REGULAR REGISTRATION:

(until Dec 31, 2024)

$340 includes 3 nights lodging (Fri, Sat, and Sun) and all meals except lunch Saturday since we will be out exploring Lake Tahoe that afternoon.

LATE REGISTRATION:

(January 1, 2025 or later)

$360 includes 3 nights lodging (Fri, Sat, and Sun) and all meals except lunch Saturday since we will be out exploring Lake Tahoe that afternoon.

ARRIVAL ON FRIDAY:

The Retreat begins at 5:30pm on Friday with Dinner in the retreat center dining hall. Please plan to arrive around 5:30pm-6:30pm to get settled in. We do however realize that people will be arriving at all hours on Friday night.

DEPARTURE ON MONDAY:

Monday morning we will have Orthros, breakfast, pack up, and head home around 9:00am.                                             

Speaker Bio: Fr. James Kumarelas

Father James was born and raised in Oakland, California. He was brought up in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Ascension in Oakland, where he served in various leadership roles across many of the parish ministries.

After working for many years in the film, television, and entertainment lighting industry, Father James finally listened to the call to serve the Church. In 2014 he left his career and entered Hellenic College as a Seminarian. Over the next six years he would finish his Bachelor’s and then Master’s degrees, graduating from Holy Cross School of Theology with an MDiv. in 2020. While attending Seminary, Father James met his future wife and Presvytera Vasso, and they were married in 2018.

In October of 2020, Father James was ordained to the Holy Priesthood at Oakland’s Ascension Cathedral by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, and assigned to serve as assistant priest at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle Washington. Father and Presvytera served the people there for three wonderful years.

Beginning on January 1, 2024, Father James was assigned Proistamenos of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in San Jose, California, where he and Presvytera Vasso continue to serve with joy.

FOR THOSE NOT SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING:

You do not have to ski or snowboard to have a blast on this trip!

There will be a large group going to South Lake Tahoe on Saturday where there are tons of great restaurants, pubs, shops, ice skating, art galleries, wine tasting, and opportunities for adventure. On Sunday, there will be a large group going hiking in Emerald Bay or sledding nearby.

SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING: 

There will be opportunities to go skiing or snowboarding on Saturday and/or Sunday. You will need to purchase your lift tickets on your own. There are three resorts near the retreat center:

-Heavenly Ski Resort – www.skiheavenly.com (15 minute drive south from the retreat center)

-Diamond Peak – www.diamondpeak.com (25 minute drive north from the retreat center)

-Northstar - www.northstarcalifornia.com (45 minute drive north from the retreat center)

SACRAMENTO AIRPORT:

If you are flying, we recommend that you fly into Sacramento Airport on Friday between 9:00am – 3:00pm.

One of the carpools from the Bay Area will be able to pick you up on their way through Sacramento to Lake Tahoe.

For your returning flight on Monday, we plan to leave the retreat center by 11:00am and drive through Sacramento by 2:00pm so a flight out of Sacramento would be best after 3:30pm.

RENO AIRPORT:

If you are flying and will be arriving or after 3:00pm on Friday, we recommend flying into Reno airport.

Reno is one hour north of Lake Tahoe and we don’t anticipate any carpools driving through the Reno area. You will need to take the “SOUTH TAHOE EXPRESS” shuttle bus from Reno to the MontBleu Hotel in South Lake Tahoe.

Our retreat center is about 20 minutes north of the MontBleu hotel, so you would need to call us once you are close to the hotel so that someone can come pick you up.

If you need to fly out of Reno on Monday afternoon we can drop you off at the MontBleu hotel and you would arrange to take the South Tahoe Express shuttle back up to the Reno Airport.