ARRIVING BY PLANE

The best airport to arrive in is OAKLAND airport. SAN FRANCISCO is also okay, but not as convenient. Napa is approximately 2 hours from either airport, sometimes less if the traffic is good. Arrival and departure times for flights will depend on the ground transportation you use -- see below.

The retreat officially starts at 5:00 pm on Friday and ends at 5:00 pm on Tuesday. However, Friday evening there is no official program -- just dinner at 7:00 pm (in the Dining Hall) and time to settle in, mingle and decompress.

If you arrive late, the room roster is always posted on the Dining Hall door. Just remember the site is somewhat dark so if you arrive very late it may be difficult to find your spot. Class starts Saturday morning at 9:00 am after breakfast at 8.

For Tuesday departures, if you need to leave early, I ask that you do it during lunch or break so as not to disrupt the class.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION
Options for getting from the airports to Enchanted Hills are:

RENTAL CAR

A rental car is a bit of a waste since people don't often leave the camp once there. It's a beautiful site, and 10 miles up a windy mountain road above town. But sharing a rental car is a viable option. If you tell me what airport you are coming into and when, I can help facilitate sharing. I also suggest that you *make* a car reservation just in case and consider offering rides. You can always cancel the reservation if you find a ride with someone else.

BUS & TAXI

Public transportation isn't impossible, complicated, or overly time consuming. And for those with patience and an adventurous spirit, it's actually kinda fun!!

There is one airporter bus line that serves Napa, called Evans Transportation. Airporter buses run back and forth from Napa to both airports on a regular schedule. It drops riders off and picks riders up from a terminal in Napa. From the terminal it is a 10 mile taxi ride to and from Enchanted Hills. Taxis are usually available around the terminal, or can be called quickly from a list by the public phones.

The total cost for this option is about $60 each way, but compared to a rental car it could save money. It also takes about 1/2 to 1 hour longer than driving directly, but it's not bad, and somebody else does the driving!

For airporter bus schedule and fare information, click here for the Evans Transportation website.