A Weekend Get Away is Much Appreciated

The presentation and dinner were very nice. Afterwards, we sat in the lobby and watched people.  Who would have known it was prom night!  I love to people watch.  I love to watch from a distance and conjure up a story line. Much like watching a silent movie and making up the subtitles.

I understand times have changed from when I was younger and there are some things that I enjoy seeing. Young people going to the prom with a crowd of friends verses one on one. It allows the young to enjoy a passage of time that in years past some would have sat home wishing upon a star.

Proms around the country vary upon venue.  In French Lick, the closest big city is Bloomington, Indiana.  It is less than sixty miles away, yet the only way to get there are on the back roads and can take you close to a ninety minute drive . On our adventure down, we wondered what people did on the back roads of this Indiana landscape.  We knew a lot of injured workers lived in these towns as we recognized the names of cities by where we sent weekly checks.

That evening though there was a celebration going on!  As we sat in this historic property that combined ornate details and charm of the early nineteen hundreds, you could hear the rumblings of Ford F 150's roaring to a stop outside of the entrance, giddy young girls in their gowns hanging on to their farm boys preparing to cut a rug on the dance floor.  As the evening drew to an end, the young poured out of the ballroom, heels draped over their hands, flips flops replacing them, young men, decked in bolero ties, converse shoes matching the band on their cowboy hat coordinating with their dates flowing garments.

Prom Watching Lobby

The gowns were not form fitting, they snugged the bodice, the skirt blossomed out resembling a hoop skirt from years ago. The satin material covered in yards of tulle. I couldn't imagine these young girls awaiting to be whisked away to sweet dreams of their evening, without that hoop skirt covered in mosquito netting slapping them in the face as they jumped aboard the F-150. Tanya and I laughed so hard we had tears in our eyes.  The colors exploded out of this ballroom, some exploding from their princess gowns, laughter had by all.  

We wondered where they bought their dresses that evening as gowns you see young girls wear today appear to come off Paris run ways, but as we drove out of town, on the main street of a small country town, was the only dress shop, the windows filled with mosquito  netting in technicolor.

No trip is worth going on if there isn't a little bit of retail therapy involved. As we were preparing to leave, we walked around the resort and shopped in the little boutiques nestled on the first floor. No matter where I travel or who I travel with, people always comment on what a "good time" we must be having as I love to clown around.  We were browsing in a swanky dress shop that was decorated all cute and colorful.  I love a good bargain and I have been blessed with being able to find them throughout my life.  These women, who write blogs now on being frugal, shoot, I could have written a series on that thirty plus years ago. This shop was not on the list of people who were shopping frugally. But a girl can dream of a really big sale in a shop she couldn't afford to step in or that she can afford any thing they have to offer, but didn't find a thing that interested her.

Holding Court

I was dressed in a black and white jogging suit, the shop was done in black, whites and hot pinks.  There was a chair positioned off to the side that I am sure was placed there for the wallet these women lugged in to the store called husbands.  I thought the chair was calling my name, in fact the whole corner was, as it sang, "Queenie, you need to sit here and blend in with the decor!" As I sat in the chair marveling at how coordinated I was with the shop  the clerk thought I should have a hat!  Now, I usually wear hats, but I didn't have one on that day.  Most women don't wear hats or if they do they will wear a visor or a ball cap with their cute little pony tail hanging out the back.  Ball caps are the only hat that I can not wear.  My curly hair just pops out underneath and I look like Bozo.

Dome Ceiling at West Baden

You would think if a clerk was going to suggest a hat, she would be talking about one in her store, but this woman traveled down the hall to a competitors shop and snagged the hat bringing it back for me to have my Kodak moment.

After our little trip through the shops, we headed next door to West Baden for a history tour of the resort.  I wish we had had the time to schedule the tour at French Lick, but we were limited and the tour of West Baden was quite interesting.

Some know it as the eighth wonder of the world.  I was built in 1855 to capitalize on the abundance of mineral springs in the area and was fashioned after a great mineral spring in Europe. Celebrities from around the world flocked here for a little rest and relaxation.  The original resort was host to an opera house, casino as well as a two deck pony and bicycle track.  

The Atrium

The mineral water baths claimed to cure almost any thing. I experienced one of these mineral baths  in Hot Springs, Arkansas years ago and I must say they  are very relaxing. In Arkansas they actually have someone bathe you. It is not for the meek. In its prime, West Baden  was the Disney World of the day. Until automobiles became popular and travelers headed south, this was the spot to be seen.

A fire destroyed the building in 1901 and was rebuilt.  It is absolutely breathtaking.  Prior to the completion of the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, it had the largest free spanning dome in the world. The atrium is over two hundred feet in diameter and the fireplace can burn up to fourteen foot logs at a time.

Dreaming of days gone by

As always, in the atrium, chairs were calling my name.  I wanted to snuggle up and bask in the sunshine beaming through the domed ceiling reading a book, sipping on a ice cold soft drink.

The tour was interesting.  The history of the site and the stories of the past were enlightening of a time so long ago. The stories of over indulging and carelessness of previous owners reminded one of life, to see the beauty of this historic landmark, knowing the site had experienced much of what life has to offer, good times and bad.

Fireplace built to hold 14 foot logs

I could just imagine in the hey day of this resort the women dressed much like the prom attendees, parasols in hand verses their heels and all taking afternoon tea in the atrium after their much needed spa day.  A chance to step back in time to days when life was not so hectic and demanding.

Our drive home was rather uneventful.  We were both wondering of a day that we could get away to a place where dreams are made.