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Top to Bottom Beauty in Indiana

Southern Indiana

Just across the Ohio River from Louisville, the southern Indiana towns of Clarksville and Jeffersonville offer group lodging as well as some distinctive attractions of their own. Recently, the staff at the Clark-Floyd Counties Convention Tourism Bureau has worked to develop new experiential itineraries for groups.

“The first one is called Learn to Play the Ukulele,” said Kate Bewley, the bureau’s director of sales. “We partnered with a local music store that was already doing group ukulele classes. So you come in, get a ukulele, get a couple of songs with instructions on how to play them. Then you walk out with your ukulele — it’s yours to keep.”

Groups can also have hands-on arts workshops at Maker 13 in Jeffersonville, a studio where instructors teach various techniques using wood and metal tools, sewing machines and other specialized equipment.

Maker 13 serves as an anchor for the city’s new arts and culture district, which also includes its Vintage Fire Museum.

“It’s a really beautiful setting that will promote our arts and culture,” Bewley said. “It will be a fun, whimsical area with seating, shade and green space. We will have artists in residence, and groups will be able to come over and work on public art pieces that will stay in our community.”

Dearborn County

To the east of Jeffersonville, near southeast Indiana’s shared border with Ohio and Kentucky, Dearborn is a popular stopover point for groups traveling in the region. The Dearborn County Visitors and Tourism Bureau has a knack for developing inventive group experiences with local businesses and has added a number of new offerings to its menu.

“One of our new partners is Casey’s Outdoor Solutions,” said Sally McWilliams, the bureau’s group sales manager. The owner has an 1800s log home, and because he’s into landscaping, there is every kind of stone and rock. Men love seeing all the stones, and women love looking at the plants. We can use the site for activities, like a beekeeping presentation. They might get a small plant in addition to the demonstration and honey tasting.”

Another option is the Southeast Indiana Art Guild in Aurora, where instructors can lead groups through activities such as painting silk or creating gourd birdhouses. Food can be catered in, and the art guild sits across the street from the Great Crescent Brewery, which may be more attractive to some members of the group.

This year marks a milestone in Dearborn County, as the VTB celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Tour for the Cure. Under this program, local restaurants, hotels and attractions donate money to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer for every traveler who visits the area on a group tour. In 10 years, it has raised more than $80,000.

Brian Jewell

Brian Jewell is the executive editor of The Group Travel Leader. In more than a decade of travel journalism he has visited 48 states and 25 foreign countries.