Great escapes: for executive retreats around the state.

• Author: Kapp, Jennifer
• Position: Meetings & Conventions

INDIANA OFFERS MANY getaway choices for working groups to change the venue, change the pace, get focused and have some fun. Following is a sampling of out-of-the-way meeting places.

Bauer Haus, Evansville. After 125 years in the same family, the Bauer Haus, surrounded by a 30-acre, tree-shaded park, still lures groups of up to 600 to its indoor facilities and 3,500 for outdoor events. The site has a rich tradition of hosting company picnics since the 1920s and '30s. Unions had used the dancing hall, which now forms part of the Bauer Haus main building--a multi-level German Bavarian-style structure. It was constructed by fourth-generation owners Jim and Peggy Bauer after a trip to Germany in the 1980s

"The Bauer Hans offers full-service dining for a first-class event and lots of outdoor space for team building activities and playing volleyball and horseshoes," says Chris Neikirk, director of marketing and special events. All parking at the site is private parking, and groups can use tire entire facility exclusively all day long.

The site is located out of the way but near important transportation routes--a little over a mile off U.S. 41, three miles from the Evansville Regional Airport and near Interstate 64. Because the Bauer Haus does not offer overnight accommodations, these connections are key. "Our guests can still get on the road by 6 p.m.," Neikirk says. "And we're located 10 to 15 minutes from 1,200 hotel rooms."

The Inn at Aberdeen Bed & Breakfast, Valparaiso. Golf outings and chefs trained at culinary schools in Chicago entice executives of all tastes to stay at the Inn at Aberdeen. The cornerstone of the inn is a restored and expanded 1856 historic farmhouse on property that formerly served as a dairy fatal, home to thoroughbred horses and, later, a hunting lodge in the rolling hills of Porter County. The inn's conference room features dark wood paneling and a built-in service area at one end so that food can be provided to guests without disrupting a meeting. "It has the look of a board of directors' room for a more formal meeting or presentation," says proprietor John Johnson.

The conference center seats 64 for dinner, but smaller groups like the room for private meetings and use the audio-visual equipment throughout the day at no additional fee. The traditional Queen Ann-style inn includes a solarium, gazebo, gardens and 11 guest suites. An 18-hole, 7,000-yard championship golf course winds around the inn and village of Aberdeen.

As an emergency-room physician, Johnson understands the importance of service and meeting...