Life changing event…

This adventure to French Lick, Indiana, will forever hold a very special place in my heart. It was a celebration of my retirement from a 23-year career, of which I am extremely proud. I am honored that I was hired to work for the federal government’s prison system as a therapist in a residential drug abuse program. I believe it’s a career I was destined for, and I always said it was my dream job. Furthermore, I know I am lucky to have a career I loved — I wish everyone loved their job. 

I admit, I’m a bit weird because I wanted to work in a prison. Working in a prison environment is both taxing and rewarding, especially when you’re providing treatment in this setting. Every day was different, and I never knew what to expect, which, depending on the day, could be a positive or a negative. I had the pleasure of working with some incredible colleagues over the years. I had the unique opportunity to witness countless men change their lives. Who knows, maybe I’ll write a book about my experience some day. I could list it as fiction — a lot of my stories sound made up anyway. My teammates and I often said to each other, “I can’t make this stuff up!” 😂

My decision to retire was bittersweet. Loving my job made it hard to leave; however, I couldn’t pass up the incredible opportunity the federal government provides for an early retirement. As I explained to the inmates, I don’t know how much time I have left on this planet, so it’s important that I make the most of my life. I’m grateful I had the career I dreamed of, and I want to spend the rest of my life with my family in new, meaningful ways. I’m prepared for this next chapter with lists of hobbies, projects, and places to travel. And I have plenty of books to read. 😉

Why a vacation in Indiana?

To celebrate my dedicated career and the transition into retirement, my husband suggested we take a vacation to French Lick, Indiana. Nearby Wilstem Wildlife Park would afford us the unique opportunity to spend time with endangered species, such as elephants and giraffes. It’s a destination that has been appealing to us since we learned about it a few years ago. I adore elephants, and giraffes have a special meaning to both me and Nikolette, our four-legged kid. Her favorite toys are giraffes. I immediately agreed to this destination, as I knew it would be meaningful to spend time with these animals and simply relax at the nearby West Baden Springs Hotel. 

West Baden Springs Hotel

I first learned of West Baden Springs Hotel when I read Michael Koryta’s novel, So Cold the River. It was the first book of his that I read, and I loved it! I was also fascinated by the fact that it was set in this unique hotel. He immediately became a favorite author, and I purchase all his books when they are released. In 2020, a movie based on the book was filmed at the hotel. A trailer for the movie is linked below. Perfect time of year to watch this film if you haven’t already seen it!

A couple of weeks prior to our trip, Jessica, from the Experience Design Team at the hotel, called me to discuss our upcoming stay. During our conversation, we talked about the reason for our stay, and I mentioned having read the book. She sounded excited and said she might have something up her sleeve that she could do for me. This just added another layer of excitement and suspense to this adventure!

As we entered French Lick, the hotel quickly came into view in the distance. It’s massive size, one-of-a-kind dome, and circus-like shape were magnificent! The driveway is original brick, and the manicured grounds are beautiful. We were immediately impressed with this hotel. Walking inside the entrance, I noticed the hallways to the right and left were circular. We proceeded straight into the atrium, and I practically stopped in my tracks! The dome is six stories tall, with guest rooms overlooking the atrium floor, where guests are provided various chairs, couches, and tables for lounging and socializing. There’s a restaurant, Ballard’s, where guests can dine inside the atrium and take in the spectacular views. The lighting in the center of the dome changes colors and provides a magical ambiance at night. Everything about this hotel speaks to Biltmore Estate and the gilded age. It felt like stepping back in time with modern amenities.

As we proceeded to our guest room, I was utterly shocked to read the plaque on the door indicating it was “The Movie Room.” The hotel preserved the actual room from filming. I was so touched that Jessica went out of her way to allow us the unique opportunity to stay in this room! Consistent with the hotel, the guest room was opulent in its decorations and amenities. The balcony was a wonderful touch. I enjoyed spending time sitting out there overlooking the atrium and reading. As if Jessica hadn’t done enough to make our stay special, she also left flowers and a truffle. It was unexpected and touching! I couldn’t wait to call her the next day and thank her.

According to an article my husband found about the making of the movie, So Cold The River, it took a lot of persistence and dedication on Koryta’s behalf. He was met with resistance from Hollywood. I’m happy for him and everyone else involved to see this project through. You can read that article here.

West Baden Springs Hotel is a true resort with dining, shopping, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, golf courses, a fancy veranda overlooking the immaculate gardens, a park, and, my favorite, a library. Upon entering the library, I immediately noticed how quiet the space was. A bookshelf equipped with a library ladder adorns the room. Readers have a large selection of couches and chairs to escape into their current read. It felt dreamy.

The history of West Baden Springs Hotel is fascinating. The hotel has a museum where we looked at artifacts, before and after renovation pictures, and watched a short video that explained the evolution of the property. The area was attractive back in the late 1800s because of the many mineral springs. Those same mineral springs are preserved today and are often indicated by an elaborate spring house. Personally, I would have struggled to get on board with drinking that water. I had no idea how smelly mineral springs are! They emit a foul sulfur smell. We often smelled it before we saw the spring house.

In 1912, the hotel was abandoned due to the stock market crash, and all of its guests left. Next, it provided a home to the Jesuits, who used the property as a seminary from the 1930s to the 1960s. While exploring the gardens, we found a beautifully laid stone path into the woods, where we saw a deer. Nearby, we discovered a small cemetery. It appears to have been erected in the 1940s in memory of the man who founded and was the first president of the Catholic hospital association in the United States and Canada. According to the museum, this cemetery is connected to the Jesuits and is still used today. The headstones indicate most people died in the 1950s; however, the last person was buried in the 1980s, if I remember correctly.

We truly enjoyed our time at West Baden Springs Hotel. The property offered everything we needed. We took advantage of lounging in the atrium, repeatedly dining at Ballard’s, enjoying a breakfast at Café Sinclair’s, and eating ice cream from Xanadu on the veranda in the evenings. I purchased two books about the hotel at the Mercantile Shop to dive deeper into the hotel’s history and see pictures from the past: Risen From the Ashes by Patrick O’Brian and West Baden Springs by Chris Bundy.

Elephants at Wilstem Wildlife Park

The main purpose of this retirement celebration adventure was to spend time, up close and personal, with some elephants. For day one at Wilstem Wildlife Park, I booked us a two and a half-hour encounter where we got to feed elephants breakfast, give them baths, and receive an education. Wilstem is a beautiful property consisting of 400 acres with fields sectioned off for different species. At the elephant encounter barn, we met Joey and his son Alex, who own and train the elephants, Sydney and Vicky. Sydney is 55 years old and weighs more than 8,500 lbs. Vicky is 60 and weighs more than 8,000 lbs. Both were really sweet. Vicky was kind of my favorite; she would get really close to me and nudge me a lot. I’m sure she was just messing with me, and I was okay with that. 

We were the only guests present to feed the girls a breakfast of apples and carrots. It was amazing to place the food on their trunk and watch them place it in their mouth. They knew exactly what they were doing and could be a tad impatient. Both are retired circus elephants, and Joey has known and worked with these girls his entire 40 years of life. The girls are from Thailand, making them Asian elephants, and came to the United States when they were 20. They’ve been at Wilstem a year or two.

A few more people joined us for spa time. We all got to help spray the elephants, scrub them, and put mineral oil on their toenails. It was fun to be so up close and personal with these well-behaved giants. They are incredibly smart and well-trained. 

The last portion of our visit was an educational encounter where the trainers talked to us about the differences between Asian and African elephants, their diet, and their lives at Wilstem, and then we could interact with Sydney and ask questions. Sydney showed off by playing the harmonica! It was fascinating to learn about the owners and their lives in the circus. It was obvious that the owners genuinely loved these elephants.

The elephants seem to love people too. I think they enjoyed investigating us as much as we were interested in them. It was a magical experience. We stayed until the very end of our time. It was so peaceful as I stood in the barn and watched the trainers walk the girls out into their field, marking the end of my time with these incredible creatures.

Giraffes at Wilstem Wildlife Park

Day two at Wilstem Wildlife Park began with an educational encounter with two giraffes, Marcello and Bert. We first met and fed Marcello, who was 17.5 feet tall and about, 3500 lbs. He came to Wilstem from Minnesota. Previously, he lived in the wild until his tribe threw him out, which is common practice for giraffes. Marcello is leaving Wilstem soon to return to Minnesota, where he will breed. Next, we met Bert, who was a bottle-fed giraffe and never lived in the wild. Both giraffes are about the same height, but Marcello is a bit bigger. We gained a lot of interesting knowledge about giraffes from our guide. It was really nice just being the two of us and the handler for the hour-long encounter. We were able to ask a lot of questions and observe the giraffes’ behavior. Because giraffes swing their heads around so much, and they weigh a lot, the time allotted to pet them and take close-up pictures is limited. The handler fed Bert the whole time we petted and took pictures to keep his head managed.

Roos and Crew Barn at Wilstem Wildlife Park

Admission to the Roos and Crew Barn was included with our encounter packages. This barn is home to a variety of animals: kangaroos, turtles, a parrot, snakes, otters, primates, and a sloth. Watching the two lemurs was hilarious. The two were ornery, chasing each other around the enclosure, and then they simultaneously took a break for lunch. It was obvious they were putting on a show. It was an entertaining experience while we waited for our next encounter, a Guided Safari Wagon Ride.

Safari Wagon Ride at Wilstem Wildlife Park

Our last encounter at Wilstem Wildlife Park was a Guided Safari Wagon Ride. A tractor pulled a wagon through the fields of the park so that we could pet and feed a variety of animals in their natural habitats. Our guide was informative and made our experience special. We first encountered emus, ostriches, and camels. The emus were pesty as some of them followed the wagon around most of our time, begging for more food. The ostriches were fun and goofy—a bit intimidating while they pecked the food off the wagon railing. The camels were my favorite; they ate out of my hand and were easy to pet. As we ventured through the park, we interacted with lamas, zebras, gazelles, deer, African mountain goats, and bison. The elephants were also visible on the ride. It was nice to see the girls again. It was impressive to see so many animals and be able to interact with them. 

Our time at Wilstem was amazing! It was the perfect adventure for my retirement celebration. The entire trip was perfect. It also helped me mentally reset from leaving work and the weirdness I felt for a couple of days as I adjusted. Venturing into this new chapter, I’m looking forward to more adventures that await!

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