2017 has been tucked in and put to bed, and it’s brought an
end to an eventful 365 days across our 3,000 acres at French Lick Resort. There’s
a ton to look forward to in 2018 — just check out our Events Page that will
grow with even more offerings in the coming months — but it’s always fun to
glance in the rearview mirror before accelerating forward.
The past year was loaded with amazing sights, memories and
even tastes. The invention of tomato juice celebrated its 100th anniversary
at French Lick Springs Hotel. The Donald Ross Course also commemorated 100
years. Meanwhile, it was a first-time occurrence for the Senior LPGA Championship,
which launched at The Pete Dye Course as the first sanctioned golf major for
senior women. Hank Williams Jr. and Joan Jett were among the concert acts that
rocked the Hoosier Ballroom.
We’re putting a bow on the year gone by with a Top 10 list
of what interested you most in 2017. The French Lick Resort blog details
upcoming attractions and historical features a couple times per week, and these
were the 10 things that got the most viewer traffic on our blog in 2017:
If you visited in 2017, you may have enjoyed a taste of the
tangy and spicy tomato juice that we had available to sample at restaurants and
elsewhere across the resort. Click here to learn about its serendipitous invention at French Lick in 1917.
This was the opening installment of our three-part series
exploring some of the hidden historical gems at French Lick Springs Hotel, with
resort historian Jeff Lane as our guide. Part 2 ran just a few days ago, and
check back next week for the final installment detailing the fireplace and
ceiling paintings in the French Lick lobby.
And, boy, are we in need of that after these frigid first
days of 2018. Get filled in on the French Lick Resort activities in January,
February and March that will have you loving winter more.
While those fall vibes have passed, you can get the
midwinter romance flickering with upcoming Valentine’s Day activity at the French Lick and West Baden hotels.
We worship all things chocolate on one Saturday every
February. The chocolate bash celebrated its 9th birthday last year,
and we’re partying Roarin’ 20s style for the 10th annual Chocolate Festival upcoming on February 10.
A look back at the remarkable story of a survivor of the
Titanic sinking (and also a respected American philanthropist), who came to
West Baden Springs Hotel for a spell to recover from the harrowing ordeal.
We peeked behind the scenes at the construction of one of
the Midwest’s largest gingerbread houses, built in a different style every
holiday season for display at French Lick Springs Hotel. It was so good, we had
to go back for some tasty scraps and extras from the gingerbread project.
This was our last blog post of 2017 but one of the biggest.
Stunning holiday photos of the resort never go out of season!
This classic beauty has undergone a few facelifts in her
day. First, 100 years ago in the massive 1917 renovation that came 15 years
after the hotel was rebuilt after a fire; and more recently 10 years ago, when
West Baden reopened after a multimillion-dollar renovation saved it from
crumbling into disrepair.
Here’s our runaway winner: The traveling Vietnam Wall that
visited French Lick Resort over Veteran’s Day weekend. This received nearly 28,000 hits on our blog — almost four times more than any other post. From
schoolkids visiting with history class to Vietnam veterans coming to pay
homage, The Wall attracted more than 1,500 visitors.
It’s official: 2017’s a wrap! Check back to the French Lick
Resort blog, which is updated a couple times weekly with info about upcoming events, Foodie Friday posts historical profiles and other fun features.