You always hear that visualizing something better helps you
achieve it. So, visualize this:
You’re sunken in a chair, gazing skyward at the dome
overhead in the West Baden Springs Hotel atrium. This is the type of place that
even when it’s bustling, it remains peaceful and doesn’t seem to get noisy. It’s
easy to relax every inch of your body, close your eyes and lose yourself in
this view. (If you’ve been here before, you’re nodding your head right now.)
And it gets better. Serene as this moment is, it’s only just
the start.
Right now, you’re in the center of it all at West Baden
Springs Hotel. Whether you go to your right, left, forward or behind you, there
are outstanding discoveries waiting no matter which direction you go. It’s a
truism no matter what time of year — even on days that might not be on your
radar for travel, such as the middle of the week in the heart of winter.
But hey, you’re always up for new experiences, right? Give
the midweek getaway a try. And to help you along, we’ll provide a rough
itinerary to help you visualize it a little further.
The first stop
Afternoon tour and tea. Every Wednesday, afternoon, you can
get the full tour treatment with a 70-minute guided tour highlighting West
Baden’s history. Afterward, sit down to a proper tea service in the atrium,
with the soundtrack of live harp music playing nearby. A tower of treats,
mostly sweet and a few savory, make this experience as filling as it is fancy.
Not here on Wednesdays? No sweat. Get in on the historical
tours that are offered three times daily at West Baden, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and
4 p.m.
The second stop
The pool. Aside from lounging under the dome, it’s the best
place in the hotel to be on a winter day.
Even if you’re not taking a spin in the lap pool, allow
yourself just to sit by the pool for a couple hours and read a book. We know,
we know: You love to keep an itinerary on vacations jammed with activities
lined up end on end. But there’s something to be said for pausing the
go-go-go-routine for some pool lounging.
Grab a coffee or glass of wine (you can even order food from
down there, too) and make a dent in that book that’s been on your reading list.
The third stop
The Stables. Whether you’re 7 years old or 67, here’s a
unique experience worth trying. Just up the hill from the hotel, The Stables
are still open during winter months, as long as the temperature isn’t too
frigid and there’s not too much ice or snow on the trails.
Even if it’s been a while (or the first time) you’ve been
horseback riding, maybe Marsha Tellstrom, West Baden’s head concierge, could
sway you.
“I had somebody here probably a month or so ago, hadn’t
ridden in like 40 years. It is amazing. Our trails are absolutley beautiful.
And I always say to people because some say, ‘I’d be so afraid, and I don’t
know if I could get on a horse.’ It’s 45 minutes. And honestly the horses could
be out there by themselves without a leader and follower, because those horses
have been doing it for as many years as we’ve all been working here,” Marsha
says with a laugh.
The fourth stop
Did you know West Baden now features live music seven nights per week in the atrium? Piano Thursdays. Guitar one night. Jazz another. It’s
a different groove from 5 to 9 each night. And on these wicked winter nights we’ve
had lately, it’s nice to just shut it down for the night, stay indoors, sit
down with a cocktail and close down the day to these soft sounds.
Why should the weekends get all the fun? Get away to West
Baden for some Monday-to-Thursday discoveries you’ve been missing. You can be
the king of the castle before the weekend rush arrives. To learn more about these and other experiences at French Lick Resort, head
over to frenchlick.com for more info.