# Need info on French Lick Spring Villas and Area near



## rbkraft (Jul 5, 2006)

We are planning a trip to French Lick Springs Villas, IN in July.  Their website has nothing and RCI has next to nothing.  Can anyone let us know about the Villa, Restaurants, and sites near and around the resort.  Louisville seems near, but are there other local things to do?

Rick & Barb


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## rod (Jul 5, 2006)

From your post it seems to me that you are expecting to find attractions to entertain you for a week in an urban area.  If so, you are in for a disappointment; other than in the immediate vicinity of Cincinnati, Louisville, and Evansville southern Indiana is rural and poor.

In French Lick there is nothing at present other than the Indiana Railway Museum; the French Lick Springs Resort has been closed all year for refurbishment, along with the spa, swimming pools, tennis courts, golf courses, and riding stable.  Everything is scheduled to reopen in December when the new casino and conference cents opens.

West Baden Springs has tours of the West Baden Hotel, although it too is undergoing refurbishment and is expected to reopen next summer as a hotel for the first time in many years.

There is the Holiday World Theme Park at Santa Claus, Indiana; the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom at Louisville, Kentucky; tours of the Louisville Slugger factory near Louisville; and several show caves in southern Indiana.  There is also an area that is predominately Amish and Mennonite around Montgomery, Indiana, northwest of French Lick.

I strongly recommend the tours that the resort has put together; Norris is very knowledgeable about the area, his presentations are excellent, and he will be showing you places that you never would have dreamed could be there.

I will also recommend the following restaurants:

The Overlook Restaurant can be found on Indiana Route 62 at the western edge of Leavenworth, Indiana, a small town with a population of just over 300 about 35 miles from French Lick. The restaurant is located on top of a bluff overlooking a horseshoe bend in the Ohio River, and has a fantastic view. The dining room is tiered so that those seated at tables in the interior can see over those seated near the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river. Their specialty is fried chicken.

The Schnitzelbank Restaurant is located at 393 Third Ave, Jasper, Indiana, about 25 miles from French Lick. This restaurant specializes in authentic German dishes, but there is also a good selection of American dishes on the menu. They also have a good selection of German beers.  One of the features of the Schnitzelbank is their glockenspiel, housed in a clock tower. To fully experience the glockenspiel you need to be outside the restaurant where you can see the clock tower. I believe it plays on the hour and half-hour.

The Gasthof Amish Restaurant is located 1 mile north of US Route 50, Montgomery, Indiana, about 30 miles from French Lick.  Just look for the large "Gasthoff Amish Village" sign on US 50.  They have daily specials and a large buffet.

In French Lick itself I like Jody's 19th Hole Restaurant and Lounge, 452 Maple Street, a local bar that also serves food, and T'Berry's Cafe, 8271 West College Street, a local cafe; I have never tried the Beechwood Inn.

There is quite a bit to do in the area, but you will have to do some research to find the things that you are interested in.


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## EAM (Jul 5, 2006)

Rod just gave almost all the suggestions I would give (be sure to take at least one of the tours from the villas) but here's a few more:

Spring Mill State Park is about an hour from French Lick and has a restored pioneer village and several nice hiking trails.

These southern IN cities are a bit of a drive from French Lick, but worth considering:

New Harmony - the site of the two communal living communities in the US.
http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/KADE/newharmony/home.html

The Red Geranium and Bayou Grill restaurants in New Harmony are excellent IMHO. 

Bloomington - a college town (Indiana University) with all the things you'd expect in a college town (ethnic restaurants, bookstores, good pizza, a natural foods co-op, live music, etc.)

Nashville - east of Bloomington - an artist colony with lots of artsy-craftsy shops, good restaurants, live theater Thurs-Sun in the summer most weeks (see http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/bcplay.html for details), live music most weekends.


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## rbkraft (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks Rod and EAM--Thanks very Much for all you suggestions and places to eat and see.  This is the info that we really wanted.
Rick and Barb


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## kibear (Apr 8, 2007)

Hi!  Do you (or anyone) know if there is still a golf course nearby French Lick?  We'd like to get a 2 br for the family and just hang out - using the resort amenities - and doing cave tours & such.  It would be great if there is decent golf in the area, too.  What about an area nearby for family bike rides?  

Also, several previous posts seem to indicate that there is often availability here pretty much year-round.  I have a very limited check-in range in early June and random searches have turned up 1br units but not 2br.  Any comments or advice?

Thanks!

K


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## rod (Apr 8, 2007)

kibear said:


> Do you (or anyone) know if there is still a golf course nearby French Lick?  We'd like to get a 2 br for the family and just hang out - using the resort amenities - and doing cave tours & such.  It would be great if there is decent golf in the area, too.


The Donald Ross Course (formerly known as the Hill Course), French Lick, will be open by June, if it is not already open.  See the web site www.frenchlick.com for more information.  The casino was built on the former Valley Course, but I understand that they do plan to build another course to open in 2008.

There are also other courses that are not too awful far away.  A few of them are: 
- Saddlebrook Golf Club, Mitchell, 25 miles
- Sultan's Run Golf Course, Jasper, 25 miles
- Country Oaks Golf Course, Montgomery, 30 miles
- Stone Crest Golf Course, Bedford, 30 miles
- Western Hills Golf Course, Salem, 30 miles


kibear said:


> Also, several previous posts seem to indicate that there is often availability here pretty much year-round.  I have a very limited check-in range in early June and random searches have turned up 1br units but not 2br.  Any comments or advice?


In the past there has often been availability year-round; the casino, which just opened late last fall, may have an effect on this availability.  I just don't know at this time.


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## Steamboat Bill (Apr 9, 2007)

Does anyone besides me think French Lick Springs is a bizzare name for a location?


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## kibear (Apr 12, 2007)

Yes!  I've always had to giggle when I say the name out loud. It seems an odd name.  There's _got_ to be some interesting history behind the name, eh?

I suppose I'd better go ahead and do an ongoing search.  June is fast approaching!  I have a couple of Orlando President's week to use but I didn't want to use the more 'powerful' deposit (deposited early & seems to pull more (better?) units with other searches) for this exchange.  I'll take my chances with the other one...


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## geekette (Apr 18, 2007)

Big Bone Lick wins the prize.


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## kittyhawk (Jul 23, 2008)

*French Lick*

Hey guys- clean up your minds!  

A "lick" is a place that the animals come for salt and water. And yes, there are both :Big Bone Lick" and "Beaver Lick" here in northern Kentucky!!!

French Lick , by the way, is a natural mineral spa - hence the wildlife (and the humans) came there for water

Catie


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