Admire the 8th Wonder of the World
Whatever you do, you MUST stop by and admire the 200-foot atrium once dubbed the 8th wonder of the world at West Baden Springs Hotel. The kids were content playing checkers while we sat and relaxed under the atrium.
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Explore more of the French Lick Resort
Even if you aren’t staying (but you really should!), you’ll want to explore French Lick Resort. Walk around the beautiful gardens.
There’s something so relaxing about just sitting on the porch, rocking on your chair, while sipping your coffee or having ice cream. You’ll even find the cutest little rocking chairs for the little ones. Porches can be found at either hotel at French Lick Springs Resort.
Ride on the historic trolley ride back and forth from either West Baden or French Lick.
Tip: If you really want to please your train fans, chug away on the French Lick Scenic Railway. Check their calendar for any of their special events.
Give an elephant a bath
At Wilstem Ranch, visitors are treated to an amazing experience – a chance to give Lou the elephant a spa bath. Even my little ones could participate which was perfect for my animal-lovin’ children. Everyone had a chance to help – whether it was to spray her with water or scrub her or “paint” her nails.
Eat then try on Larry Bird’s jacket
After a swim at our lovely resort, the kids worked up an appetite and we were ready to eat. Our agenda? 33 Brick Street, a restaurant that pays ode to their hometown legend basketball star Larry Bird. We tried the cheeseburger, southwest burger, Caesar salad, the kids had the kids meals. The homemade chips are so yummy! Overall, the food was pretty tasty but the highlight was the chance to try on Larry Bird’s ’92 Olympic jacket. Take a look around the entire restaurant; you’ll find other sports memorabilia from other legends.
Eat more ice cream
Save room for dessert because you’ll want to try all the flavors of Bliss Artisan ice cream at French Licks. My kids tried out S’mores (mom, there’s real marshmallows!), dark chocolate almond, pistachio, and so many other flavors. If you are a coffee aficionado they have that too as well as smoothies and sodas. Make sure to take your ice cream and coffee to the seating area with games to play, coloring and activity books to keep the kids busy. While they’re busy, you can ogle and marvel at all the cool wooden carvings from adjacent store Bear Hollow Wood Carvers. Really, really cool!
Go to a winery
The Patoka Lake Winery had great wines and at $10 for 8 tastings we were happy to taste our way through their menu. I love sweet and fruity wines and they had so many to choose from. Choosing one bottle to leave with was hard so we walked out with two bottles – Biker’s Black and Blue and Red White and Blue. The winery is kid-friendly; while my husband and I were sipping away, they occupied themselves by the chairs with a travel game I brought along.
Tip: If you happen to visit sans kids, they have silo suites to stay at. So cool!
Eat BBQ
Located next door to Patoka Lake Winery, Pub ‘N’ Grub serves burgers, chicken, and BBQ serves food pretty fast. We opted of course for the BBQ (although the brisket was sold out!) chicken wings and the pulled pork sandwich. My son, a burger aficionado, had the mac n cheeseburger. If you’re a fan of pork rinds, it comes out poppin’ fresh, a first for us. We enjoyed all our food – a great option if you’re in the Patoka Lake area.
Tip: While you’re in the area, take the time to admire the beauty of Patoka Lake. One of the best ways to do that is by boat – Patoka Lake Marina will help you with your boating needs.
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