hotel and its grounds, meeting famous guests along the way, including golfer Walter Hagen, mobster Big Jim Colosimo, palm reader Mademoiselle Louise, Helen Keller and other early twentieth-century characters. The 75-minute tour, which begins at 8 p.m., ends before 10 p.m., the hotel’s universal bedtime during its heydey.
The tours are $14/adult and $8/children ages 13 and under. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Sandi Woodard, French Lick-West Baden Program Coordinator, 812.936.4034.
