What did Al Capone, Joe Lewis, and Franklin D. Roosevelt all have in common? The notorious gangster, the world heavyweight boxing champion and the American President (plus many other presidents for that matter) have all been visitors to the little southern Indiana town of French Lick. It is also the hometown of Larry Bird, of Boston Celtics basketball fame.It sounds sexy to some, but French Lick got its name from an early French outpost in the area and the nearby salt lick. It was the mineral springs here that made the town famous, and a magnet for the rich and famous during the early decades of the 20th century. Pluto Water, named after the god of the underworld, was once bottled here and sold worldwide.We had heard so much about this town, and especially it's fabulous old hotel, that we decided it would be a good venue for our Valentines Day weekend.
There isn't really much to the town, although we did enjoy exploring the local winery and the old five and dime store downtown. This is hill country, more reminiscent of Appalachia than the midwest. And the hotel exceeded our expectations. It was another great weekend getaway.
This big old rambling hotel with 471 rooms was built in 1902 upon the remains of an earlier facility that was destroyed by fire in 1897. There was not a single unoccupied room on the two nights we were there, but staff told us the place is sometimes mostly empty during the week.
This is the only property in Indiana on the registry of "Historic Hotels of America." Amenities include a world class spa, the Donald Ross Championship Golf Course, bowling alley, tennis center, swimming, horesback riding, several shops, restaurants, and more.
We took a long walk through the spacious gardens, vowing to come back when the flowers would be in bloom. We also wanted to spend some time in the rocking chairs which lined the sprawling veranda, but the cold drove us inside. The large ornate lobby with it's traditional furnishings was a great place for people watching.
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