A popular trend that has developed rapidly within the last decade is a concept known as corporate retreats which allow employees to get away from the office for team building, strategy and reviewing goals. Where VPs and CEOs once dominated these company funded events, businesses now understand and reap the benefits of including whole teams in this activity to come together, discovering how to work better with one another to achieve corporate goals.

To find out what makes a great retreat, Sensible Life Magazine offers readers an exclusive interview with Vince Garmon, Director of Marketing for Wooded Glen Retreat and Conference Center, the only executive conference center of its kind in the Southern Indiana area. About 45 minutes from the Louisville International Airport in Kentucky, this facility is pampering at its best, from homemade cookies and buckeye candies to home-style dinners and guest rooms with all the modern conveniences.

The owners, Don and Phyllis Garmon, know firsthand what it takes to bring managers and their teams together for business retreats. It all started with an experience back in the early 1980s. The Garmons had started the New Albany, Indiana company of Key Communications in 1976. The company was dedicated to data communications, and in just a few years became a top 10 distributor of a 3M printer known as the WhisperWriter.  As such, they were invited to a business retreat hosted by 3M at their corporate-owned retreat center.

“The retreat was located in Brainerd, Minnesota and the place is called Wonewok. It was wintertime, and my mom really needed a vacation, so she went up in the to this retreat and she came back from that place just so impressed. She talked about Wonewok not for days, weeks or months, but for years, reminiscing about what a great place is was, and how it was so cozy and they had all the meetings there, as well as their food. Anything you needed or wanted was right there. If you wanted to go ice fishing or snowshoeing, it was right there, and the staff was really friendly and accommodating. They even would fix you up with thermoses of hot chocolate. When mom came back from this, she said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to have a place like that in our area where local businesses could have a retreat, meet and get good information and exchange ideas and also get out and have a good time’.”

“She and dad really believed in getting their managers and team leaders together and just getting that corporate identity and corporate ideals, so after selling the Key Communications business in 1998, mom really didn’t feel she was done yet. She felt like there was something else for her to do and dad felt the same way, but mom was really acting on it. Tragically, my younger brother Glen had lost  his life in 1996, and they just really wanted to do something to honor his memory. He loved fishing and hunting and just being outdoors. Mom just happened to find this piece of ground that same year when she was out riding around one day. She looked at it and felt like this would not only be a place for a retreat center, but something that would also honor Glen’s memory, thus the name Wooded Glen.”

The Garmons bought the property in 1996, started developing it in 2000, then opened the conference center in late 2003. In 2004, they hosted their very first corporate retreat. Since that time, they have had many businesses, churches and organizations from the Louisville and Southern Indiana area, as well as from surrounding states hold retreats at their facility. They’ve had guests from numerous fortune 500 businesses and businesses from as far away as California, and individuals from all over the globe. This is a world class conference and retreat center.

“Guests tell us they feel like they are way out in the country and can completely get away, but in the same respect they are surrounded with all the modern conveniences: high speed internet, comfortable lodge rooms; full service dining center; air conditioning; satellite television. What really sets us apart is that we can work with smaller groups. Some places are not set up to work with those, but we love to cater to the smaller groups. A typical stay is a package deal that includes overnight accommodations, 3 meals, use of a conference room for 24 hours, and continuous refreshments in our break bar, plus hiking trails, games such as horseshoes and cornhole. For a day deal, breakfast and lunch are included and it’s from 8-5. We also have our own outdoor teambuilding course, and offer teambuilding activities to a number of groups who want to learn how to work better with one another.”

“We do marriage retreats, church retreats, and a few family events, such as 50th wedding anniversary parties, but were are more targeted toward business executive meetings, rather than family overnight stays. We also do company Christmas parties and awards dinners and a few smaller parties as well. We really try to emphasize excellence in our facility and in our meals our staff –when we say executive conference center, we really mean we want to attract top executives here from top companies; we try to have a very professional look but at the same time treat people in a very down home type of way. We always ask people how they’re doing and if they enjoyed their meal, and checking to see if they need anything. We are dedicated to impacting the community through the services we offer.”

Wooded Glen most recently added 29 more rooms to their facility, which brings them to a total of 50, allowing them to accommodate larger groups, or multiple smaller groups. If your church or business is interested in booking conference or retreat, visit www.woodedglen.com, or call 812-294-3770 (toll free 1-877-294-3770). The Garmons would love to help you plan your event.

With the gas prices being as they are, and the airlines not only increasing ticket prices, but implementing policies and fees for checked baggage, many annual vacationers have opted for staying home. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways of getting the rest and relaxation you need-it just takes a little creative thinking.

First, ask yourself what destination you would choose, if you could pick anywhere in the world, and why would you select it. Once you’ve decided on a place, think about what your goal would be by traveling to that destination. Is it for relaxation? Is it for the scenery? The activities?

If you’re having trouble organizing your thoughts on this, you may want to try mind mapping. If you’ve never done mind mapping, it is simply tool to use to help you map out your thoughts into logical order. FreeMind is a free, open source mind mapping tool. This page contains valuable information on how to download and install FreeMind. Give it a try and see if it helps you with organizing your travel goals.

Once you have your destination and purpose, decide on a budget. Calculate the maximum amount you are willing to spend on such a trip, including air fare.

Now, are you ready for the creative part of this exercise? Look at what is available in your own state. If you’re near a bordering state, look there, too. Focus on places that would take about two hours, or less in drive time. I heard some of you readers grumbling when I suggested your own state, but I encourage you to keep an open mind. I’m going to give you some examples, so you won’t have to sacrifice that coveted yearly trip away from it all.

To begin, I live in Indiana, and my first thought in researching this article was to find what this state has to offer that is similar to where I’d like to be on vacation. Next, I pulled up a search engine, and typed in the key words “travel Indiana”. That search pulled in websites from touring Indianapolis, to horseback riding and travel packages for The Rawhide Ranch in Nashville Indiana, to cabin rentals and cottages in Perry & Brown Counties, both popular fall foliage destinations. However, one site caught my eye, and that was www.visitindiana.net. I knew this would have all the information I needed to get me started.

From this site, I did searches and clicked through links and found that my home state had just about anything I could possibly want regarding a vacation. Let’s say I want to be on the beach, or out on a boat. I don’t have to go to the ocean to do that. I can drive about an hour from my home and stay at Patoka Lake. Here, you can rent a cabin, or even a boat, for the day, or the weekend, and longer packages are available, too. It looked so appealing, that I had to check it out for myself. Once there, I became so engrossed in the beauty of the area, the fact I was so close to home completely slipped from of my mind.

Another option I noticed wasn’t far from Patoka Lake. French Lick Springs/West Baden Springs Hotel and casino. This one is a must do for Vegas enthusiasts, or even those in the area wanting to take a relaxing spa vacation. Built about a century and a half ago, this resort has seen its share of high profile visitors from Franklin D. Roosevelt, to Elvis and Lana Turner, to Harry Connick, Jr. and Michelle Pfeiffer, to name a few. But, the reality is, for the same price you’d pay for airfare to most destinations, you can purchase an overnight stay for two complete with golfing, Swedish massage, a signature Pluto Bath, and breakfast in the morning. Lower priced packages are available, and can run to the high end, depending on what you’re seeking. Check it out for yourself by going to www.frenchlick.com.

These are only a few of the many places I found nearby. Others include skiing, visiting historical landmarks, museums, zoos, beaches and even some fantasy hotels that offer a themed atmosphere to enhance your travel experience.

Now that I’ve given you some food for thought, what are you waiting for? Start searching today on your home state and see what hidden treasures you can find for a vacation getaway.