Anyone who’s a proud Hoosier or has made a visit to French Lick Resort is well aware of the magic and mystique of this place.
Outside of our little circle, it’s still a hidden gem of sorts
– even for those who travel the world for a living and know the tourism industry
up and down.
Safe to say that this group has been there and done that.
But even the savviest world travelers can be blown away by the experience that French
Lick and West Baden offers. Today we’re sharing some thoughts from a few of
them:
Todd Walker
Frequent contributor for Mpls. St. Paul Magazine and
the St. Paul Pioneer Press
“Before we got here I saw the pictures and I was anxious to see the property — but as with most things, I know how you can make things look bigger, greater or more lavish than they are. When I got here, the pictures do not even do justice what you experience firsthand when you’re here. This is even more dramatic than the pictures gave whisper to. When you go to your room – and if you’re lucky enough to have a room that’s on the inside with a balcony view – and you open it up and look out on the atrium, it’s one of those ‘aw gosh’ moments that’s just rather astonishing. Prior to coming here, I was in south of France for a week and was on the Rhone River, and was in Amsterdam for a week. I only share that because I was in two amazing, dramatic, beautiful cities. Then when you come to some place like Southern Indiana, you don’t expect it to have that same gasping feeling when you see something such as the property at West Baden.”
Letting everyone in Minnesota know about his newest little discovery:
“The magazine I work for, I sent a picture of the atrium at West Baden, and they’re all like, ‘Who knew?’ All my Instagram posts, they’re like, ‘Where is this?’, and nobody knew.
“I would go horseback riding; I’d take people out and show them the beautiful area (near The Stables). I’d go out go skeet shooting, because it’s just so fun and interesting experience. Go for a nature walk perhaps, and be able to experience the property that way. Spend a day at the spa and swim … maybe spend a day pampering yourself between the spas at French Lick and West Baden. Maybe walk between the two properties, to have quiet time to yourself and be able to take in the properties.”
Erin Deinzer
Freelance journalist for publications including Reader’s
Digest and Country Living
On the allure of French Lick Springs Hotel and the
other resort hotels:
“Americans for the longest time have been trying to create Europe in
America, because we all love that luxury and the beautiful architecture and
marble columns and gold leaf. I think that sort of craftsmanship and a sense of
opulence appeals to people. I’ve seen some of the people coming into the hotel,
and it’s been everybody from four 85-year-old ladies on a trip together, to
honeymooners. And families. And businesspeople. It runs the gamut. At the end
of the day, what do all these people have in common? They want to go somewhere
where they feel like there’s a sense of elegance; a sense of decorum and grace.
I think there is a sense of wanting to have an experience that is outside of
the everyday and the ordinary.”
On traveling from the West Coast to the Hoosier State
for the first time — and finding great travel discoveries close to home:
“When I got the invitation I was like, Indiana? I’ve never been to
Indiana. What’s it look like, what’s the vibe, what are people into? What is
there to do there? Oftentimes when people think about adventures or places to
discover, it’s like, ‘Oh, I’m going to Japan because I don’t speak the language
and the architecture’s going to be different. You can also go to Indiana where
the architecture is different and the accent is different and the experience is
different.' For me there was a sense of curiosity, but it’s kind of like Dorothy
in the Wizard of Oz – you can travel to Oz, or you can be like, ‘Geez there’s a
lot of adventure in my own backyard that I don’t even think about.’”
“This morning we went on a horseback ride. By the time I’m on my horse, it’s 9:30 here but it’s 6:30 to me – which by the way, normally I would not be up at 6:30 (laughs). We’re plodding through the forest, and I was like, ‘What a lovely way to start the day.’ I don’t care where you’re from, what time zone you’re in … how lovely to be out here in the forest on this magnificent creature and you’re just chit-chatting. It was a brilliant way to start the day. And then when I got back to the hotel room, and I look downstairs from the balcony (to the atrium), there are people doing the crossword puzzle and sipping tea. It just ratchets everything down a notch.”
Regina Cole
On experiencing “the other” claim to fame of French
Lick:
“The only reason I had heard about anything about this area was because Larry
Bird was from French Lick, and living near Boston, Larry Bird was a big hero
for a long time. But I didn’t know where French Lick actually was, and I’d never
heard of West Baden at all.
I have been places that I didn’t know about that I found
impressive when I visited — for example, Hot Springs Arkansas and seeing Bathhouse
Row. But I don’t think I can compare walking into the West Baden atrium to
anything that I’ve experienced. Certain spaces in antiquity — maybe the first
time you see the Pyramid of Giza, you sort of go, ‘Wow.’ But I haven’t been to
Egypt. So for me, it was unique. Physically being in a space like that is
pretty amazing.”
“It just struck me that this is such an architectural gem and such a historic treasure. It was amazing to me that I hadn’t heard about it. Now that I’ve been here, I’m thinking, ‘How come I’d never heard about this before?’ Where I live, when I told people where I was going, most of them said, ‘Where? Huh? What?’ I think this is a place that should be a lot better known than it is.
Now that I know a little bit about the history of the hotel and
West Baden and how the Cook family has restored it, I am just so grateful that
there are people like that who have the resources and the love of history, and
of these treasures that they love, that they want to do what they can to keep
them standing and make them shine again. I don’t know much of anything about
the Cooks, but I think well of them.”
“The building is gorgeous. And my room is lovely. I slept like a baby last night. Last night I was getting ready for bed and had the French doors open, and up came drifting voices of people laughing and talking, and it was really, really nice. It felt sociable and celebratory, you know? Sounds of people having a good time.”