An ecumenical retreat center run by the Lutheran church located in the Cascade Range of Washington State, near Chelan. It's an old mining village that used to be owned by the Howe Sound Mining Corporation. Located in a deep mountain valley (about 4000'), there are no TVs, phones, or radios available. Traditional satellite phones relying on geostationary satellites don't work either, due to insufficient southern exposure.

The scenery is absolutely amazing, with some beautiful hikes possible within around 10 miles of the village. It's also near the entrance to North Cascades National Park, and on the edge of the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area.

To get to Holden Village, one must first go to Chelan, a cool little resort type town in central Washington State. From there, one takes the Lady of the Lake, a decent size boat, several hours up Lake Chelan. The boat lets you off at Lucerne, a small boat dock, and procedes to Stehekin, a very self-sufficient town at the entreance to North Cascades National Park. At Lucerne, a school bus meets you, and takes you about half an hour up the old mining road, an interesting drive to say the least.

Many things are available to do at Holden Village. Every evening there is a worship service, and during the day there are things such as arts and crafts, nature hikes, and educational sessions on everything from science to homosexuality. Of course, do as much or as little as you please.

If you're looking for a place to get away from the world for a while, Holden Village is a great place to do it. They also have volunteers during the summer to help with village operations.

For more information, you can go to www.holdenvillage.org

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