One Tank Trips

Family Fun in French Lick Part 2

Our family took a very special trip last week to French Lick, Indiana. Thanks to Visit French Lick our family spent two days adventuring around French Lick. I’ve shared day 1 here and today I’ll be sharing all the fun we had one day 2.

We woke up early (as you do when you have a toddler) and ordered breakfast to the room. The in-room dining options were amazing and we enjoyed watching cartoons while having breakfast together. After breakfast, we checked out and headed over to West Baden which is just 5 minutes away. We opted to drive but there is a trolley that runs between the two throughout the day.

Room-service Breakfast at French Lick Springs Hotel
West Baden Atrium
West Baden Gingerbread House
West Baden at Christmas

West Baden

West Baden, first built in 1855 as the Mile Lick Inn, has gone through many ups and downs. At one point it was sold for only $1 during the depression. Through many different hands, it was finally revitalized in 2007 and restored to the magnificent resort it is today. Our favorite part of the hotel was the 200 ft. diameter atrium. When we went there was a massive Christmas tree in the middle and each balcony had a giant ornament hanging from it. I’m excited to check out the grounds when the weather is warmer but the holiday decorations are a must-see. Both West Baden and French Lick had stunning dioramas all throughout their properties. French Lick even had an 8 ft tall gingerbread house that they make on sight. The resort also offers a nighttime horse-drawn sleigh ride through the lights that decorate the grounds.

Bread Appetizer at Vintage Cafe
Drinks from French Lick Winery
Best Pizza Ever from Vintage Cafe
Delicious Rum Cake from Vintage Cafe
Great Christmas Gifts from French Lick Winery

French Lick Winery- Vintage Cafe

We were hesitant to visit French Lick Winery because neither Jeffrey nor I like wine and we were with the girls. I’m SO glad we did though because it was our favorite meal of the trip! We started off with Pan Bigio and herb oil to dip it in. I could have just had an entire meal of that, it was so amazing! We’d heard how amazing the pizza was so we gave it a try. It was the best pizza I’ve ever had. The crust was made with a sourdough starter from Naples and I’ve never tasted better pizza crust. After lunch, we split a few desserts, including the chocolate lava cake and the rum cake. All I can say is that I wish they were bigger because they were so good!

If you’re not a wine drinker, they have lots of spirits that were made in house as well. I loved the Fizzy Pineapple vodka-based cocktail I had and Jeffrey loved his Pecan Bourbon cocktail. We didn’t do any tastings or tours but those are available. They also have a shop where you can buy their bottles of wine and champagne as well as other gifts.

French Lick West Baden Museum
French Lick West Baden Museum

French Lick West Baden Museum

Our next stop was the French Lick West Baden Museum where we learned more about the mineral water from the springs, the Monon Railroad (which is now a trail that runs through our town), basketball legend Larry Bird, and the French Lick and West Baden hotels. We also marveled at the world’s largest circus diorama. When we got there, the owner challenged Sophia to count every elephant in the diorama. She got the exact right number and was given a gift for her counting skills (and confidence in knowing she was right!) The owner said many adults waiver on the number so she was proud Sophia knew exactly how many elephants there were.

Feeding Lemurs at Wilstem Ranch
Feeding Giraffes at Wilstem Ranch
Feeding Giraffes at Wilstem Ranch
Rolling hills of French Lick

Wilstem Ranch

Our most exciting activity took place at Wilstem Ranch where we had hands-on experience learning about animals! The ranch has been featured as one of the top 10 best places to interact with large animals by USA Today. I agree!

While the ranch offers many activities, like horseback riding, zipline tours, ATV tours, and lodging, the animals are what we came to see this time. They offer animal encounters with giraffes and lemurs where you’re educated about the animals while you have a chance to feed and pet them. Jeff Watson from Animal Planet has his bears Bob and Screech there as well! During the warmer months, you can see an elephant get bathed and even have the opportunity to feed it breakfast! Be sure to check their website for appointment times.

Along with the big animals, you can get up close to kangaroos, porcupines, various birds, goats, and tortoise. This spring they’ve announced a brand new ride-through safari! We have Wilstem high on our list to visit when it’s warmer and the girls are a little older so we can spend a weekend doing all of their activities indoors and out. Their efforts in helping these animals stay off the extinction list are wonderful. Many of the animals they have are on the endangered species list and have short life spans in their natural habitats.

Brick Street 33
Brick Street 33
French Lick, Indiana

Brick Street 33

Our last stop before heading back home was Brick Street 33 for dinner. Upon entering we were greeted with signed sports memorabilia from many famous Hoosier players. Manning, Luck, Bird, Miller…all the names you’d recognize, and the entire place was full of them! After a long day, we were ready to drive home but the menu had us drooling for some delicious food! I got the fish tacos (slightly spicy), the girls got mac n’ cheese and a burger and Jeffrey got the fish and chips. The fish and chips were our favorites with the fish being lightly battered and fried to perfection! Definitely, a fun place to visit if you’re a sports fan or a family with kids.

Our trip to French Lick was one I’ll remember for a long time. What first started as just a ride on the Polar Express expanded to our first-time family bowling, staying at a magnificent hotel, feeding giraffes and already planning our return trip. We were pleasantly surprised with all that French Lick has to offer and we only saw a portion of the town. I highly recommend visiting this destination for the springs, the history, and the activities.

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Family Fun in French Lick Part 1

The Polar Express in French Lick Indiana

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Family Fun in French Lick Part 1

For Christmas this year I wanted to take my family on a small family trip to somewhere special in Indiana. The Polar Express was high on my list for holiday attractions but I wanted to do it big by staying at a hotel when we went. This past week was that trip and I’m so thankful Visit French Lick West Baden hosted us and made our trip extra special.

I’ll be sharing this series in two posts because our family was able to do so much in two days! I’m excited to go back in the summer months to do ziplining, horseback riding, spelunking and a few other activities we missed this time around.

French Lick Springs Hotel Lobby
French-Lick-Arcade
French Lick Arcade
French-Lick-Plutos-Pizzaria
Pluto’s Pizzaria
Pluto’s Alley

French Lick Day 1

The Room

We’re only 2.5 hours away from French Lick so we were able to have two full days enjoying French Lick and West Baden. We arrived at French Lick Springs Hotel around 11 and were able to check-in early. Obviously, the first order of business was for the girls to jump on the beds in our beautiful room. The hotel was established in 1845 giving the rooms so much charm. I loved the oversized doors in the spacious rooms.

Bowling and Pizza

After exploring our room we headed to the basement for the girl’s first time bowling! Pluto’s Alley is a six-lane bowling alley that is right next to an arcade and Pluto’s Pizzaria. We had lunch while we bowled and I highly recommend getting the breadsticks! They had bumpers and a bowling assist ramp so the girls were able to do it ‘on their own’!

Pool Time
French Lick Springs Hotel Pool

Pool time

We were very impressed with the pool at French Lick Springs Hotel. There is an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and an outdoor hot tub by the gardens. I’ll admit, the outdoor hot tub on a cold winter day, with 80s music playing, and no kids was pretty epic. Of course, playing inside with my family was also super fun. The hotel offers poolside delivery of food and drinks and the floor was heated! I loved picturing that space in its heyday with all of the poolside chairs occupied and people splashing in the pool!

The Hotel

The hotel has amazing detail and I wish I would have had time to take a historical tour of the property. That is at the top of my list the next time we come. As a hospitality major, I love the historical aspect of hotels. There is an abundance of amenities at the hotel including a free trolly around town, so many beautiful holiday decorations (I’ll show more in my Part 2 of this series), KidsFest (where you can drop off your kids for childcare), free valet parking, formal gardens, multiple gift shops, and a playground. Despite there being so many fun attractions around French Lick, we could easily spend an extended weekend enjoying the French Lick Springs Hotel.

French Lick Springs Hotel Trolley
The Polar Express
French-Lick-trolley-at-night
French Lick Resort Trolley

The Polar Express

The Polar Express was our big draw to French Lick but I will say that it is a destination town with so much to do! I share more in my The Polar Express in French Lick Indiana blog post but I wanted to share highlights here as well. Upgrading our tickets on the French Lick Scenic Railway so we could have a full table to ourselves was key. Our train car was heated, had bathrooms and included souvenir mugs.

The experience was more than I had hoped for a truly magical experience. I wasn’t as fond of the activity tent and gift shop but the actual train ride was really fun. I’m happy we waited until our daughter was 6 (although 5 would have been great too) and paired it with a hotel stay. It made the trip so much more meaningful. We’ll definitely do it again when Lilly is 5-6 years old.

I’ve made a short video of our experience on both days but be sure to check out Part 2 of the series to see what we did on the second day!

If you’ve been to French Lick and West Baden, let me know what your favorite things to do and eat were! We’ll be going back when the weather is nice!

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The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

We just got back from a really fun family trip to Southern Indiana. The
Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau (better known as SoIn Tourism) hosted us for a two-day trip to kick off our fall break last week. We did a little play, a little learning and a lot of eating!

The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

The Best Things To Do In Southern Indiana

Down on the line of Indiana and Kentucky, things get a little blurry of what state you’re in. All I know is it’s extremely charming and I am excited to go back to explore more! We went to Louisville a couple years ago and was pleasantly surprised at the number of things to do for families with young kids. The Indiana side is no different!

Hotel Stay at Home2 Suites

We arrived in Clarksville Louisville North Indiana where we checked into Home2 Suites and are now Hilton converts! We loved the space our double queen studio provided for our little family. Not only was there a kitchenette and a large bathroom, but they had a curtain separating the beds and the sitting area. This provided a super fun toy for Lilly to play peek-a-boo and also worked well for us three girls when we were ready for bed but Jeffrey wanted to stay up. I highly recommend staying at Home2 Suites by Hilton the next time you travel. Also, their breakfast buffet is delicious and the staff could not have been sweeter.

Expelling Energy and Refueling

Trampoline parks are our jam. We love checking out all the newest features everyone is adding. Xtremenasium has a great mixture of things for all ages. With VR in their upstairs area and dodgeball, rock climbing, a ninja course and tons of trampoline space to bounce around, they’ve got it all! It was the perfect stop after a day of driving in the car!

After jumping we headed to dinner at Bubba’s 33. Both Jeffrey and I were pleasantly surprised by how great their food is. We have one 15 minutes from our home but had never tried it. My husband commented that we’ll have to go there for our next family dinner night out because the food choices were abundant, it was loud enough for kids to be kids and the price point was great.

Soph’s pizza was excellent, Jeffrey’s burger was amazing and my grilled chicken salad didn’t even need dressing, it was so good. In true Bergman fashion, we packed up half our food so we could split a dessert. The Turtle Mud Pie is an Oreo® cookie pie crust filled with salted caramel, vanilla ice cream and pecans then drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.

Historic (and adorable) Jeffersonville

I just want to preface this by saying how I’m coming back to Jeffersonville for the sheer charm of the town and the people we met. Jeffersonville Main Street, Inc. is the non-profit revitalization organization for Jeffersonville, IN and they’ve done an amazing job keeping the charm while also making it a fun place for community with all the cute activities they have year-round. Jeff Fest sounds especially appealing to me!

Parlour Pizza

Where I live, north of Indianapolis, there seems to be a pizza place on every corner but none of them have excited me like Parlour! The atmosphere blew us away right off the bat being located in a historic home that’s been revitalized to this community meeting space that also happens to serve pizza and pints. Parlour gives so many reasons for me to drive the 3+ hours south to Jeffersonville.

We grabbed a seat on the patio, which is, in my opinion, the best in the area. There’s a great view of the walking bridge and passerby’s biking along the street. They’ve also got, hands down, the best breadsticks I’ve ever encountered. The crust on the pizza and breadsticks are fluffy and have the perfect amount of chew with still having flavor. I’ve now overshared about Parlour and my love for this pizza joint but it was high on my list for our trip!

Schimpff’s Confectionary

The Schimpff family has been making candy in Jeffersonville since 1871. Their history of how they came to America and started their business is fascinating and even more fascinating was how they physically made the candy! We have history of chocolate makers in my ancestry so I was especially interested in this tour.

Jill and Warren Schimpff, current owners of the confectionary, give a candy-making demonstration that is both interesting and hilarious. I had a great time with the candy making demonstration as well as picking out hand made chocolates with my family.

Falls of Ohio

Did you know that the midwest used to be underwater before dinosaurs roamed the Earth? The Falls of the Ohio State Park and its Interpretive Center are the crossroads of ancient lives and future hopes. The park features the largest exposed Devonian fossil bed in the world and is part of a 1,404-acre National Wildlife Conservation Area. We were able to explore the Interpretive Center learning through hands-on methods and videos before heading outside to find fossils embedded in the rocks along the Ohio River.

The Falls of Ohio park also has programs for the public that may be as short as one hour or as long as three days. They include special events, hikes, and educational programs. Free to Falls of the Ohio Foundation members, a variety of programs are offered that explore the park’s themes: geology, history, and wildlife.

Big 4 Station Park

Talk about a cool park! Indiana and Kentucky are joined by a mile-long walking bridge that starts with a beautiful park called Big 4 Station. This park is the perfect spot to ride your bike, roller-blade or take a walk with your family. With tons of amenities like bathrooms, picnic tables, parking, and a playground it makes the perfect spot to check out a local Jeffersonville event.

We also drove over the Ohio River to the Kentucky border to rent a surrey bike from Wheels of Fun (also on the canal downtown Indy) that our whole family fit in. I hadn’t realized we couldn’t ride it on the walking path that connects to Indiana so we headed on their suggested trail to the same playground we visited while watching Thunder Over Kentucky. Sophia said her favorite part of the entire trip was the popsicle she got to eat while riding on the front of the ‘scary bike’. My girl has the biggest sweet tooth and finds great joy in things that make Mommy nervous.

Our deepest gratitude goes out to our friends at SoIn for planning such a fun getaway for our family. We enjoyed Southern Indiana immensely and are excited to return. If you’ve been to ‘Kentuckiana’, what were some of your favorite spots?

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The Best Things to do in Santa Claus Indiana

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The Best Things to Do in Santa Claus Indiana

This past weekend we started our fall break early with a hosted trip to Santa Claus Indiana. YES! There is a town called Santa Claus and I needed to know more!

My six year old daughter shares my obsession for all things Christmas with me. We start Christmas music in July and it’s always ok to light a Christmas candle while cleaning the house. Because of our love for Christmas I had to take my family on a small trip to Santa Claus to get into the holiday spirit.

Check-In to the Hotel

We left early on a Saturday morning and headed south to Santa Claus Indiana. We quickly checked into the Comfort Inn & Suites in Rockport IN (20 minute drive from Holiday World). Let’s just say that we don’t stay anywhere that doesn’t have super bouncy beds, a pool and a delicious continental breakfast. Those free breakfasts are the highlight of our stay and the Comfort Inn & Suites breakfast did not disappoint. I’m pretty sure between the 4 of us we tried every single item on the buffet and it was all delicious.

Holiday World Splash & Safari

We’d been to Holiday World 3 years ago with my sister’s family when Sophia was just 3 and it was a BLAST. I couldn’t wait until she was older and brave enough to ride more rides. Happy Halloween Weekends are going on right now and it’s now my favorite time to visit Holiday World.

You’ve heard the commercials where they boast about having free soda, free sunscreen and free parking. All of these are AWESOME but the extra shows and attractions during Happy Halloween Weekends were what made our trip so special. Some of the added attractions include: a 12 acre corn maze, LOL Halloween Magic Show, Monster Mash show and the Scare BnB.

Our Favorites at Holiday World

Our two favorite Halloween additions were the Holidog’s 3D Halloween Adventure and The Wacky Workshop of Wonders. It’s perfect to head to the Ice Cream Shop right next to The Wacky Workshop of Wonders 30 minutes before showtime to get an ice cream to enjoy while you watch. Also, if the line is short for the Pumpkin Funnel Cake please get one for me and let me know how it is! Every time we went to check it out the line was 50+ people long. Also, our favorite ride in the park was the Turkey Twirl!

TIP: If you’re planning a trip to Holiday World, get excited by listening to their podcast with your family. They’ve got some great info and tips there. Also, if you’re going in October, be sure to bring lots of warm gear because it could get cold at night. Next time, I want to stay in the Lake Rudolf Campground and RV Resort because they do lots of fun Halloween activities for families and everyone decorates their camp sites!

Things to do in Santa Claus

There is so much to do as a family in Santa Claus Indiana. History of the Town of Santa Claus and Lincoln’s boyhood home draw in a huge crowd. If you want a truly magical Holiday, spend it in Santa Claus doing all the classics!

Santa’s Candy Castle

I am smitten with Santa’s Candy Castle and the history behind the first themed attraction in the US.

The first building in Santa Claus Town was Santa’s Candy Castle, a red brick building with all the elements of a real castle that looked as though it was lifted from the pages of a fairytale.  It was sponsored by The Curtiss Candy Company, the creators of the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars, who were famous for their larger-than-life advertising campaigns.  Santa’s Candy Castle was dedicated amidst tremendous fanfare on the cold, snowy day of December 22, 1935.

-Santa’s Candy Castle Website santascandycastle.com

We spent over an hour just looking through every type of candy, rembering having them as kids or even having our parents sharing them as candy they had as kids. By far my two favorite things in the shop were the Goo Goo Cluster and the Frozen Hot Chocolate. TIP: Do not skip the Frozen Hot Chocolate! Ask for Kevin, the owner, to get an idea of what the perfect candy is for you and hear more about the 2006 restoration of this historical landmark.

Santa’s Museum and Village

Santa’s Museum and Villiage is home of Santa Claus’s original post office, a 22 ft statue of Santa, a Museum on the history of Santa Claus and a church built in 1880. Within Santa’s Post Office you can write a letter to Santa and have him reply before Christmas. Santa’s Museum is a wonderful testimate to this special town and the magic it holds. The staff working there has great knowledge on what to do in Santa Claus and they have brochures to help you decide what to do next.

The Original Santa Claus Post Office
An awesome history of Santa Claus including letters to Santa dating back to the 70s.

Santa Claus Christmas Store

We easily spent an hour in this ‘all things Christmas’ store. It would have been much longer had we had more time to visit. There’s an entire room of Christmas villiages for every theme! There is a bakery with cookies the size of your head. There are more ornaments than you’ve ever seen in one location! Also, the big guy himself is there to have a meet and greet with! If you have that certain person in your family that is hard to buy for, you’ll definitely find something for them here!

There were so many beautiful Gingerbread Houses. I wanted them all!
Don’t mind my barefoot baby tasting the tree.
Sophia’s on the nice list this year!

We had such a magical time in Santa Claus, Indiana. Thank you to the Spencer County Visitor’s Bureau for hosting our family on this fun trip. I would love to know where you like to eat and play in Santa Claus!

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Family Fun in Hendricks County

Hendricks County is just 10 minutes west of Indianapolis and home to lots of family fun. This past weekend we were hosted by Visit Hendricks County to explore Avon, Plainfield and Danville. Our two days were jam packed with fun and there are definitely some places we’re coming back for. Best part yet, it’s all very affordable for our family! Let me take you through our weekend and all the fun we had:

Saturday

Tie Dye Lab

We started the day by getting creative at the Tie Dye Lab in Avon. As soon as we walked in I knew it was going to be a fun time. With colorful shirts arranged on the walls in rainbows and large tables for creating, the Tie Dye Lab is perfect for creating some awesome clothes without getting messy! You can stop in or make a reservation. Once you sign in you’ll fill out a sheet of paper with what sizes and articles you’ll be dying. TIP: There is a section where you can try on the clothes to see what size fits and how they will shrink with washing.

They also have all of the colors on swatches so you can mix and match to see what colors look best together. I’m ok with getting messy but my husband and daughter aren’t fans which is what makes them hesitant to tie dye. They were both very happy with the smocks and gloves for protection and I was happy without having dye in my house! We’re adding this to our summer bucket list for each summer and keeping it in mind for team building activities for the future with girl scouts and sports! Be sure to check out their events calendar and their specials before planning your trip!

Embassy Suites

Being from the hospitality industry I’m always watching for new hotels being built in the greater Indy area. When I saw Plainfield was getting a full service Embassy Suites near the airport I was really excited. They’ve got free cook-to-order breakfast and two-hour evening reception plus a modern vibe that is sure to make travelers and family’s pleased. We were very appreciative of the double queen suite. It allowed us to have a separate room for naps during the day but at night there was plenty of room for all of us in one space.

Family Fun in Hendricks County
Family Fun in Hendricks County

Oasis Diner

I have always wanted to go to a diner because of Luke’s Diner in Gilmore Girls. I think the friendly atmosphere of the small community is priceless. We had multiple families talk to us while at the diner so my dreams came true. Before heading to the water park we stopped by Oasis Diner in Plainfield for lunch. We stayed longer than expected because of the rich history and delicious food.

The Oasis Diner, manufactured by Mountain View Diners in Signac, NJ, was shipped via railroad to the east side of Plainfield, Indiana in 1954. I loved picturing how people would have dressed and the cars they would have driven during those times. With a full renovation in 2014 this diner is now is only 1 of less than 5 historical diners to remain on US 40 from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois. Don’t forget to get a dessert while you’re there. From ginormous cinnamon rolls to strawberry rhubarb pies, everything is like grandma’s cooking.

Family Fun in Hendricks County
Family Fun in Hendricks County
Did you recognize my shirt from Macaron Bar?

Splash Island Water Park

Just a couple minutes down the road from Oasis Diner you’ll find another oasis from the heat. Located on 4.3 acres, the tropical-themed Splash Island includes three waterslides, an interactive play area for all ages including kiddie slides, water jets, ropes and guns, a gentle winding river, lily pad crossing, two pulsating vortexes, and plenty of deck space and grassy areas for sun bathing and family fun. The park also includes a six lane competition pool with an attached diving well featuring two 1-meter springboards and a water basketball court within the 900 ft lazy river. We were really impressed with the amount of things to keep little ones busy. Sophia was too short for the big slides but had a ball in the kiddie area and lazy river.

Sunday

Mayberry Cafe

The next morning, after a very restful sleep, we headed to the town of Danville for a trip back in time to the Mayberry Cafe in The Andy Griffith Show. Again, the charm of a small town was comforting and a fun thing for my very outspoken daughter to experience. With a full all you can eat buffet, it was really hard to choose off the menu but we wanted to try some of their signature meals. Potatoes, eggs, ham, biscuits and gravy and pancakes were the perfect fuel for our family before heading to our next destination. The Mayberry Café seats up to 150 guests on two floors. An elevator makes the second floor completely accessible. TIP: If kids eat their full meal they get a token that lets them pick out a toy.

Family Fun in Hendricks County
Family Fun in Hendricks County

Fairy Trail

The Centrail Indiana Enchated Fairy Trail was Sophia’s favorite part of the trip. We were shocked to see the Queen of the Fairies Queen Odonata waiting for us at our first park! She helped us find our first fairy home at Pecar Park in Avon. At the fairy’s (Puck) home there is a QR code you can click to watch a video about that fairy! Sophia was so excited to go on our hunt for the other fairy homes. Before we left, Queen Odonata blessed Sophia with fairy dust that she may have a magical day. It was the sweetest display of magic and wonder of a little kid.

There is a Fairy Festival in May including live unicorns, dress up, crafts and lots more! Check their Facebook Page to follow along with events! If you have little fairy believers you would love my friend Abby’s Adopt a Fairy program! Also, if you’re looking to make your own fairy garden, we LOVED Avon Gardens.

After posting on social media (there is a Hendricks Co highlight in my stories) I got so many more suggestions of fun places to visit around Hendricks County so we’ll definitely be making another trip to experience it all! Thank you so much to Visit Hendricks County and everyone mentioned above for hosting us and showing us such wonderful hospitality. Indiana is the cross roads of America and Hoosier Hospitality is very strong in this part of Indiana!

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