Imagine an airline ticket that would allow you as many stops as you like, enabling you to visit America’s most fascinating historic resorts and landmarks.
Part of that journey took me to Louisville, Ky., where the 684-room French Lick Springs Hotel is located. Rooted in health spa lore, it opened in 1848 and was made famous by its Pluto water, which was historically marketed as a natural tonic and “nature’s most powerful laxative.”
Today, thanks to a multimillion dollar renovation, crowds flock here for the new 84,000 square foot casino and a few hours of sheer relaxation in the hotel’s stunning 24,000 square foot spa, complete with a couple’s suite and space-age spa equipment, such as a capsule where the water changes color and temperature at the touch of a computerized program.
The hotel’s stunning lobby is gilded in gold and the hospitality is gold plated, too, with a smart concierge, Pamela Clark, who stands ready to point out local sites, such as the French Lick Winery, where off-beat wines (such as cherry) provide even more surprises.
History buffs can look forward to the reopening of the West Baden Springs Hotel, an eccentric National Historic Landmark. Once the world’s largest freestanding dome, it was dubbed by one journalist in the 1920s as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Renovated, thanks to a $382 million investment, it will no doubt attract spa goers and the casino crowd the moment its grand double-doors open. During the hotel’s heyday, guests, famous and infamous, flocked here. Legend has it that Al Capone once found the spa waters here to his liking.
Another step back into America’s history took me to Jamestown, Va. for a close-up view of the site of the first permanent English colony in America.
Celebrating its 400th anniversary, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center bring history to life, thanks to replicas of three colonial ships on the James River and the Powhatan Indian Village (based on archeological findings at a site once inhabited by Paspahegh Indians). The new 30,000 square foot museum traces the founding of the colony through a docudrama film, “1607: A Nation Takes Root,” and more than 500 artifacts from 17th century Europe and Africa, including ceremonial and decorative objects, tools, weapons, portraits and documents.
America’s Anniversary Weekend, a three-day celebration, is scheduled for May 11-13 this year and Queen Elizabeth II, along with other members of the royal family, are being invited to attend.
The capital of Virginia was moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg in 1699, and another chapter opened.
Turning the pages of history to those years between 1699 and 1780, Williamsburg laid the foundation for what tourists see here today. Today, this historic area covers 301 protected acres. Located 150 miles south of Washington, D.C. and protected by a 2,800-acre greenbelt, living history thrives. Protected from the influences of the 21st century, tourists stroll through history, thanks to a prepaid pass enabling them to visit a blacksmith’s shop, the Governor’s House and other structures, where guides dressed in period costume discuss daily life and answer questions from furniture making to how ladies staffed their handsome colonial homes.
Hotels abound, ranging from simple to simply elegant. The best known is the legendary 62-room Williamsburg Inn, decorated in three period styles: 19th-century Regency decor, the 20th-century heritage of the original building and 21st-century amenities. The inn, opened in April 1937, was conceived and built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and renovated in 2001. The guest list is a who’s who, from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Tom Selleck.
The royalty and rich and famous may have favored the inn, but that didn’t deter me from staying in an authentic colonial house; there are a variety of 26, with one to 16 rooms. Collectively, they are a member of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Our “house,” called the Quarter, was built in the 19th century and restored in 1929 and originally used to house indentured servants or slaves. Cary Grant stayed here during the filming of “The Howards of Virginia” in 1942.
Adding to the luxurious amenities of this remarkable tribute to historical preservation is the opening of the 20,000 square foot spa of Colonial Williamsburg, scheduled for this summer. Treatments reflect another era in remedies, such as an orange body scrub inspired by 18th-century apothecary practices. Up to date, however, are several restaurants such as The Trellis on the Duke of Gloucester Street, celebrating 25 years and home of New Southern Cuisine. Another claim to fame is the award-winning cookbook, “Death by Chocolate,” by the restaurant’s co-owner, Marcel Desaulniers. This remarkable chef put Williamsburg on the dining map; just try one of the chocolate desserts on the menu such as Chocolate Phantasmagoria or Chocolate Devastation to see why.
Thanks to the devotion of those preserving America’s past at hotels scattered throughout the country, it is possible to bypass cookie cutter hospitality and experience an era that may one day be “gone with the wind” without our support.
Information:
_ French Lick Resort Casino: www.frenchlick.com
__Jamestown-York Town Foundation: www.historyisfun.com
__Colonial Williamsburg: www.ColonialWilliamsburg.com; 800.HISTORY
__Historic Hotels of America: www.historichotels.org; 800.678.8946
The Trellis: www.thetrellis.com; 757.229.8610
Pamela Price is the co-author of the 6th edition of “Fun With the Family in Southern CA.” (www.globepequot.com)