Tuesday, September 04, 2012

A French Lick At West Baden Springs


I had never been. Shame on me.
Why didn't you tell me about it and force the issue?!

I don't care much for Casinos...
To me they're all so similar... smelling of stale cigarettes, seemingly hypnotized folks feeding money into machines, and the noise of all those machines making it nearly impossible for this hearing-impaired old fart to carry on a normal conversation. Leroy, Sara Jean and I went to the bar for a drink and played the "people watch" game.

But then the four of us jumped on the shuttle and took the short trip over to the West Baden Springs Hotel, pictured above.
Wow.
Just. Plain. Wow.

Built in the early 1900's, it fell into disrepair, then was rehabilated with love to a condition as near as possible to when it was first opened.
I was awestruck. I wished the walls could tell stories.

If you've never been, it's worth the trip.
GO.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

GB Good point, I've never been inside, been to French Lick and West Baden but never inide the "dome". ( Was once one of the largest clear span domes in the world, still ranks as top place to see. As GB said, it is truely a work of art! I've never been inside the indy museum, God knows I've ben close to it many, many times. Maybe a good field trip to take that's good on gas. (Even in my old backup / towne car ) Later

dj

Rita said...

French Lick Springs is beautiful but West Baden is magnificent.

Anonymous said...

West Baden and French lick or gorgeous. I've stayed at the West Baden Dome Hotel a couple of years ago. We had a salesmtg. there. I was actually born in French Lick moved to Indpls. when I was two. Dad got a job at Allisons-G.M. My Mom and Dad grew up in French Lick. My mom and grandma both worked at the French Lick Hotel. Dad lived across from the Hill Golf Course. He started being a caddy when he was 12 years old. He caddied for Joe Louis. He said when Al Capone would come in they would open his trunk to get out his golf clubs and there would be several sub-machine guns in the back. For little southern Indiana folks that had to be quite a time. That was like the Las Vegas of the Midwest. Hope everyone doing well. Top Cat

Anonymous said...

Hey TC sounds like an "Interesting" time to have been there. Not many people are aware that Bass Lake in Knox Indiana was quite a "retreat" at one time for the Chicago Boys too . . . . used to know someone that lived up there . . . . .

dj