TYPICAL DAILY SCHEDULE:
7:00 am – 7:30 am: Breakfast at the hotel
7:30am – 10:30am: Daily Reflective practice, Check-in, and Educational Sessions
11:00am – 3:00pm: Hiking Sonoma’s many wonderful trails and visiting wineries
3:00pm – 5:00pm: More breathtaking adventures, personal reflection, or relaxation time
5:30pm – 7:30pm: Group Dinner
8:00pm – 9:30pm: Social hour, hot tub, firepit, pool, massages and reiki sessions
Our time spent cultivating joy, meaning, and purpose is through the use of educational sessions, quiet reflection, journaling, daily group reflections, and hiking journeys. We use our experiences and the paths we hike as daily metaphors to develop joy, meaning, and purpose in our lives by understanding grief and forgiveness.
DAILY ITINERARY
We recommend you arrive in San Francisco, CA, at least one day before the start of the retreat. San Francisco offers iconic vistas, historic neighborhoods, and hip shopping experiences. As you arrive here the day before our retreat starts, you can take in local arts and culture, explore the outdoors, indulge in a unique dining scene, or sit by the pool and relax. Plan to arrive at any time this day. A room block is on hold at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis for Bounce Travels for $189 plus tax. You will need to make your own room reservation for this night if you stay at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.
Day 1
Today, we will pick up retreat participants at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and San Francisco International Airport before heading to our hotel for the week, Cambria Wine Country. We will pick up participants at San Francisco Marriott Marquis at 11am and then head to San Francisco International Airport for a noon pick-up. Today, we travel via a comfortable passenger van to arrive at our hotel before meeting for our afternoon educational sessions and enjoying dinner together.
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma.
Day 2
Today, our hikes include the Armstrong Redwoods Grove Loop Trail and the Pioneer Nature Trail. Together, they form a 3.5-mile loop that will take you past the park’s oldest redwood, the Colonel Armstrong Tree, estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. To enjoy this area more thoroughly, you will have an opportunity to take in parts of two proximate nature trails. Following our hikes, we will adventure to the Korbel Champagne Winery for tastings as we enjoy this California-based brand of bubbly that has been a staple of American celebrations. Tastings included.
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma. Breakfast included.
Day 3
This day takes us to Jack London State Historic Park as we hike the Historic Orchard Trail and Ancient Redwood Trail. Together, these trails allow you to hike up to seven miles. You’ll also have a chance to spend time with the Grandmother Tree, a giant redwood tree estimated to be 1800 to 2000 years old.
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma. Breakfast included.
Day 4
Today, we visit Fitch Mountain Park and Francis Ford Coppola Winery. The Fitch Mountain trail is generally considered a moderately challenging route that typically takes around two hours to complete. Fitch Mountain is located on the Southern Pomo people’s ancestral homelands. You will have an opportunity to explore a dense forest of trees like coast redwood, Douglas fir, California bay, madrone, oaks, and a rich array of understory species. After our hiking, we will head to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery to indulge in tasting experiences and dive into the world of Francis Ford Coppola wines. On-site, you can explore the beautiful grounds, the vast collection of movie memorabilia from Francis Ford Coppola’s prestigious filmmaking career, and even play a game of bocce ball! ($35 tasting flights)
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma. Breakfast included.
Day 5
We head to Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park for this day’s outdoor adventures to hike the Bay Area Ridge Trail. This six-mile point-to-point trail is generally considered a moderately challenging hike and averages about three hours to complete. This wonderfully quiet trail makes for a lovely hike.
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma. Breakfast included.
Day 6
Today’s outdoor time is more relaxed as you can explore the farmer’s market, visit local shops, taste local wines, and enjoy the amenities located around the beautiful Sonoma Plaza. You might also use the free-to-explore block of time to relax at the hotel with a massage, spend time reflecting by the pool or take another hike at the nearby Petaluma Adobe Park.
Tonight we are staying at the Cambria Hotel in Sonoma. Breakfast included.
Day 7
We will arrive back in San Francisco by noon. Some travelers may choose to fly home later in the day, while others may want to spend more time checking out other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, such as visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, or Alcatraz.
Please Note:
This itinerary may change slightly due to accommodation availability, rain, festivals and spontaneous side trips. This is not an endurance race, nor a competition. Please be respectful of all the different paces and walks of life that come together on this group retreat.
