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Hotel is designated today as a National Historic Land- gion to its former star status, and French Lick/West
mark and is recognized by the American Society of Baden Springs was finally saved when Indiana legal-
Civil Engineers as a Historic Civil Engineering Land- ized gambling. French Lick Resort Casino now owns
mark. both the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West
But it was the spring waters that brought fame to Baden Springs Hotel, as well as a newer inn, the Val-
French Lick, and these waters enjoyed a long life in ley Tower. The resort was granted a gaming license in
the spotlight as a cure for whatever ailed you. The 2006, and the entire region is enjoying a resurgence.
most popular brand of the bottled water was Pluto, The hotels, spa, golf course and casino have become
which was high in sodium and so popular, a concierge at West
magnesium sulfates and Baden told us, that if we wanted to
lithium salt, making it a natural stay there we’d have to book a year
laxative. Pluto was playfully in advance. When we visited the
named for the god of the un- area in summer 2021, the resort was
derworld, and during the area’s hosting a Porsche Club of America
heyday it took 450 railway gathering. Perhaps inspired by this
tank cars a year to transport German display, we ate lunch at the
French Lick spring water to German Cafe, a most hospital eatery
thirsty and apparently consti- that serves excellent schnitzel and
pated customers. Pluto’s popu- wonderful German brews.
larity lasted until 1971, when Nearby, southwestern Indiana is
the amount of lithium occur- an outdoors paradise. Patoka Lake
ring naturally in the water was State Park, a short drive from French
deemed to exceed the federal Lick, hosts boating and fishing, and
threshold, qualifying the water as a controlled sub- the hills are perfect for camping, hiking and, in winter,
stance and forcing it off the market. cross-country skiing.
Well before that time, the hotels suffered a precipi- Indiana may not make the cover of many glossy
tous financial fall when the stock market crashed in travel magazines or highlight many tourism websites,
1929, and the buildings fell victim to under-use and but that doesn’t mean there aren’t wonderful things
neglect. Several attempts were made to return the re- to see and do there.
158 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022
