French Lick & West Baden Springs, Indiana: Our Room at West Baden Springs Resort

Our room at West Baden Springs was lovely, comfortable, and quiet.  The king-sized bed, my husband and I agreed, was the most comfortable we'd ever slept on--and there were lots of pillows!  The room was the perfect size for the two of us, and the bathroom was bigger than most you find in a hotel.  The room had standard amenities such as cable TV, WIFI, and a small refrigerator and microwave.  Extras such as thick, soft towels and bath robes, complimentary tea, and attention to decorative details, however, kept the room from being just standard.  Perhaps what really put the room over the top were the large windows and the balcony that overlooked the beautiful atrium.

Such a comfortable bed!

One of the bedside tables

Image of the hotel on the bedside table

Lamp detail

Love this carpet!

Wet bar

A comfortable place to read

Bathroom fixtures and details

Wallpaper & tile detail in the bathroom

Our windows and balcony on the sixth floor

View of the hotel atrium from our room

French Lick & West Baden Springs, Indiana

The best gifts my husband and I give to each other usually involve travel and time together.  So to celebrate our 25th anniversary, we decided to take one of those "trips of a lifetime" this coming fall to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.  I can't wait!!!  But since our anniversary was this past June, I wanted to do something special at that time, too.  We ended up taking a short trip to the resort area of French Lick and West Baden Springs, Indiana, only a 2 1/2 hour drive from our home in Kentucky.

French Lick and West Baden Springs are small, side-by-side towns in The Hoosier National Forest.  Both were once home to magnificent resorts popular for their mineral springs.  After their popularity waned, the resorts fell into disrepair until investors stepped in to salvage and restore them to their former glory.  When you step into either the French Lick Resort or the West Baden Springs Resort, it's like stepping back in time.  We chose to stay at West Baden Springs Resort, which is a bit quieter and less hectic than neighboring French Lick Resort.  And, ohhhhh, that atrium!  It is easily the most stunning hotel atrium I have ever seen.

Today, let me give you just a taste of the West Baden Springs Resort.  I promise much more will follow.

West Baden Springs Hotel & Gardens

Hotel Entrance

Atrium Surrounded by Guest Rooms, Shops, Dining, Etc.

Center of Atrium Dome

Maine's Southern Coast: Gooch's Beach

About 100 yards from our rental house is a beautiful little stretch of sand called Gooch's Beach.  On Beach Street just about a mile east of downtown Kennebunkport, Gooch's Beach is a wide crescent-shaped space that is seems to be well-loved by the locals.  Lots of runners, dog walkers, and surfers use this beach, but it never seemed crowded.  The Kennebunk River meets the Atlantic Ocean at one end of the beach while a peninsula of jagged rocks juts out into the ocean at the other end.  The sea wall, Beach Street, and pretty homes wrap around the rest of the beach.  Clean, unspoiled, and completely free of commercialization, Gooch's Beach is simply a beach--and that's what I loved about it. My husband and I made our way to Gooch's every day and enjoyed all it had to offer no matter what the weather was.

Kennebunkport & the river sit at this end of the beach.  The huge white building is the grand Colony Resort.

Homes on the far side of Beach Street and the sea wall

A taste of Maine's dramatic rocky coast

Watch the seagulls

Or watch the ships on the ocean

Enjoy the dogs playing in the surf

Surf--or enjoy watching the surfers

That's former First Lady, Barbara Bush, getting into her car after walking her dogs on Gooch's Beach.
And, yes, that's a local surfer changing at the car right beside her!

See what the sea brings to the shore

Leave your mark

Just enjoy all the moods of Maine

Great Small Towns: Jerome, Arizona

In the Spring of 2008, my husband, our two then teenage sons, and I spent a week in Sedona, Arizona.  One of the highlights of that vacation was our day trip to Jerome, Arizona.  With a population of about 400 today, Jerome perches on the side of Cleopatra Hill at an elevation of 5,200 feet and is only 20 miles from Sedona.  It's a really neat little town with a fascinating history and a hopeful future, and it's a fun place to spend the day.

Jerome was founded in 1876, and by the 1920s it was a bustling copper mining town with a population of about 15,000.  People from all over the world made their way to Jerome in search of work in the copper mines and in hopes of making their fortune in gold rumored to have have been hidden in the area. Once called "the wickedest town in America," Jerome seems to have seen its share of gun fights, gambling, prostitution, and drinking back in those early days.  The demand for copper greatly diminished by the 1950s and the mines began to close.  Jerome became little more than a ghost town.  Thanks to the dedication of the few remaining citizens and some others enchanted by Jerome's history and location, the town has made a comeback as an artists' haven and a tourist destination. It's a great small town that is worth a visit.

  Getting to the town from the valley floor is a fun drive on a series of switchbacks. 

The views from Jerome of the Verde Valley and distant mountains are worth the trip.

Once in Jerome, you'll find lots of shops, restaurants, and a couple of museums, and if you decide to stay for more than a day there are several inns, a hotel, and a few vacation rentals and B & Bs.  Most of these establishments are in buildings that were part of early 20th century Jerome, so much of what you see is like peaking into a time capsule.  You'll also see ruins of the copper mining industry and shells of deserted homes and buildings.  You can learn more about the history of the town at Jerome State Park (sometimes called Douglas Mansion State Park) located just below town.  There is also a mine museum in town and a place called Gold King Mine and Ghost Town where you can see an actual mine shaft as well as some touristy displays and activities.  Haunted tours are offered and so are home and garden tours at certain times of the year.

Once home to the workers at the Little Daisy Mine, this is now a private residence.

The Liberty Theatre once hosted silent movies and vaudeville acts (1918-1929).  

Old movie projector outside The Liberty Theatre

A unique jewelry store

Nellie Bly was my favorite store. Numerous unique kaleidoscopes are the stars of this place.

Historical plaques recall Jerome's feisty past

Jerome Mine Museum

The original Hotel Connor and The Spirit Room pub on the first floor

The Jerome Grand Hotel, originally a hospital, is also home to The Asylum restaurant.

The entire town of Jerome is now on the National Historic Register, and it is well worth a visit for the history, the fun, and the beautiful views it offers.