Durward’s Glen Retreat & Conference Center — Hotel in Town of Caledonia

Wow! What an unexpectedly altering experience! I went to a Durward’s Glen Winter Retreat, nervous to be outside of my comfort zone, but figuring it would be good for me to relax a little. I had no idea of the impact I was about to feel!

Jerianne and Angie thought of every last detail. My room was so sweet, dimly lit, filled with treats and goodies from women-owned companies, and oh so welcoming. There was calming music playing throughout the building, always guiding us to explore, always leading to more therapeutic corners to unfold. It was obvious that these women had thought through every aspect of the retreat to fill up our buckets!

Every detail was thoughtfully planned out to provide us with nurturing comfort and care. There was always a warm, savory aroma in the building from Mary’s gourmet cooking. We never went without; there were snacks and fun drinks available all the time and I always felt nourished. The treats were delicious and it was so refreshing to not have to worry about what I’d be cooking, just to know that it was another thing removed from my mental load.

I loved my yoga experience with Tatsiana and the heart-healing sessions with Steven, who is so insightful and has an infectious energy. The sound bath was such an amazing, new experience and we all loved it so much that we hung around and talked with Jeremy for quite a while! Every journaling prompt was so intentional and well thought out that I really reflected on my life experiences. One of my favorite activities was the poetry reading, because we all decided to jump in and participate, making it even more fun and heartfelt.

I was so nervous to attend this retreat because meeting new people intimidates me and I didn’t want to spend the weekend making small talk. This event pulled in the sweetest women and I couldn’t have been more wrong about how I would spend my time. Every single woman that attended had a warmth and kindness that wrapped around our group in the most caring cocoon. We all left feeling refreshed, cared for, full of new friendships and with our buckets filled up!

Visiting the glen felt sacred and left me feeling a kismet connection to my healing. Every experience, session, conversation, and self-exploration led to the vulnerable work that I needed, but didn’t know that I was capable of. I cannot thank Jerianne and her hardworking team enough for all of the love, time, work, and care they put into this retreat, it was...

Durward's Glen started as a family property which was given to the church after the family passed (and is now in private hands.) It's spread out into different cultural areas. There is a simple and beautiful historical church and an outdoor church area up on the hill. There are multiple out buildings (some of which can be rented for sleeping). With a small walk from your car (from the free parking lot) there is a small spring fed pond. This spring the pond was alive with peepers (frogs) and tadpoles. A short walk up a hill that runs along the backside of the pond you will find Stations of the Cross markers. At the top of the hill you will find a tiny old historical church surrounded by church and local family graveyards. If you go down the other side of the hill (take a brief walk in the woods) you will find the Durward family graveyard. On top of that area you can look into the small gorge cut into the rock bluffs by the ancient stream. Back by the pond you can make you way to the stream and look up at the bluff where you just standing. Beautiful, spiritual retreat. Take a book and pack and PBJ sandwich. Sit back and listen to the peepers and the birds. Enjoy the beauty of the glen and you’ll understand why the Durward’s built their family home there and then donated their property to the church. Even if you aren’t spiritual, you will enjoy the beauty of this...

If you're looking for a modern retreat center with lots of amenities, Durward's Glen is probably not for you. If you're looking for a quiet place to meet with God, I can highly recommend. A friend and I stayed overnight in the Hermitage to pray and plan for our church's men's retreat and we had an awesome stay. I'll let you visit their Website for the details. An old out building that's been converted for overnight retreats. Clean enough, quaint and most importantly, God was most definitely in the house. His presence was tangible in ways I haven't experienced for some time.||||Durward's Glen is pretty secluded and has some very nice, short trails. Lots of places to walk or just sit down and spend some quiet time. Hope to find my way back...