Aerial view of a river winding through green and brown fields with a dense forest and mountain in the background.

the
perfect place to write

House on Metolius Logo. A rabbit, squirrel and trout with a Ponderosa pine and the words House on Metolius.

Register now for an exclusive writers retreat at House on Metolius. Inspire yourself and learn from our invited author, Eileen Garvin…let’s write, together!

Friday, October 24—check-in after 2pm
Monday, October 27—check-out by 11am

This exclusive experience is for writers who are looking for a place to write that is quiet and inspiring, where creativity flows under towering mountain views or along the winding river’s edge, to make writing friends or to write alone…with a little bit of author inspiration.

Born and raised in eastern Washington, Eileen lives in Hood River, Oregon. Eileen shares her backyard with four chickens, wild birds of all kinds, and about 120,000 honeybees.

Her debut novel, The Music of Bees, is a national bestseller. Crow Talk, published in April 2024, was also a national bestseller. Her most recent novel, Bumblebee Season was published in 2025.

Close-up of Eileen Garvin with blurred greenery and flowers in the background.

October 24-27, 2025
with Eileen Garvin

  • During this session, Eileen will offer insights into how internal and external landscapes power our writing. Participants will dive into the creative process with generative exercises and will have the chance to share their work and ask questions.

  • This session will explore how experiences with the natural world can deepen the sensory and emotional force of our work. Using a mix of conversation, writing prompts, and short readings, Eileen will suggest ways to draw on our individual connections to our surroundings. There will be opportunities to share work and ask questions.

  • An intimate conversation with Eileen Garvin—how she got started as a writer and the origin story of each of her books—national bestsellers The Music of Bees and Crow Talk as well as her most recent novel Bumblebee Season. Eileen will answer questions about her books, the publishing process, and how to establish a sustainable writing practice.

Cover of the book 'The Music of Bees' by Eileen Garvin, featuring a yellow and orange background with illustrations of bees and yellow squiggly lines.
Illustrated cover of the book "Crow Talk" by Eileen Garvin, featuring a mountain landscape with a lake, mountains, trees, houses, and a person in a boat, with black birds flying across the sky.

Click here for Eileen’s Instagram post inviting you to write on the Metolius…

Click here to download flyer!

Register now for an exclusive writers retreat at House on Metolius. Inspire yourself and learn from our invited author, John Larison…let’s write, together!

Friday, November 7—check-in after 2pm
Monday, November 10—check-out by 11am

This exclusive experience is for writers who are looking for a place to write that is quiet and inspiring, where creativity flows under towering mountain views or along the winding river’s edge, to make writing friends or to write alone…with a little bit of author inspiration.

John Larison was born in 1979 in Philomath, Oregon.  The son of National Geographic filmmakers, he spent much of his childhood on-assignment. While learning to write fiction, he worked as a fly-fishing and whitewater guide in the Pacific Northwest.

Inspired by these river adventures, his first novel was Holding Lies. With more inspiration from nature, his most recent novels The Ancients and western epic, Whiskey When We’re Dry were both Indie Next Picks.

John Larison standing in a cozy wood-paneled room, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and smiling

November 7-10, 2025
with John Larison

  • In this collaborative seminar, John will focus on how we discover what is awe inspiring to each of us (in nature and beyond) and move that inspiration into our own writing process and onto the page. Participants will be inspired by generative exercises, and have the option to share their work and ask questions.

  • Starting a book is never easy, but finishing one is downright Heraculian. In this seminar, John will discuss the strategies he uses to stay inspired and deliver his books across the finish line. Then he'll answer your questions about how a first-time writer finds a publisher or what an experienced writer does when stuck in the process.

  • John Larison in an intimate conversation about how he got started as a writer and the origin story of each of his books: fly fishing and river-inspired novels Holding Lies and The Ancients as well as his Indie Next Pick Whiskey When We’re Dry. John will answer questions about his books, the publishing process, and how to establish a creative writing practice.

Book cover titled "The Ancients" by John Larison, featuring a mountain range at the bottom and blurred abstract circular shapes in warm tones in the background.

Click here for John’s Instagram post inviting you to write on the Metolius…

Click here to download flyer!

Intimate Community

Limited to 16 writers, a space for deep connections and shared purpose

Pure Silence

Miles from city noise, where your only soundtrack is the river’s song

Wild Inspiration

Snow-capped peaks, ancient forests, and the crystal-clear Metolius river

Effortless Comfort

Farm-to-table meals, morning coffee, afternoon wine, thoughtful amenities

Creative Focus

Your retreat, your rhythm—shape each day around your own writing practice

Private Sanctuary

A private room and countless hideaways on our 200-acre estate

Daily Activities

Each day, guests are invited to participate in activities such as nature walks and fly fishing designed to connect with the surrounding landscape.

While you write, our chef prepares delicious meals, and you’ll always find fresh coffee, organic teas, and homemade snacks available. There are plenty of inviting spaces to sit or talk, read or write.

For additional fees, personalized mentorship sessions with the invited author can be arranged, allowing you to get feedback on what matters most.

Wooden dining table with snacks and a bottle of wine, two windows with blinds, kitchen area with appliances and shelves, tile floor.
A spacious living room with wooden walls, ceiling beams, and large windows letting in natural light. The room features a dark-colored sofa, wooden chairs, a bookshelf, and a dining area in the background.

Your Accommodations

Sunlight streaming through large wooden framed windows illuminating a dining table with a vase of white flowers inside a wood-paneled room.

Main House

Experience the perfect balance of solitude and community in our historic lodge. Each of eight private bedrooms features mountain views, a writing desk, reading chairs, and ensuite bathroom. Shared spaces offer natural gathering spots, while thoughtful design ensures quiet writing time. Step from your room to the always-stocked kitchen without leaving the building.

4 days/3 nights
$1500 per person

Private Cabin

Nestled where forest meets meadow, these spacious cabins offer ultimate creative sanctuary. Each features a full kitchen, comfortable living space, and two ensuite bedrooms—all with stunning river and mountain views. A short bridge walk connects you to the main lodge when you're ready for community, while your private retreat awaits when inspiration calls.

4 days/3 nights
$2000 per person

Prices include accommodation, all meals and snacks, morning coffee, author sessions and on-site retreat activities.

Reserve a spot!

Secure your place with a $500 deposit—fully refundable until 30 days before the retreat.

Once you reserve, we'll reach out personally to answer any questions, confirm your preferred accommodations, and arrange your final payment.

Your writing sanctuary awaits!

Deposit for Writers Retreat with Eileen Garvin, October 24-27, 2025
$500.00
Deposit for Writers Retreat with John Larison, November 7-10, 2025
$500.00

Meet Your Facilitators

Kara and Lillian will make sure everything runs smoothly, so you can focus on your writing.

Kara Johnson smiling and taking a selfie with a girl in a pink and gray knit hat in a snowy outdoor setting.
Lillian Huang Cummins sitting on a wooden porch swing, writing on a clipboard with a pink pen. She is wearing a black top, red skirt, and sunglasses on her head, with a backdrop of trees and houses.

Kara Whitney Johnson

Kara lives in Mill Valley, north of San Francisco. With Chronicle Books, she published a design manifesto focused on unexpected ways to think about the products we know and love: I Miss My Pencil. With years of experience leading creative workshops at IDEO, Kara (aka K.J. Scribbles) is excited to host this retreat, make new writing friends, learn from others and work on her next manuscript.

Lillian Huang Cummins

Lillian is a fiction writer and clinical psychologist who lives near Chicago. She is a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and teaches creative writing at Lake Forest College. Lillian is skilled in the fundamentals of creative writing and hosting this retreat is a chance to support other writers, expand her community and build literary citizenship.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Start with self-catered breakfast, then write at your own pace. Join optional activities like nature walks, meadow yoga or author conversations. Our chef prepares lunch and dinner in the main house, with wine service before dinner.

  • Private accommodation, two chef-prepared meals daily, breakfast supplies, coffee/tea service, pre-dinner wine, all programming with the featured author, and access to 200 acres of trails, river and meadow.

  • Each retreat reflects the featured author's expertise—writing with a sense of place and inspiration from nature, with Eileen Garvin; writing with a sense of awe and how to finish and publish a book, with John Larison. All genres and experience levels welcome.

  • The Main House offers private rooms with queen beds, ensuite bathrooms, writing desks, and river/mountain views. Private Cabins feature two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen, and sitting areas—perfect for those wanting extra space or bringing a partner.

  • Our private chef prepares lunch and dinner using local, seasonal ingredients. Self-catered breakfast supplies will be provided in the Main House. In the Private Cabins, writers have the option to cook in their own kitchen but no grocery supplies are provided. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice. Wine and cheese will be available before dinner.

  • This retreat is designed to be an inspiring kick-start for writers who are just starting to think about writing (with a bit of structure but not too much) and it is also designed to be a peaceful experienced writers who know what they’re doing (almost) and just need to write.

A lit fireplace with a stone surround and a metal screen in front.
A decorated outdoor dining table set with bowls of fresh fruit, floral centerpieces, glasses of water, plates, and bread, covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth, on a porch with a background of plants and a house.
Small cluster of light blue and purple wildflowers with yellow centers, surrounded by green grass and foliage.
Close-up of a weathered wooden dock edge with green moss, beside a body of water.
Sunlit wildflowers in a field, with a focus on a yellow and orange flower, surrounded by greenery and blurred flowers in the background.
Stone pathway next to a brick wall with grass and trees in the background.
Close-up of small white flowers with yellow centers growing amidst green grass and dry brown ground.
An aerial view of a winding river running through a forested area with green trees and some patches of dry land.
Scenic landscape with a river, grassy fields, trees, a wooden house, mountains in the distance, and a clear blue sky. A wooden bench with a hat and flowers on it is in the foreground.
Aerial view of a river winding through a grassy field with a dense forest in the background and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
A cluster of bright pink flowers blooming on a plant in a garden, with other greenery and a field in the background.
A mother duck leading seven ducklings swimming in a calm body of water near some green plants.
A wooden table outdoors with a black coffee mug, a cupcake with chocolate chips, a French press coffee maker, and a closed book, set against a background of trees and greenery.
A woman with long hair wearing a plaid shirt and shorts, sitting at an outdoor round table with a laptop, surrounded by four chairs on a stone patio. The scene is shaded by tall trees in a forest setting.
A round outdoor table with a blue and white geometric pattern, set with a bottle of rosé wine, two glasses of rosé, a bowl of chips, and a small bowl of dip, on a patio with wooden house and greenery in the background, in warm sunlight.
A black and white cow standing in a grassy field with trees in the background.
A rustic wooden house with a sloped roof and a chimney, surrounded by green trees and foliage, near a body of water at sunrise or sunset.
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