Is write a right fit?

Of course.

Write’s first priority is community and breaking down barriers to get to the heart of everyone.  Sure.  We dig style and attention to the relaxed northwest lifestyle, but we love honesty and art and laughter and really great coffee and secrets and beauty and songs and characters that inspire.  We sense that in you, too, if you’re reading this.  If you are at all wondering if you should be here, magically, you’re meant to be here.  It’s the spirit of Doe Bay.  When you come, you’ll understand what we mean. 

Our lives are busy are full and dramatic and lonely and beautiful and creative and fun and hard.  We owe it to ourselves to replenish our artistic battery, to connect with people who push us to become a better version of our true selves and to unlock a story that’s waiting to be told.  We demand space with others who see in pictures, in songs, in made up stories, in clear narratives.  We seek a chance to unwind and be still in the beauty of evergreens and fog and salty waters. 

What matters is your connection to art, your ability to sit within the stories of others and be changed by their words.  It matters most how you tell your tale, what genre finds you when you least expect it.  Your craft demands you to become your very best self. We’ll help you place routine and practice and tradition back into your busy days to restore your gift.  From published author to long-ago journaler, Write is right for you. From a child of the 1930s to a child of the 1990s, Write is right for you.

Through shared meals and close space within an ocean-side house, we’ll explore fiction and memoir and song and art and publishing and essays and film.  We’ll laugh.  Some of us will cry.  We’ll make new friends and a whole lot of memories. 

Travel

We strongly advise you reserve a spot for your vehicle on the Washington State Ferry (WSF). Please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov and go to make a Reservation. And, don’t forget to make a reservation for your return trip to Anacortes. Once you arrive at the Orcas Island Ferry Terminal, it’s about a 45-minute drive to Doe Bay Resort.

After you have purchased your ticket, in a little while Write Doe Bay staff will be reaching out to you for travel details. We will do our best to help coordinate rides and pick-ups from Sea-Tac airport and city centers for those who need it. Some opt to fly Kenmore Air or San Juan Airlines to Orcas. Let us know how we can help with your travel plans.

Lodging

Lodging is booked directly with Doe Bay Resort. Participants receive discounts, so be sure to mention you’re with Write Doe Bay.

Meals

Most meals are included with your ticket. Please note that a wonderful array of snacks and other food items are available for purchase at the Doe Bay Store. We recommend you bring a reusable water bottle for the weekend.

Supplies

Write Doe Bay will be providing journals and pens for all participants and Teaching Artists.

Special Needs and Requests

Our goal at Write Doe Bay is to be inclusive and considerate of all participants and Teaching Artists. We do our best to respond and accommodate to special needs and requests. If you have questions please contact us at writedoebay@gmail.com.   

Many say, "Doe Bay is Magical." We make no such claim, but we are a relaxing waterfront resort on over thirty-eight acres on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, with houses, rustic cabins, yurts, a hostel and campsites available for your enjoyment.

Relax, Dream, Meditate.  Enjoy our solitude or time with your friends.  Hike our hills and walk our beaches and end your day in the Doe Bay Spa.  If you are hungry… It is no secret anymore.  The Doe Bay Café and the Doe Bay Garden create gourmet healthy fresh meals that are getting national attention.

GETTING HERE

You should know that getting here is part of the journey. It sounds redundant, we know. Traveling to Doe Bay means stepping out of your comfort zone in terms of both location and emotion. Many of our attendees have never travelled solo. Some have never traveled at all. And then there are veteran travellers who travel to Doe Bay thinking it will be like any other trip.

Getting here usually means you’ll take several forms of transport (air, boat, car, train) and see some of the most beautiful country along the way. It takes time to get to Doe Bay. Time is part of the gift. It gives travelers the ability to reflect on what brings them to Write, what it means to leave home and the time to live in the delicious space between anticipation and possibility.

The trip is worth the time.
It’s worth the effort.
It’s worth the distance.
It’s worth the fear, anxiety and thrill of traveling out of your comfort zone.

We ask you to trust the process. We can’t wait to see you.

FAQ about Getting to the Retreat

1. What airport do I choose?
SEA TAC INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is the hub where you will likely arrive. Sea-Tac is near Seattle proper, so book a hotel in Seattle or Sea-Tac. Many hotels have shuttle services to/from the airport and there is also a LIGHT RAIL SERVICE from the airport to the city. If you’re renting a car, it’s about 20 minutes to downtown in good traffic. Good traffic is relative and a bit unpredictable. AS THE CROW FLIES, IT’S 15 MILES TO THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN. The city of Sea-Tac doesn’t have much to offer in terms of esthetic or entertainment. It’s a transportation hub. Seattle is great and so is the fair city of Tacoma, to the south.

2. I plan on driving: what is the ferry all about?
You board the ferry in Anacortes, WHICH IS ABOUT 95 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. It will take at about two hours to drive there from Seattle in good traffic. Please don’t count on good traffic. You need to know a few things about the ferry crossing: it will take about an hour once you’re on it, it will be incredibly beautiful, you may see killer whales, and you need to arrive 60-90 minutes prior to the scheduled crossing if you have not made a reservation. If you miss the ferry, you’ll be in line for the next one and it might be awhile. Ferry tolls depend on the number of people in the car. You pay them going into the island but not leaving. HERE IS A LINK TO ALL THINGS FERRY-RELATED, INCLUDING PRICING, SCHEDULE AND HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION. 

Once you land on Orcas Island, it’s about another hour to the resort, driving across some of the most beautiful country on the planet…

3. I plan on taking a charter plane. What can you tell me?
WESTWIND is a dear friend of Write workshops. Check them out. KENMORE AIR offers daily scheduled flights from Boeing Field to Eastsound on Orcas Island. Once you arrive at Eastsound, taxis are available to take you to Doe Bay. Complimentary Shuttle Service is provided for transfers between Sea-Tac Airport and Boeing Field. Advance reservations are required. Call 800-543-9595. When you add up hotels and car rentals and the ferry toll, you may find this a better option.

4. I want to carpool, I want to share the cost of my car rental, etc…
Participation in a user-generated carpool list will be made available after you’re registered.

5. Accommodation at the Resort
Accommodation is booked directly with Doe Bay Resort and Retreat.

Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. – 7 a.m. There are plenty of places to socialize after hours at the resort, but for the comfort of all participants, we ask that quiet hours be observed by all. Smoking is not allowed in any of the cabins or common areas or within 50 feet of any entrance.

6. What’s the weather like?
Expect wind, rain and sun. Bring sturdy shoes and err on the side of needing warmth and rain protection. Layers are excellent.

7. What else?
Write alumni shared the following to remember: board or card games if you like that sort of thing, reading material, a robe, artsy stuff you might want to share at the open mic, your camera, ear plugs, shoes that can get wet, shoes that are easy on/off (cabins are shoe-free) and your swimsuit. We will provide all materials you need for the workshop like paper and pens. We’re not going to make you leave your laptop at home, but at least consider it. There is wifi but it’s not perfect. Likewise, cell service is okay but not always predictable. Please remember that gratuity to housekeeping and the wait staff at our cafe dinner are not included in your workshop fee.

8. Oh no, something has come up and I can’t make it.
Gah! We’d be so sad to not have you. Tickets are not refundable, however, you can email us at writedoebay@gmail.com and we’ll try our best to help you transfer or resell your ticket.

Note that circumstances beyond the control of the conference organizers may necessitate substitutions, alterations or cancellations of the speakers and/or topics. Therefore, Write Doe Bay reserves the right to alter or modify the advertised speakers and/or topics if necessary. Any substitutions or alterations will be updated on the web site as soon as possible.

9. Write is a safe place for ourselves and others.
We reserve the right to refuse service.