West Baden Springs Resort – where elegance, history, architectural wonder, and beauty come together!
Day 1 – Home to Bloomington, IL
Welcome aboard our Jewel of the Fall journey! With coffee stops & lunch along the way, we will arrive in Bloomington/Normal for our first overnight. Dinner is served tonight at Baxter’s.
Included Meals: Dinner
Hotel: Hampton Inn
Day 2 – Bloomington to West Baden Springs, IN
After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our journey to the Hoosier National Forest where nestled among the hills resides a classic American destination – French Lick Resort. Home to two AAA Four-Diamond nationally historic hotels, three challenging golf courses, a Vegas-style casino & more! With excitement, we check into the West Baden Springs Hotel, our world famous home for the next two nights! We’ll be awestruck by this magnificent property! Considered to be the 8th wonder of the world, it was built in 1902 and is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. Its atrium was the largest free span dome until the Houston Astrodome was built. There is no word to absolutely describe it but: AWESOME! A guided walking tour late this afternoon is the perfect way to take in our beautiful surroundings. Our tour features the elegant atrium, restored lobby, lush gardens, and mineral springs pavilions. We will enjoy a delicious welcome dinner at the hotel. The rest the evening is free to scout out this lavish resort or just relax in a rocking chair on the veranda.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Welcome Dinner
Hotel: West Baden Springs Hotel (2 Nights)
Day 3 – West Baden Springs
We will start our morning off with breakfast at Café Sinclair’s, located in the hotel’s original dining room. Then we are off on a guided history tour of French Lick & West Baden, giving us a deeper appreciation for the rich history that’s unique to these two historic towns. Afterwards, we’ll stop by the Raber Buggy Shop to learn how they make and repair these wonderful buggies. Lunch is served at French Lick Winery, complete with a delightful tasting. Next we head to the Wilstem Ranch for a memorable experience as we board an open wagon for a Safari Wagon tour and travel through the Ranch, stopping along the way to learn about as well as feed the variety of animals. When we near the grizzly bears’ domain, Jeff “The Bear Man” Watson will join us and teach us all about these amazing bears. We can’t leave without a giraffe encounter! We’ll learn about the world’s tallest mammal, as well as interact, feed, and take pictures with a giraffe. Tonight we’re guests for a dinner show at the Abbeydell Hall at the Legend of French Lick. Reminiscent of the classic variety shows, “The American Variety Show”, is full of music, dance and comedy! We’ll hear everything from the 40s, 50s, 60s, Broadway, jazz, pop, rock n’ roll, country, and a tribute to our veterans!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – West Baden Springs to Indianapolis, IN
After another wonderful breakfast at Café Sinclair’s, we depart for Indianapolis. Our first stop, will of course be, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. It’s situated inside the historical 2.5 mile oval track, and is recognized as one of the most highly visible museums in the world dedicated to automobiles and auto racing. On our Indy 500 Kiss the Bricks tour, we’ll go behind the scenes and stand on the actual race track and at the victory podium. Traditionally, the race winner gets out and kisses the bricks. Anyone on this tour can take advantage of the opportunity to plant their lips on the treasured piece of dirty ground! This is a must see when in Indiana. Next, we are off to lunch and a tour of Mr. Muffins Trains where we’ll learn about and enjoy the great collection of all kinds of trains. A tasty lunch is served at the Choo Choo Café – very fitting! After our fun time with Mr. Muffin, we will check into our hotel to freshen up before dinner. Then we are off to Traders Point Creamery for a wonderful visit and dinner. We’ll thoroughly enjoy this organic dairy farm, award-winning artisan creamery, and farm-to-table restaurant in the historical rural Traders Point area. The farm features Brown Swiss cows and three relocated historic barns. We may even watch the farmers milk the cows and make some cheese. Traders Point Creamery is a great hidden treasure for us to enjoy!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Hampton Inn
Day 5 – Indianapolis to Fort Atkinson, WI
After breakfast we travel north and enjoy the fall colors as we make our first stop in Joliet, IL. Here we will enjoy a tour, lunch, and even our very own private organ concert at the magnificent Rialto Square Theatre, often referred to as the “Jewel of Joliet,” and widely considered one of the ten most beautiful theatres in the nation! The building reflects Greek, Roman and Byzantine architecture. The organ chambers are bordered by ornate balconies on either side, with pipes masked by glittering floral grills of Byzantine influence. Truly a unique, hidden gem! Afterwards we’ll make our way to Ft. Atkinson, WI and check into the Holiday Inn Express before we enjoy our buffet dinner and show at the wonderful Fireside Dinner Theatre for the production of “Grease!” So get your poodle skirts on and your saddle shoes laced for a wonderful 50’s show!
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
Day 6 – Fort Atkinson to Home
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for home. We’ll reminisce about our grand Jewel of the Fall tour with our new travel friends!
Included Meals: Breakfast
Motorcoach Per Person Pricing Information
Motorcoach Travel Protection Per Person
Travel Bucks
Deposit Due
Passport Needed
Tour Pace
Price Includes
13 Meals, Hotels and activities & events as stated in brochure, Luxury Motorcoach
10/23/2022 10/28/2022
Tour Map
Tour Highlights
2 Nights at West Baden Springs Hotel
Wilstem Ranch’s Giraffe Encounter & Safari Wagon Tour
“The American Variety Show” Dinner Show at Abbeydell Hall
Raber Buggy Shop Tour
Multiple Historic Guided Tours of French Lick Hotels & Local Area
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum & Kiss the Bricks Tour
Mr. Muffins Trains Tour
Traders Point Creamery Farm Tour & Dinner
Rialto Square Theatre Tour & Private Organ Concert
“Grease” at Fireside Dinner Theatre
