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Southern Indiana offers romantic getaways
FRENCH LICK — This is a love story. It’s about a couple who fell in love with native Southern Indiana woodlands and some long-forgotten log cabins. And it’s about the romantic haven they created in those woodlands and cabins — a place where cozy spaces and natural places offer the perfect setting for more love stories.
Carl and Tess Pryor have spent a decade developing their nature sanctuary just 10 miles down a country road from the new French Lick Springs Resort Casino. They live there in the home they built and use as a bed and breakfast.
Nearby sits a small cabin for guests seeking a more private retreat.
About a mile down the road is the 40-acre tree farm where the Pryors recently reassembled a second and larger log cabin for guests seeking an even more secluded hideaway.
Carl took apart the old cabin log-by-log, and put it back together much in the same way it was built more than a century ago, when it was located not far from Abe Lincoln’s boyhood home. The two-bedroom cabin, with a wood-burning fireplace and authentic knotty pine floors, beckons couples looking for complete quiet — except maybe for the chirping birds.
To build this dream in the southern Indiana woods, the Pryors left executive careers and gave up a large house in suburban Indianapolis. Now they’re at home in Orange County, on 120 acres of woodlands and native prairie.
The retreat they created in this slice of heaven — Blue Prairie Bed and Breakfast, Little Log Cabin in the Woods and Big Log Cabin in the Clouds — is a labor of love. Their endeavor was aided by Carl’s background: A former executive at Dow AgroSciences, he has a Purdue degree in forestry and natural resources management. Add that to his lifelong love of trees, and it makes sense that he would spend 10 years developing this land as a wildlife habitat, establishing a tall-grass prairie and wooded paradise that’s a mecca for birdwatchers.
The Pryors’ tucked-in-the-woods resort is a perfect setting for a secluded Valentine getaway. And it’s only one of a number of winter hideaways dotting the rolling hills and natural scenic beauty of southern Indiana’s Lincoln Hills-Patoka Lake Recreation Region. For more information call (812) 936-3000 or go to www.blueprairiebedandbreakfast.com, www.alittlelogcabin.com or www.abiglogcabinintheclouds.com.
Check out these other close-to-home Indiana getaways:
Rendezvous at French Lick Springs Resort
French Lick Springs Resort reopened in 2007 with a fanfare of events and activities. Of course, the casino lures visitors, but the resort itself offers special romantic getaway packages, perfect for a wintry weekend escape. The French Lick Spa package includes an overnight stay, a 50-minute Swedish massage with aromatherapy, a spa manicure, facial and breakfast … all for two. The Romantic Rendezvous Package includes an overnight stay, dinner at 1875: The Steakhouse, champagne, a rose and breakfast at the Grand Colonnade Buffet. The Hideaway package includes an overnight stay for two, dinner and breakfast. Call (812) 936-9300 for more information. Or log on to www.frenchlick.com.
The architecture and ambiance is worth a stop whether you’re staying at the historic hotel or not. But with 246 luxury guest rooms and suites, the completely refurbished hotel will be tough to leave. Have dinner at Sinclair’s, located in the original dining room, sip cocktails at Ballard’s Lounge or pamper yourself and your loved one with a massage at the Spa at West Baden. The resort offers a special spa package that includes overnight stay for two, an hour-long spa treatment and gift basket. Call (812) 936-9300 or go online to www.preferredhotels.com.
Couples can relax and rejuvenate at Patoka 4 Seasons Resort as they cozy up to the fireplace and sip hot chocolate after a hike through the woods. Paths near the cabins lead right to Patoka Lake. Patoka 4 Seasons offers a variety of cabins in the woods, and many have outdoor hot tubs where you can soak under the stars while watching the birds and deer. Just be sure to take provisions for dinner, or plan to drive into French Lick or Jasper for a good restaurant. Call (812) 685-2488 or log on to www.patokalake.com.
Built of hand-quarried Indiana limestone, the four-story Spring Mill State Park Inn is a cozy lodge tucked away in one of Indiana’s most treasured state parks. Handmade Indiana Amish rocking chairs next to fireplaces are the perfect place to relax after a winter romp through the woods. Snuggled into a backdrop of stately oaks and scenic hills in Southern Indiana, Spring Mill offers a Romance Getaway that includes a one-night stay, breakfast for two and a gift basket. Call (812) 849-4081 or go to www.in.gov./dnr/parklake.
Travel the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail during the Chocolate Lover’s Getaway event, Saturday and Feb. 10 and Feb. 16 and 17. From 10 a.m. to 10 a.m. each weekend, each of the eight wineries offers chocolates carefully paired with a selection of wines. Tickets aren’t necessary — just mention that you’re traveling the Uplands Wine Trail. Wineries include: Brown County Winery, Butler Winery, Carousel Winery, French Lick Winery, Huber Winery, Oliver Winery, Turtle Run Winery and Winzerwald Winery. Call 1-866-6WINZER or go online to www.indianauplands.com.
Adventure seekers can ski, snowboard or slide down a hill on a tube at nearby Paoli Peaks. The slopes offer 17 trails, three terrain parks and for those who just want to watch, a ski lodge with a cozy fireplace and great views is available. One-day ski passes are $40 for adults, and rental skis, poles boots and snowboards are available at various prices, as are ski lessons. A new snow tubing park offers a great alternative to trying to stay upright on skis. You and yours can slide down a 700-foot-long snow-covered hill on specially made inner tubes and ride back up on a “Wonder Carpet.” Tubing is $20 for a two-hour session. Check the Web site for the most up-to-date snow reports. Call (812) 723-4696 or go to www.paolipeaks.com.
This restored 1915 mansion in French Lick, once the home of Charles Ed Ballard (a former owner of West Baden Springs), has been converted to a bed and breakfast featuring many of the early furnishings of the mansion. Rooms are $129 to $229 per night. Call (812) 936-9012 or go to www.beechwoodinn.com.
Getting there
• Most of the destinations are easily accessible from I-64, which runs east and west through the region. Indiana 37 runs north and south through most of the region. Another major thoroughfare is U.S. 231.
• For more information, maps and driving directions, check out www.exploresouthernindiana.com.
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