French Lick Resort in the southern Indiana town of French Lick was a grand place with gilded ceilings and a broad front porch that overlooked the emerald expanse of lawn.

At one time 14 trains a day serviced the two resorts, bringing in both celebrities and everyday people. Al Capone, John Dillinger, the Marx Brothers, Lana Turner, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope all visited. In 1931, the Democratic Governor’s Conference was held here and Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, who was attending, won the party’s nomination for president.

Dining options abound. There's the elegant 1875 The Steakhouse with a not to be missed lobster macaroni dish for dinner, a lavish spread at the Grand Colonnade Buffet and the 24 hour a day Diamond Jim’s Trattoria. And don't miss drinks and/or a burger at the Power Plant Bar whose walls still contain the switches which ran the power in the hotel's early years.