Visitor Information
During April and May we will only be giving tours on Saturdays at 2pm. During this time we won’t have the staff to arrange tours on other days. You must call us at least 3 days in advance to register for a Saturday tour.
Our staff members have many responsibilities here at the retreat. We don’t have someone whose only job is to give tours. Staff members have to rearrange their busy schedules in order to give tours. We do not give impromptu tours to visitors w/o prior notice.
THE RETREAT WILL BE CLOSED TO ALL VISITORS APRIL 16-19. That includes people who just wish to visit the shrine. The Vedanta Society of New York is holding an intensive retreat here during this time. This retreat is full and closed to all people except those who have already registered.
OVERNIGHT STAYS: We are taking reservations for overnight stays. You must book a retreat at least 5 days in advance. Please note that we do not allow children under the age of 17 to stay overnight here.
You are welcome to use the shrine and walk on the grounds w/o making a reservation. The shrine is open from 6am to 7pm daily. The grounds are open for walking during daylight hours only. If it will be your first time using the shrine room, please call us in advance so we can give you a very short orientation. After that you are free to use the shrine during open hours.
ORGANIZED PROGRAMS/RETREATS
We are working on finalizing the 2025 schedule. We will announce those programs as soon as the schedule is finished
Ridgely News
This winter has been a challenge for us here at the retreat. As usual, the weather has been the main problem. It turned very cold earlier than usual, forcing us to close the retreat early. The weather has remained cold, which means we have spent more of our budget keeping the houses heated. In February our area experienced an ice storm that covered everything w/ a very slick sheet of ice for more than a week until it finally melted. Walking outside was downright dangerous. Even being extraordinarily careful, we slipped and slid but, fortunately, no-one was hurt.
We also had 3 incidents where large trees/tree limbs crashed down on our power lines. In two of the incidents, the huge crashes also broke our power poles. In our area the utility company does not deal with ‘customer-owned power poles’. We had to have a company replace the poles and hang the lines back up. Fortunately for us, the company we use is very quick to come and finish the work so we did not have to go for days w/o power in the middle of the winter. Unfortunately for us, replacing the poles etc. was expensive. Replacing all the other lines-internet etc., took many days.
We have been short-staffed most of the winter due to vacations and the flu that caught all 3 of our caretakers. We will continue to be short-staffed until the middle of May.
The good news is that it is now spring here. Hallelujah! The leaves are just beginning to appear, the daffodils are starting their bloom and the grass is turning green. Spring is gorgeous here. It also is our most labor intensive time as we clean up the property, take down the deer fences and all the other jobs that we must do to get ready for our ‘on’ season. We have a work/ seva crew that meets every Saturday morning. The crew usually works outside, weather permitting, focusing on the shrine trail maintenance and our vegetable garden. If you would like to join us, we will welcome you! As you know, the maintenance here at the retreat is huge and we frankly need all the help we can get!