French Lick Springs Resort- French Lick Indiana

I mentioned before that we stayed at the West Baden Springs Hotel.  Well, about a mile down the road is the French Lick Springs Resort, both are part of the French Lick Resort Property.  Busses are pretty much constantly going between the two so guests can get back and forth.  There is also a nice trolley ride you can take to go from one hotel to the other!

We also did a historic tour of this hotel.  We had a fun and knowledgeable guide named Tom while we explored here.

Again, I wouldn't want to give too much away about the tour here, but Tom told some great stories.  Photos are up of the various celebrities who have stayed here.  Names like Lana Turner, Ronald Reagan and FDR popped up, among many others.

FDR is forever connected to this location, as he received the nomination to run for President here (one of the hotel's restaurants is now in the spot where the announcement was made).

French Lick was known for "Pluto Water" up until the very early 1970s.  This was a water from the French Lick area springs that served as a laxative.  It was popular during its time.  Lithium was in the water though, and they could no longer sell it as anything other than a medication.

Their mascot was named "Pluto" after the Roman god of the underworld, though his appearance was a red devil.

Inside of the hotel, there was a great display case showing various branded Pluto Water items (including a toy doll!).  I thought the Pluto Water bottles were ornate.


Our tour guide Tom told us a great story relating to the Pluto/Devil mascot.  The hotel now houses a casino.  At one time, the French Lick Springs Resort had two gold Pluto statues by the doors(more on those statues in a later post).  Well, some religious lady told the hotel's GM that she would not be patronizing any casino with the devil by the door.  Our tour group appreciated the irony of the statement.

Just like at the West Baden Resort, French Lick Springs has several classy shops and restaurants.  I had a tasty portabella at the Power Plant Bar and Grill.  I found some nice postcards at the gift shops here too.

West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden Indiana

West Baden Springs Hotel has been high on my list of places to get to for a LONG time.  Oddly, it has been a place too close to visit.  I have lived about 2 hours from it for most of my life- so it's been one of those places I just figured I would get to some day down the road.

Well, we finally had a nice long weekend... and some pals that had been wanting to go for a while too, so we did it!

We arrived on a Friday shortly after Christmas.  Thankfully, the place still had their Christmas tree up, along with various other Christmas decorations.  With the warm weather we have experienced in our neck of the woods this year, the Christmas season felt very short, if not almost nonexistent.  Getting a few extra days of Christmas here was a real treat.  Oh!  And they were piping in classic Christmas songs in the lobby!  That was nice.

Before I babble on too much, let me say that I wish I had gone here sooner!  The place is beautiful and relaxing.  Sure, we have been here now, and we can check it off of our list, but I am already eager to get back.

We arrived in the morning, and quickly purchased tickets for the historic tour of the hotel.  If you go, you MUST do the tours (West Baden Springs Hotel AND French Lick Springs Hotel each have their own historic tours).


Not to give too much away, but here are some of the things that impressed me most about the tour here.....

Someone got on top of the dome- probably early on when the hotel was being built, and they painted some very cool angels in a room above the lobby area.  They did not sign their art and it is a bit of a mystery who put them there.  Some feel that the general good luck of the hotel, especially the early builders, could be credited to the angels.

Some ornate glasswork was looted from the building during a time that the property was abandoned.  Some of the works of art later turned up at a Kentucky antique shop.


The fireplace (which cannot now be used) has a great sculpt/painting on it.  It is spectacular and has a great story. 

The construction, various tenants, and preservation all make for good stories.  Names like Donald Trump, and Larry Bird factor in to the history of the hotel.

Our room was flawless.  We had a great window view into the atrium.  The bathroom had two sinks, a bathtub, and a shower.

Speaking of the atrium, we spent several hours each evening just enjoying the vibe there.  There are plenty of chairs, tables and couches so you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere.  On our first night at West Baden Springs, the hotel had Chuck Buttz playing piano.  He played for several hours, taking a few short breaks, but he was amazing!  Piano music is usually not my thing, but Mr. Buttz was really doing a great job.  I recognized most of the songs he played and his classic and classy playing truly made our time in the atrium special.  He did have a CD that you could purchase (at a very reasonable $10).  I picked up a copy and asked if he could play Moon River, a personal favorite.  Chuck played an amazing version that I will never forget.


On our second evening at the hotel, a harpist played in the lobby (I noticed many young children asking about her playing and her instrument) followed by a jazz trio.  We enjoyed them too, but the amazing piano player the night before made the evening feel almost dream-like.

We had a couple of meals at Sinclair's and Ballard's Bar.  For Ballard's, we enjoyed our meal in the atrium, still listening to Chuck Buttz on piano.  This was a fabulous experience.

There is plenty to do outside also.  Again, it was cold, so we mainly walked around and saw the old springs.  Our tour guide from our tour mentioned that there was a horse track/bicycle track oval building on the grounds several decades earlier (the horse riding track was on the bottom, with the bike track on a second level above it!).  Inside the oval was a baseball field, and many baseball teams held trainings at the West Baden Springs Hotel!

Frankfort Cemetery- Frankfort Kentucky

Here are a few photos I took recently at the Frankfort Cemetery.  This place is amazing!  EVERYONE knows Daniel Boone rests there.  US Vice President number nine, Richard Mentor Johnson is there to!  The place is beautiful, and offers a spectacular view of Frankfort....  I will be spending more time at the Frankfort Cemetery!

Rebecca Ruth Candies- Frankfort KY

We've been to Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory several times, but we had never taken the actual factory tour until recently!

For pocket change ($3) you can get a nice tour of the Rebecca Ruth kitchen, see where the candy is made, check out their very cool museum, AND they will give ya a sample at the end of the tour!

We had a great guide who expressed sincere enthusiasm about the business.  She told us all about the company and it's origins. 

Two friends (Rebecca and Ruth)got together and enjoyed making candy.  They enjoyed it so much, that they decided to quit their day jobs so that they could hang out, and make candy their full time gig!

This was during a time when ladies really didn't do that sort of thing.  You know, like work outside of the home.

Well, their candy was very popular, and locals loved it!  After some time, Ruth bought Rebecca out of the business (though they still remained close friends).

There is more to the story.  Someone mentioned to Ruth that the best 2 things they had one day were bourbon and her chocolate, and she decides to try to combine them- and she came up with the bourbon ball!

Celebrities would come to buy her candy, which she sold out of her home (now the Rebecca Ruth Museum area).  People in Frankfort loved what she did and supported her in various ways.  During WWII, the locals actually gave her their rationed sugar so she could make her candies!

I was personally impressed with a marble slab Ruth bought from the old Frankfort Hotel after it was destroyed by fire.  Also, a stove and a couple of other tools that are around 100 years old are STILL USED by the company!

Along with the stove and other candy making items, other traditions are strong here.  A display in the kitchen notes one employee who worked here 67 years!  AND, the business has not been sold, and is still in Ruth's family!

Random Thoughts on Friday

Its been some time since I randomly put some thoughts up........

I thought I would mention a few things on TV that I have enjoyed lately, though I generally try to avoid the TV in general (more time to get out and see things!).

First off, my wife and I have REALLY gotten in to the show "When Calls the Heart" on the Hallmark channel.  We heard that the show was set in an old Canadian mining town AND Michael Landon Jr. is working on the show!  I was hoping this show might be similar to Little House, and it is.

Another show that I like (but my wife hates) is the Eric Andre Show.  It is juvenile, kind of in the same family as South Park, but it is horrifyingly brilliant in many ways.  Eric and his sidekick, Hannibal Burress (who has become comedy royalty in his own right) do a strange train wreck of a talk show on Comedy Central.  Its weird, perverted, and totally inappropriate.  I am often laughing so hard that I am crying by the end of it.  It reminds me of Tom Green at his most deviant, mixed with GG Allin at his mildest.

Back in Kentucky....  I heard that the Rabbit Hash General Store In Rabbit Hash Kentucky burned down.  I was shocked when I got that news......  It does look like they are going to rebuild!

Keep your eye on Mammoth Cave this year!  They are celebrating all sorts of anniversaries in 2016, and I am sure they will have some big events planned!

Zachary Taylor Monument and Tomb Louisville, Kentucky

Here is a postcard relating to Zachary Taylor-

"President Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States, rests forever in the old Taylor family burying ground, in the National Cemetery.  Located on the Brownsboro Road U.S. 42."

Zachary Taylor sites in Louisville Kentucky

You know I have been on a huge Presidents and Civil War kick lately.  AND, I am finding that there are so many great sites literally right in my back yard!

In Louisville, you can visit the grave of our 12th President, Zachary Taylor!

Also, very close to his grave in a nice, neighborhood is a house he lived in!  It is a private residence, but there is a historic sign in front of it.  This is a very rare former home of a President that is not open to the public for tours.  The house looked well maintained...  I am sure the current occupants are very proud.

Cumberland Gap, near Middlesboro, Kentucky

Sent in 1955, this postcard was sent to a friend in Indiana, as the writer was on their way to Williamsburg.

Chained Rock- Pineville, Kentucky

I went with a buddy to Chained Rock in Pineville.  My pal had grown up in this area, and he had been telling me about how cool it is.

We hiked to the rock, and it was cool, and you could see a lot of the town on the rock.  You can walk up the side of a large rock, which is kind of scary!  I am surprised more people don't get hurt here!

In fact, this is a very exciting place to visit because you are very high up, and you can see way down.  PLUS, if you fall you aren't going to fall on nice, soft ground.  You will fall on hard rock!

Oh, and the chain is impressive too!  It looks like back in the 30s, some locals chained a rock to keep it from falling on to the town under the mountain.