West Baden Springs Hotel.....the grounds

The West Baden Springs Hotel was build in 1902 and has a 6-story domed atrium. It was once known as the "8th wonder of the world" during it's hey-day of popularity. It ceased to offer accomodation in 1932. It fell into ruin and was in really bad shape when a group led by Bill and Gayle Cook desided to rescue it. I actually visited it once in 1967 with college friends and remember being awed by the dome, but there was little else to see at that time. It has just been reopened as a hotel in 2007, completely restored. Heading up the drive is a delightful beginning.

Mike dropped me at one end of the grounds to roam the flower gardens and drove to the other end to wait for me. I saw this birdhouse right off and thought it was very clever :-) Didn't see any residents.

As you walk past the bathhouse where the mineral springs are located, you immediately are struck by the beauty of the place......even in a light drizzle of rain.

Gorgeous beds of red flowers!

Down the steps past more formal gardens

Still a lot of color for late in the summer. There were also large beds that had been full of Black-eyed Susans or something similar, because I saw a flock of Goldfinches take off from them. Those beds weren't very attractive at the moment, but the birds loved them.

I was suprised to see that the purple flowers along the walk I was admiring were the same Obedience Plants that I have at home by the garage! How come mine don't look that good???? I bet they have a master gardener caring for theirs.

Beds of grasses addng a nice yellowish touch.

A large fountain near the end. That is Mike in the silver car waiting patiently :-)

I loved this fountain with the frogs and turtles squirting water at each other!

I took one last photo from this end and then looked at the car where Mike was frantically pointing to the area just the other side of the hedge on the right of this photo.......

.....there was another visitor coming to enjoy the gardens or perhaps to drink from the fountain!

No one else was around and she didn't seem to see me, so I got a lot of good shots of her!

I didn't realize that even deer like to make funny faces :-)

She was greatly enjoying the grass.

She was headed closer to the fountain area when she finally noticed me.....

.....ooops! Time to turn and take off back to the nearby woods!

To be continued!

We parked the car and walked into the lobby trying to look like we belonged there and I will show pictures of the lobby tomorrow.