Where to Recharge With a Solo Retreat in Minnesota
Where to Recharge With a Solo Retreat in Minnesota
By Alisa Blackwood
A unique respite from daily demands, solo retreats give travelers space to read, journal, create, catch up on sleep or simply gaze out the window. Imagine: no other people to take care of, emails to return or dishes to do. Sounds blissful, right? Schedule your own weekend of nourishment at one of these four Minnesota retreat centers.
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ARC Retreat Center
Writing in solitude at ARC Retreat Center / Alisa Blackwood
ARC Retreat CenterOf the three lodging options at ARC Retreat Center in Stanchfield (about an hour north of Minneapolis), the single-person hermitage provides the most privacy for those seeking a truly solitary and rustic retreat. Located in a wooded area away from the main lodge, the hermitage is ideal for anyone whose perfect weekend consists of sitting by a large picture window and consuming a good book. ARC keeps your kitchenette stocked with coffee, tea, fruit and breakfast foods, and top-notch vegetarian meals—delivered in charming baskets to your doorstep—serve as lunch and dinner.
Recharge your energy in ARC’s labyrinth for walking meditation, schedule a massage, or wander the 87 acres of wetland and woodland trails by foot, skis or snowshoes. Although the hermitage has no running water, a nearby outhouse and modern bathroom in the Lodge are both available for “hermit” use.
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Pacem in Terris
Pacem in Terris
A retreat center in the Franciscan tradition, Pacem in Terris (a papal decree meaning “peace on Earth”) in Isanti, provides 16 hermitages to sanctuary seekers wanting a more prayer-filled tradition as part of their stay. Each single-occupancy cabin is named after a patron saint, offering a truly quiet, peaceful and unplugged respite, absent of plumbing or electricity. Three miles of wooded and lakeside trails groomed for all seasons lead to a solitary clearing with benches for resting and reflection. A simple basket of fruit, bread, cheese, coffee and tea supplements the evening meal held with Pacem staff.
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Mount Olivet
Mount Olivet
Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in Farmington, 30 minutes south of St. Paul, offers self-directed personal retreats with motel-style lodging on 150 acres along Chub Lake. Spend some distraction-free time bird watching, walking the outdoor meditation labyrinth, or perch yourself in a peaceful, trail-side chair swing and simply bathe in the forest ambiance. Warm up with a sauna session, laps in the indoor heated pool or nestled by the outdoor fireplace. Meals, served in the dining hall, include vegetables and meat from local farms when possible. A prayer chapel is available, though the center does not require any specific religious affiliation.
Alisa Blackwood is a St. Paul-based writer and editor whose writing has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cooking Light and Health magazines. As a Floridian-turned-Minnesotan, she embraces her adopted state with a sense of wonder and adoration, especially outdoor adventures in the north woods, the Twin Cities live music scene and “avantouinti” (ice hole swimming).