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What is a typical day?
Most days we will get an early start (7am) with Awakening the Senses yoga and Qigong for longevity. In Sonoma there is much for your senses to take in. After morning yoga we enjoy a wonderful breakfast. Then each day will be different. We will E-Bike one day (or road bike), Hike in the Armstrong Redwoods one day, and hike at Bishops Ranch one day. Afternoons are reserved for time by the pool, a long yoga class with Gretchen followed by journaling with Kristen Wheeler. PLUS a wonderful wine education class with Tracy Brynes.
Our days are full but please keep in mind that you do not have to do everything! We support and encourage you to find the level of activity that is right for you.
What are the accommodations?
We will be staying at The Bishop’s Ranch. The Bishop’s Ranch is located on a sunny knoll nestled among the forests, farms and vineyards of Sonoma County with amazing road riding just outside our doors. We stay at a wonderful lodge called the Kay Qvale Ranch House at Bishop’s Ranch. It is a very large house with 10 rooms, 2 kitchens, a large dining room and unbelievable gardens with roses and jasmine right out the door. Each room has its own bathroom with shower and bathtub. There are running trails on the property and also a swimming pool to use during your free time. While the Bishop’s Ranch is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of California, ours is not a religious retreat but a spirit-filled retreat.
How is the food at Bishop’s Ranch?
The kitchen at Bishops Ranch is a real wine county treat. The kitchen is a scratch kitchen which means all of our meals are made from scratch, sourced from the highest quality local ingredients. This means the warm scones you enjoy with breakfast are made that morning from scratch and just for us.
Breakfast is a wonderful way to start the day. Freshly made warm scones, fresh fruit, hot cereal, eggs and or French toast awaits us after our morning yoga. Dinners are a true treat as the kitchen pulls out the stops to provide a delicious and nutritious meal. All entrees include protein (usually chicken or fish) and we always have a vegetarian entrée available as well. Meals are served buffet style and tables are reserved for our group.
Please indicate any dietary restrictions. We will do our best to accommodate your special needs. The food is one of the BEST parts of the retreat-“YUM!” Bishops Ranch prides itself on making everything from scratch so the cookies, breads, and entrées are out of this world great!
Am I in good enough shape to do the retreat?
Most Likely! We adapt to all levels of fitness. Since we will be renting E-bikes we can accommodate just about any skill and fitness level. We teach you practical skills for biking-useful for both beginners and experienced riders. We have a variety of route options for biking, and for walking/hiking/running. Groups are formed according to each woman’s level of fitness, experience, and desire to challenge herself. We do suggest that you start a training or workout program before you come so that you can get the most out of the retreat. Your training does not need to be a hard-core program…just get out, play and be active several days a week.
Do I have to participate in everything on the schedule?
You do not need to participate in everything; you can pace yourself so that it is the perfect amount of activity for you. We fully support you in doing as much or as little as is right for you in the moment. The schedule gives you a sense of the flow of each day. It is subject to change, depending upon the needs of the group, weather, etc. We will go over the schedule each day at breakfast.
Tell me about the yoga?
Gretchen teaches in a creative and poetic way that blends traditional yoga practice with juicy, effective and playful ways of moving our bodies. (She will DJ our dance party, too!) Classes cultivate feeling grounded and centered, with a light and open heart. Gretchen guides with precision and attention to anatomical detail…blended with practices to cultivate boundless embodied presence.
Our movement practices will blend functional movement with a transformational spirit of adventure.
FUNCTIONAL:
- care for all our joints
- how to support our changing bodies as we age (balance, posture)
- functional strength and mobility
- clear alignment and precise ways to make real change and heal stuck areas or injuries
TRANSFORMATIONAL:
- the “feeling” of being in the flow
- movement for opening our availability to feel our deep feelings and insights
- delight, pleasure, surprise, creativity, fluidity
- intuitive movement, embodiment, empowerment
What is the riding like?
The riding is some of the best in the US. The Sonoma wine country is absolutely beautiful and we ride through the heart of it all. We’ll ride by manicured vineyards, along well-shaded quiet county lanes, over tree-covered knolls and along the historic Russian river.
How is the hiking?
In a word, amazing. We will do a glorious hike in the Armstrong Woods State Natural Reserve. The Reserve is home to a spectacular grove of Coast Redwoods. We’ll get up close with these natural wonders, including both the Parson Jones Tree which is the tallest tree in the grove, measuring more than 310 feet in height and the Colonel Armstrong Tree which is the oldest tree in the grove, estimated to be over 1,400 years old.
The trails in the Reserve are not overly technical so you should be fine with light-weight hiking or trail running shoes. Walking among these giants is a special treat and one that will stay with you long after the camp is over.
We will also hike around Bishops Ranch which has miles of trails right out our door.
What weather can I expect?
The weather in April in the Sonoma Valley can vary so bring clothing for some big temperature swings. Daytime highs can range anywhere from the low 70’s to the high 80’s, but most likely in the mid 70’s. Nighttime is usually about 20 degrees cooler than the daytime high and can range from the high 60’s to the high 70’s.
Bring a rain jacket you can ride in just in case we get a few sprinkles.
What is the average age on this retreat?
We have a wide range of women who attend our retreats, from 15-70 years young. Each retreat will vary.
What if I am coming alone?
The majority of the women who attend our retreats come by themselves. This makes for a great trip as everyone is open to meeting new people and sharing an amazing week together. Although you may come alone, you will leave the retreat with new, lifelong friends!
Payment Policy
Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation. All deposits are non-refundable.
A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo. You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.
We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.
Covid-19 Policy
Cancellations by Women’s Quest: Women’s Quest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule any retreat due to concerns over Covid-19. As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the Covid pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels or reschedules a retreat due to Covid-19 Women’s Quest will apply all payments to the rescheduled or following year’s retreat, or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of the next year after the year in which the retreat was cancelled by Women’s Quest. Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.
Cancellations by You: If you need or desire to cancel your reservation due to Covid-19, or failure to comply with the requirements of a negative test and being symptom free, this cancellation is subject to the Cancellation Policy above. This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up.
Covid Waiver and Release
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.
Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19. Irrespective of vaccination status you are required to provide a negative test for Covid 19 taken within 3 days of the commencement of the retreat. This test can be either a PCR test or a home antigen test. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and all local regulations. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.
Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.
Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages it or they may incur as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 prior to the retreat as provided above, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests, and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.
Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.
Travel Insurance. As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.
Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.
Purchasing Travel Insurance
We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses, in the event you cannot make the Women’s Quest retreat for any reason or if you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues. We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, medical care while at the retreat, and coverage to pay for the necessary quarantine period if you test positive or come down with Covid. Please remember, if you have to cancel your trip in the unfortunate event you come down with Covid, test positive, or suffer Symptoms prior to or during the retreat and need to leave, Women’s Quest cannot provide a refund since we have to pay your trip expenses well ahead of time.
If you are concerned about travel and the changing environment in which we are living irrespective of your Covid status, we recommend getting travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. This coverage is more expensive, however, may provide you with the coverage and flexibility you desire.
Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption due to Covid.
You can do your own investigation by checking out Squaremouth, https://www.squaremouth.com/22393
a travel insurance comparison company that helps travelers search, compare and buy travel insurance online https://www.