Mountains 2024
Pack comfy clothes and sturdy shoes for a trip to the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. We will go to Holden Village, a retreat center built at an old mining camp. Completely off the grid! No cell phone towers or Wi-Fi - this is time to unwind and connect with God and nature and friends, old and new.
Something for everyone!
Try some epic hikes through mountains and forests.
Give a potter's wheel a whirl or explore other art with artists-in-residence.
Join a class or seminar to learn more about God and living in community.
Relax and nap and enjoy the quiet sunshine and gentle breeze.
Activities for all ages from kids to seniors
Time at Holden: Sunday July 14 - Friday July 19
Transport Time: Amtrak Thursday July 11-13, Amtrak Friday July 19-21
Cost: $1200 Double Occupancy, $1400 Single Occupancy (Wenatchee Hotel)
Transportation Extra
Accessibility:
Holden is pretty accessible, but it is an old mining village, so some stairs and uneven ground are common. Each participant can choose the amount of walking and hiking they enjoy. The Village is pretty compact, so there isn't much walking between the buildings.
There will be walking between the train stop and the hotel (6 blocks) when we get off the train early Saturday morning, so chose luggage that is easy to walk with.
Deposit of $250 Due at sign-up to make reservations, rest due March 30, 2024.
Make Payments to Suamico United Methodist by check or PayPal through our website.
Pastor Anna-Lisa at Holden Village, January 2017, with campus ministry group.
Holden Trip Details
What is Holden Village?
Holden Village is a retreat center that started in a closed mining camp. You will stay in old mining worker lodges deep in a national forest, surrounded by wilderness. Every summer, Holden invites a variety of artists and spiritual leaders to share their wisdom and experience as people of all ages gather to experience God deep in God's creation.
Click here for the Holden Village website for complete information.
How do we get there?
You've got options! Pastor Anna-Lisa & Park will be going out on Amtrak's Empire Builder train, which takes 36 hours to travel each way. You can choose to join them on the train, or take an epic road trip, or fly. Do what works best for you.
Once we get to Washington State, we will gather in Chelan, WA to take a boat ride up Lake Chelan to get to a bus to carry us up the mountain. There are no roads to Holden Village - the boat and bus are the only way to get there.
Trip Details
Reservations for Summer 2024 at Holden Village open on January 2, 2024. Please contact Pastor Anna-Lisa at pastor@suamicoumc.org if you are interested in going. We will be collecting deposits so we can start making reservations as soon as reservations open, since rooms fill up quickly. We will make your reservation as soon as we have your deposit. If you decide to travel with pastor, there will be logistics for staying in a hotel the night before getting on the boat, and transportation from the train to the boat. The final fee for the trip will include these costs in addition to the Village fees.
You can choose to register directly with Holden, and make all your own travel plans to join us for the week. Let Pastor know you are going independently so we know to look for you once we get to Holden.
Cost
Cost is $1400 per person single occupancy and $1200 double occupancy, and includes 5 nights at Holden, two nights at hotel in Wenatchee when we get off the train, transportation to Lake Chelan, boat to Holden. Please make your own reservations with Amtrak or airlines.
Note: Pastor Park will be flying out and taking train back. If you want to fly, you can meet Park at Sea-Tac airport to get to Chelan.
Details
July 11 - Thursday • Drive to Portage WI and board Empire State Builder Amtrak train. Leaves at 6:24pm.
July 13 - Saturday • Arrive Wenatchee WA on Amtrak at 6:35am. Walk 6 blocks to hotel from train station to shower and rest and explore Wenatchee for the day.
July 14 - Sunday • Board LINK Transit bus at 6:30am at train station for ride to boat launch in Chelan, WA. Board Lady of the Lake and depart at 8:30am for 2 hour ride up Lake Chelan. At Lucerne dock, transfer from boat to bus for 45 minute ride up mountain to Holden Village. Snack bar available on boat. Food available at Holden upon arrival.
July 19 - Friday • Leave Holden on bus down mountain to board boat to leave at 12:50pm. Arrive at dock in Chelan at 3:00pm. Take LINK bus to Wenatchee Station to board train at 8:57pm. There is an indoor station in Wenatchee for waiting between LINK shuttle and train. Restaurants are in area for dinner.
July 21 - Sunday • Arrive Portage 1:17pm and drive back to Green Bay.
Transportation
Amtrak Empire Builder 7 Leaving POG (Portage WI) Arriving WEN (Wenatchee WA) July 11 departure; Empire Builder 8 for July 19 return. $168 each way with refundable ticket for coach. Options for sleeper rooms with meals start at $1515. You may bring food to eat on train or use snack bar. Snack bar can be quite busy.
You can drive directly to Chelan WA and meet us at the boat dock or you can fly and take a shuttle from airport to Wenatchee/Chelan. Contact Pastor for more details on alternate transportation options.