We get it. Teenagers can be hard to entertain and nearly
impossible to impress. Add a family vacation into the equation, and the task of
maintaining a happy teen becomes all the more daunting.
So, how to solve that riddle of keeping your teenager engaged
and entertained? We’ve got a few ideas.
(And, hey, if all else fails….at least the Wi-Fi here is free.)
Before You Come
Enlist your teen’s help in planning the itinerary. Our website is a fountain of information about all the activities and events across
property. With so much to do, they can find something that piques their
interest.
Teens crave their independence, and if you’re comfortable letting them do their own thing, French Lick Resort is a place they can explore on their own. Whether it’s playing video games at the arcade, cornhole on the front lawn, or going for a bike ride or hitting the hiking trails, or even ordering some Starbucks at the coffee shop, they can find plenty to do — and you can feel good about letting them do it safely on their own.
A sporting clays outing might be the ticket to pleasing even
for the hardest-to-entertain teen. If they’re seasoned shooters, they can provide
their own guns and ammo. If they’re rookies, our staff can provide all the necessary
materials and some pointers to help them aim and fire.
Food: the key to any teenager’s heart. And there’s plenty of
restaurants here where they can play that fun game of Can You Possibly
Finish All That?
They can put their appetite to the test with the gargantuan
chocolate chip pancakes (coming soon) at Café Sinclair’s; the signature BBQ ribs
at Hagen’s Club House Restaurant; the 16 oz. Cowgirl Ribeye at Sinclair’s
Restaurant; or the even bigger 24 oz. porterhouse at 1875: The Steakhouse.
Bring the Sticks
Youth age 13-18 play for half price (with a paying adult) at all three of our resort golf courses — which is nice for mom and dad’s wallet, too. Private lessons with our golf pros are also available at a reduced rate for kids 18 and younger ($45 for 30 minutes; $65 for one hour).
The unique views here are made for Instagram posts. Whether it’s a selfie from an atrium-view balcony room at West Baden Springs Hotel, their first mani/pedi at the spa (age 18 or older), or just a snap from the French Lick Springs Hotel bowling alley, horse stables or one of the resort pools, there’s a lot to like and share.
Just a short drive from the resort, West Baden Indoor
Karting provides an adrenaline rush with their adult karts (for age 14 and up).
These rides go as high as 40 mph, and circuits around the quarter-mile Grand
Prix style track last about eight minutes.
Sports fan in the group? The
self-guided tour of Larry Bird’s hometown of French Lick is a unique
diversion.
There’s
even more with a short drive when you think outside the resort box for a
day trip.
See 700-pound grizzly bears up close at Wilstem Wildlife
Park; ride the coasters at Holiday World; go zipping through the course at Lark
Valley Ziplines; and you’re never too old for mini golf, either.
This one might be a hard sell, and you may get some serious
eye rolls initially. But trust us on this one: Afternoon Tea at West Baden
Springs Hotel is an experience your teenager might actually like. Especially
the girls. And surprisingly, even the guys.
One of our guests who visited at the holidays brought her
13-year-son to tea. A few months later, she asked her kids a question: If
you could have any meal again, what would it be? The 13-year-old’s response:
“The food from West Baden tea.”
Seriously, this plate of sweet and savory treats that comes
with tea is a winner. (Remember how food is the key to any teen’s heart?)