West Baden: Indiana's 8th Wonder for the World

I am a self-proclaimed "lobbyist." To me, hotel lobbies are some of the best communicators of history, drama, glamour, fairy tales and alternative lifestyles that a person can discover. As a child I loved having my grandmother read me the latest the tales of Eloise at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Then actually going to the Plaza and seeing her life sized portrait in the lobby caused a little girlish giggle. I was mesmerized by the stories of murder and intrigue at the Del Coronado in San Diego and learning that was the spot where the Wizard of Oz was penned, and where Edward, Prince of Wales first met his future lover Wallace Smith, the women who would cause the abdication of the King of England. I was even barred from entering the Ritz in Paris due to improper attire. It seems my jeans were not appropriate for tea at the Ritz.

But I truly believe the lobby of the West Baden Springs Hotel in southern Indiana is the most spectacular lobby I have ever experienced. It's towering, cylindrical shapeand domed ceiling are a testament to 19th century engineering. Before Houston had its Astrodome, the hotel had the largest dome in the world. As so many of those magnificent resorts of the early 1900s, it fell to ruin and barely survived its multiple reincarnations.

Having reopened as a grand dame hotel last May, West Baden's towering, circular lobby is bathed with natural light and shadows from the sun gleaming in through the glass dome ceiling. The entire property has gone through a total metamorphosis. The gardens are once again filled with flowers. The sounds of water fountains have returned. All is well in French Lick and West Baden, Indiana. But take time to see and discover it for yourself.

The New Kids in School

The news came yesterday. Our company was ready to begin a major expansion which meant that all positions (including mine) not directly related to manufacturing would move from CUI in Spencer, Indiana to our global corporate headquarters in Bloomington. "Park 48" (as it's called) is a beautiful facility with lots of extras including a fitness center and an on-site Weight Watchers meeting. It's also closer to home so gasoline money will be saved.

However, the move to Bloomington is bittersweet--especially for many of my coworkers. We have folks in Spencer who've been here virtually since its beginning 30 years ago. I've heard them compare our move to the home office like going to a new school and being the "new kids in class." Finding the men's room. Learning where to sit at lunch without infringing on some one's regular space. Knowing who has the keys to the supply cabinet. Searching for the assigned mustering point during a fire drill. It's all pretty scary and daunting and certainly takes each of us out of our CUI comfort zone.

After a while, new spaces and places will become familiar. What will be more difficult is the splitting of friends and families. This Spencer facility has a wonderful family-like aura . People think about and care for each other and treat one and other like extended family members--even the newbees. We have raffles and bake sales nearly every week to raise money for a cancer patient, support a little league team, or the Cloth-A-Child christmas drive. People in this workplace, a 400+ person community, truly care about and pay attention to each other. I, for one, have never experienced that type of camaraderie in the work place, but since that's the Cook corporate culture no matter what facility we're in, I'm sure we'll find it again at "the new school."

Pirates of the Monroe

Palm trees just are not indigenous to Indiana. No way. Nooooo. So then why in the world does the Inn of the Four Winds on the banks of the US Corp of Engineers-constructed Lake Monroe want people to imagine they've boated in to a Jimmy Buffet marina somewhere in the Caribbean. It's five O'clock somewhere--but not here. But what's even worse, the land entrance to the hotel has fake palm trees stuck in the ground around their welcoming water feature. Come on. Does anyone really believe those darn things are growing there?

The Margaretaville theme is further carried out in the so-called resort's interior. It's so overdone with cheap decorations and fake island stuff that it makes "Fiji Isle" at the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity House on campus look like a bona fide island paradise. The person who "designed" the Four Winds decor must has been a Tiki-bird pavilion reject at Disneyworld. Those Disney perfectionists wouldn't put up with such ugly, tacky stuff.

Not that it matters, but would the Four Winds please consider scrapping the decor for something a little more subdued and less like a sorority pledge dance or a high school prom run amok. And while you're at, you need to rethink the fish sandwich (or even the entire menu). The poor "san" could use some fish inside the four by six inch glob of deep-fried dough.

Boating season ends October 15. That gives you until April to sink that pirate ship into Davey Jones' Locker.

Truly Scrumptious. Trulli Flatbread

Even Truly Scrumptious, Caractus Potts and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang would love Trulli Flabread, one of the new restaurants in the shadow of the University's Sample Gates. Located directly across from the old Von Lee theatre on Kirkwood, Trulli specializes in locally grown produce, cheeses and meats and formulates them into delectable salads, panninis and the house specialty flatbreads, baked in Trulli's custom designed and constructed brick oven. Managed by the Chef, a graduate of the New England Culinary Insitute and his wife,the couple opened their first flatbread eatery in Mount Pelier, Vermont. It became the fancy of an Indiana University alum during getaway visits from his home in New York. The benefactor encouraged the couple to move to Bloomington and open a mirror image of their Vermont restaurant including an exact replica of the flagships' oven. Trulli Flatbread opened here in late spring/early summer of 2007.

I've eaten there three times now; twice for Saturday lunch and once for dinner and the food was consistently delicious. "Consistent" is the operative word, here. Most Bloomington restaurants are great the first time, just all right the second and by the third visit (or whenever the first flock of wait staff turns over--whichever comes first) both the food and the service usually suck. Trulli Flatbread is the exception.

During all three visits, I had flatbread, of course--each one with different combination of toppings. My favorite was the house special with shrimp, thin strips of jalapeno for heat, sweet red pepper sauce and italian cheese. The crust was wonderful with lots of flavor and crispy on the edges. My partner and I shared an order of the house special mussels which came swimming in a delectable broth, suitable for soaking the olive oiled crustini served along side. I could continue rattling on about all the different selections and the ingredients, but I'll just say try it for yourself.

I do have two minor issues with Trulli Flatbread. The first is it's lack of Sunday hours of operation. I mentioned same to the proprietor and "fingers crossed" Sunday will indeed be added to the hours of operation. ( I think I sparked her interest when she learned there was no Sunday evening food service on or around the campus.) My second point of concern is the noise level. While the restaurant is very simple and chic with loads of gorgeous oak woodwork, there's nothing to absorb the sound so the ambient noise is a bit much--especially for us older diners. The same is true for the upstairs wine bar. A quiet chat over a glass of Taval Rose just isn't possible in the current environment. Both issues are simple fixes and ones that management should "trulli" consider.

One last thing. If you're a lover of Gorgonzola salad dressing, theirs is one of the best. Bon apetite.

Workplace Satisfaction

The front page of the Indianapolis Star today, Labor Day, cites research conducted by Walker Information that reveals only 29% of Hoosier employees are committed to their employers. I'm proud to say, "count me in!" It's taken more than three decades but I finally look forward to getting up and going to work every morning and leaving at a normal time without gilt that I should be putting in at least eight more hours before going home. I can even taken vacation knowing my job will still be there when I return and not be mysteriously deleted from the organization chart.

It's probably shameful to admit that I love my work, my job and my profession--not many people do these days. According to the Star article, Walker found that nearly 40% of employees don't like the companies they work for, "don't plan to stay, and would bolt" if another job came along. That's a terribly sad statistic since most people spend the majority of their lives at work. I can truly attest to how stressful it can be to spend 40+ hours a week in a place where you feel terribly ill at ease and even "shunned." But it's those kind of experiences that make one appreciate the work environment that's welcoming, empowering and gratifying--such as the one I now enjoy.

So today, on this Labor Day as a working person, I'm celebrating my victory of finally doing what I love; with people I respect and admire; and most important, for an employer that strives to improves the quality of life for people around the globe...as well as its employees.