Wander Women Catskills:
A Fall Foliage Yoga Retreat
Oliverea Valley, NY
October 18th-20th, 2024
Join us for a long weekend of leaf peeping, boutique accommodation, foliage-inspired yoga, foraged fall cocktails, an iconic New York hike, local libations, sauna and firepit giggles with new friends, and more — all at a gorgeous location conveniently located between New York City and Albany.
We’ll gather for two nights and three full days of celebrating all that is fall in Alex’s home state, New York! This sneaky little get away is perfect for those who are low on time but high on desire for a Wander Women adventure before the year is out.
We couldn’t have picked a more colorful spot to take in the change of seasons. This is our third seasonal retreat in Upstate New York and we’ll be returning to the gorgeous Scandi-style Eastwind Hotels, this time exploring their newest property, a hidden gem tucked away in the Catskills State Park. Think quaint towns bursting with local charm — Phoenicia’s artsy vibe, Woodstock’s iconic music history, and Big Indian’s breathtaking natural beauty. This will be a long weekend maxed out on unwinding in the wilderness; with curated creature comforts.
For this year’s retreat we will be venturing west of the Hudson River to the picturesque Oliverea Valley, which is nestled in a lush mountainside with sunrise and sunset views. The property offers easy access to hiking trails where we will stretch our legs and lungs in the crisp mountain air and take in the best leaf-changing views in the Northeast before returning to make good use of the two onsite saunas and sprinkling of hammocks around the property. No cozy weekend away is complete without fireside s’mores and stargazing while you chat the night away getting to know your new Wander Women clan.
A photographer will be behind the lens every step of the way, ensuring everyone leaves with profile-picture worthy shots of themselves practicing yoga, enjoying peak foliage, and getting crafty (with cocktail in hand of course!).
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and as always, Wander Women makes a donation to a local charity to give back to each community we host a retreat in. For this retreat, our donation will be to the The Kathryn Allen Center for Domestic Violence Services in Upstate New York.
The Details
This three day retreat will be held from Friday, October 18th to Sunday, 20th, 2024, and has a variety of accommodation options, from $1,500 for shared accommodation and $2,500 for single accommodation. Not long enough for you? Chat to us directly to extend your stay and have an extra day or two of self-guided exploring or relaxing!
What’s Included
• Two nights at the lush Eastwind Oliverea Valley
• Two breakfasts, one lunch, and one dinner
• A foraged fall cocktail class + guided foraging walk
• Daily yoga + meditation + a sound bath experience
• Hiking Giant Ledge trail
• A custom welcome bag
• Professional photos of the trip
• A heartfelt local charity donation
What’s Not Included
• Flights
• Local transportation — this is a self-drive retreat, however we will help coordinate those who have cars, or are renting, or want to ride share. More details below!
• Additional meals, alcohol or activities not specified in the itinerary
• Mandatory travel insurance
The Itinerary
Subject to change, but you’re going to have a magical time — here’s the general idea!
Day 1: Say hello to the Catskills! Today you can make your way into Oliverea Valley at your leisure, and we’ll share some recommended lunch stops and sightseeing on the way in. We recommend arriving around 1:30pm as we kick things off with an intention setting yoga class on the lawn before settling into our accommodation, a highly sought after boutique hotel that beautifully blends nature and design. After, we’ll enjoy a foraged fall cocktail walk and workshop with a female local mixologist (pine-infused spirits, anyone?), gathering ingredients from a local trail and turning them into hand-crafted tipples, before a farm-to-table feast onsite at Dandelion Restaurant. We’ll close the night out with fireside chats and gourmet s’mores!
Day 2: We’ll start the day with breakfast baskets made from local produce to fuel up for our hike ahead. Today we’re stretching our legs and lungs on a four mile walk through the wilderness to Giant Ledge, one of the best effort-to-payoff ratio viewpoint hikes in the area! Multiple overlooks offer swoon-worthy views over the kaleidoscope of fall colors in the valley below. Afterwards, we’ll head into the nearby town of Phoenicia to a famed female owned local diner for lunch, and then enjoy a stroll through this adorable upstate town. Next we’re off to a local brewery to test out some fresh brews while we stretch out our post-hike muscles with a fun flow. We’ll cap the night off with a dinner at Woodstock Brewing Co. before heading back for another night of campfire stargazing.
Day 3: Enjoy your final day basking in Wander Women glow! Rise early to grab a complimentary bicycle for a morning spin, make one last saunter to the sauna, or take is slow from your balcony in the crisp mountain air. Either way we’ll gather for breakfast before checking out and heading to a local yoga studio with a sweeping view of the valley. Alex will lead you in a soothing yin massage class followed by a sound bath meditation to seal in your weekend of nature and new friendships! Before we hug goodbye, we’ll enjoy a family feast on the deck. For those looking for an afternoon activity, we’ll send you off with recommendations for fun and quirky local sites and museums no matter what direction you’re driving in.
Optional self-guided extension: Follow Alex up to her hometown of Albany for a night, join her for sunset from the New York State Plaza, and take a class at Wander Women regular co-host Jessica Lubin’s very own Good Karma Studio! We’ll recommend our favorite local accommodation.
Where We’ll Stay and Where We’ll Eat
We will stretch, hike and stargaze with your choice of Eastwind’s boutique lodgings — from postcard perfect Lushna cabins, to cozy mid-century vintage hotel rooms — this retreat lets you choose your mode of ‘ahhh’ as you unwind.
The property has two onsite Scandinavian style saunas — dry + infrared, a communal fire pit, hammocks aplenty, complementary bicycles, and a bustling weekend bar lounge and dinner service.
Hotel rooms are located in the main building and cabins dotted across the property in easy walking distance. The cabins are Scandinavian inspired Lushna Cabins that allow you to immerse in nature without sacrificing any comforts, all are heated A-Frames with a queen sized bed. Those opting to stay in the property’s main building hotel rooms all have king beds with ensuite bathrooms, large window nooks and private decks to take in the view from inside or out.
• Lushna Cabin + Deck: This classic cabin features a private deck with loungers, and private but separate bathroom just steps away. Due to the maximum coziness of this option, we recommend this room as a single, or for friends traveling together
• Lushna Suite: A loft-style cabin with an internal ensuite bathroom, private deck, writers nook and a lounge space with sofa
• King Room: Cosy comfort located in the main building with an ensuite bathroom, large window nook and private deck
For all room types you have the option of booking Single or Shared, however please see our F.A.Q’s below for shared booking conditions.
For included meals, we’ll be dining on incredible farm-to-table meals created by our hotel hosts and local vendors — as always, any dietary restrictions or allergies will be accommodated. For non-included meals, we’ll suggest and stop at local favorites, from small-town cafes to hip diner options.
Travel With Us
On this trip, you’ll be traveling with Alex Baackes as your host and yoga teacher.
Alexandra Baackes is the founder of Wander Women Retreats and Alex in Wanderland and will lead your yoga practices throughout this trip. She grew up in Upstate New York and cherishes exploring and introducing others to the area. She is a RYT 200 Registered Yoga Teacher, an RYT 50 Aerial Yoga Teacher, a Buti Bands and Sculpt instructor, and a regular yoga practitioner for over a decade — she can’t wait to practice with you.
Stay tuned for more information on co-hosts and photographers!
Getting There and Away
Oliverea Valley is a ninety minute drive from Albany and under a three hour drive from New York City.
If you’re coming from further afield, we’d recommend flying into either Albany (ALB Airport) or one of the NYC area airports (JFK, LGA, or EWR), and either renting a car, taking a convenient Trailways bus direct to Shandaken, or taking Metro North or Amtrak for a beautiful train ride along the Hudson River. The closest train station is Poughkeepsie, where you can hop in a taxi or ride share for a just over an hour drive to Oliverea Valley, or make a rental car reservation through Enterprise and they’ll meet you at the station.
Once you’ve booked, we’ll check where everyone is coming from and will do our best to link you up with rental-car or ride-share buddies to make the trip part of the fun! Please contact us if you need additional support booking travel.
Join Us
October is absolute peak season in Upstate New York and we are only able to hold a limited number of rooms at our popular accommodation — book soon to avoid disappointment! Your deposit will be the first of two total payments for this trip, with the second payment due one month later.
This trip requires a minimum number of guests to run. We will notify you when it is a guaranteed departure! Until then, please do not book non-refundable travel.
Can’t make this one? Don’t sweat — sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when enrollment opens on future retreats. Don’t hesitate to email us at retreats@alexinwanderland.com with any and all questions or concerns over if this is the right retreat for you. We’d love to chat!
Wander Women Catskills: A Fall Foliage Yoga Retreat, October 18-20, 2024
$1,500.00 – $2,500.00
F.A.Q
So does non-refundable really mean non-refundable?
Yes, all payments are non-refundable. If the trip must be postponed or canceled due to events beyond our control, you will be offered the choice between a full refund and applying your payments to a future trip.
The reason payments are non-refundable is that we start incurring costs from the moment someone presses “book” — from credit card fees to high hourly wages for our team who correspond with guests, manage trip inventory and our e-commerce platform, analyze forms to create room assignments, coordinate with our local vendors, and beyond.
There’s nothing we want more than for our guests to take and enjoy the travel they have worked hard and paid for. Thank you so much for your understanding and respect of our need to enforce this policy strictly. We want to be here to travel with you for years to come!
Will I need travel insurance?
Yes, it is mandatory for all Wander Women Retreat guests to have personal travel insurance for the duration of the trip and we recommend you book your travel insurance as soon as you make your trip deposit to protect your investment. Our affiliate, World Nomads offers domestic coverage at affordable rates for trips over 100 miles from your home. If you aren’t travelling far and don’t qualify for a travel insurance policy, we ask that you show proof of health insurance that will cover you in New York State.
Traveling solo but want to book a shared cabin or room?
Due to the high demand at this time of year and the variety of room options we have on offer, booking a shared spot is subject to the room being filled. If you’re traveling solo and unsure about finding someone to share with — don’t hold back, we got you! We’ll do our best to match you up with someone fab, and if you book a shared spot and we can’t find you a roommate, we’ll offer you a solo room upgrade option or your money back.
Do I need to be good at yoga?
Absolutely not. (And frankly, we don’t believe in the idea of being “good” at yoga!) We have a range of yogis from brand-new beginners to talented instructors join us on our trips. You’ll get the opportunity to sample a wide range of yoga styles, and you can opt in or out of as many classes as you wish.
Will I have time to do my own thing?
This is your retreat and we want you to make it exactly what you want! There’s a lot to see and experience, so we’ve tried to design an itinerary that balances the best of activity and downtime. But any time you want to bow out to have some “me-time” or do your own thing, we’re going to cheer you on.
Is there an age requirement?
You must be 21 years old or older.
Is there a waiting list?
There will be a waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis in case spaces open up. If the retreat is full and you’re still interested, email us at retreats@alexinwanderland.com to be added to the waiting list.
I still have questions, or cute photos of my dog. Can I contact you?
Um, yes please! Our email is retreats@alexinwanderland.com.
