The Lake House Writers Retreat at Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

Opening August 15, the Lake House Writers' Retreat at Chesapeake Bay, Virginia sits directly on Healy’s Mill Pond, a freshwater lake feeding into Virginia's Piankatank River. The majestic Piankatank meets the Chesapeake Bay about six miles downstream from The Lake House at Stingray Point, named by Captain John Smith’s men at the point of his departure to England in 1609. Most Virginia natives now call this area as “The Rivah,” (as if there were just one!) where breathtaking sunrises and sunsets are surpassed only by the delicious seafood and relaxed pace of fertile farmland and small town America.

Open year-round, The Lake House permits you to savor all four seasons’ display of their own charm and beauty. The lake lends its own sense of timelessness, surrounded by trees and wildlife that have seen a hundred decades of cohabitants and guests.

At The Lake House Writers' Retreat, you will RELAX at this natural bird sanctuary with turtle watching, hammock hibernating, (maybe fishing or golfing); RENEW your spirit with walking/hiking in the woods or along the country roads, regain your private space with peace and quiet inside and out; REFRESH your brain with uninterrupted time to think, get ideas from onsite speakers/writers' resources, and/or be coached by an experienced speaker or writer.
The Lake House Writers' Retreat at Chesapeake Bay, Virginia offers individualized writing consultation and mentoring at an additional cost. Both onsite and offsite mentoring are arranged to fit your speaking, training design, or writing needs. We will discuss your writing interests and experience, and make arrangements for published authors and/or writing coaches to provide the type of mentoring you seek. Virtual Editing and Layout Services are also available.
There is no onsite resident host, so you may have the whole house peacefully to yourself. Ask about our whole house exclusive!

Inside The Lake House, the amenities are customized for speakers and writers. Each room’s ambiance is inspired from the fountain pen brand for which it is named—Sheaffer, Skipper, Parker, MontBlanc & Asian. The Sheaffer Room greets you with surround-sound of the lake and its wildlife. The full-length lake views on all sides of the open living/dining/kitchen area provide a variety of spots to inspire great thoughts. There are three work spaces with a lake view in the Sheaffer Room. You might just want to spend your entire time there.

The Sheaffer Room full-kitchen is stocked with utensils and staples, allowing you to cook your own food if desired. Or you may take advantage of our Concierge Service and pre-select your complete meals to be delivered to you directly in the Sheaffer Room dining area. This option allows you maximum time to focus on your writing or project, and keeps hunger from interrupting your train of thought.

The Parker Room, the Skipper Room, and the MontBlanc/Asian Room are studios with private bed and workroom. Each room has a desk/workspace with a water-view from its window, a bookcase with dictionary and thesaurus, and plenty of outlets and surge protectors for your own equipment. An assortment of speakers/writers resources are available in these rooms.
 

Charlyne Meinhard, retreat operator is a management consultant with 20+ years of experience in human resource development and business leadership/management. She is Adjunct Professor at University of Richmond, teaching adults in training and organization development.
Charlyne is a frequent speaker and workshop leader, and author of two business books. She is an experienced coach for presentation skills, developing training workshops, writing strategic plans and business proposals.

Other active members of National Speakers Association are available as coaches in their areas of expertise: writing your speech, book writing, publishing with a name publisher, self-publishing, developing your speaking business, marketing your book, and more.
www.virginia.org




 

Residents receive a complimentary critique of their work from on-site mentor:  There is no on-site mentor.

Region:  The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries have attracted human settlement for thousands of years. The Bay influenced where and how people lived in its watershed. to shape it. Hartfield, Virginia 23071 is one of the many small towns in rural Middlesex County located in Virginia's middle peninsula of the Chesapeake Bay. This territory is as historic as it is beautiful. History and nature intersect in the Chesapeake Bay to create a place with endless potential for discovery. Now covered with farms, it was once ruled by King Powhatan and his tribes, and was playground to Princess Pocahontas and her friends and family. This is The Land of Pleasant Living—Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay area. The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail provides opportunities to explore and learn about the extraordinary Chesapeake, following the same winding rivers, marveling in deep forest and lush marshland, and exclaiming at scenic shorelines and open water as did, we are sure, the good Captain himself. Once you’re at The Lake House, you are a: 1 min drive to Piankatank River Golf Club; 2 min drive to a sand beach at Rappahannock River; 13 min drive to Stingray Point where Rivers meet the Chesapeake Bay of the Atlantic Ocean; 14 min drive to Urbanna, Home of the annual Oyster Festival (and “real” handmade limeades at the local drug-store soda fountain.)

Location:  The retreat is located in Hartfield, VA; three hours from Washington, DC, 75 minutes from Richmond and 1 hour 20 minutes from Norfolk, Virginia.

Closest airport:  (Recommended for direct flight)--Richmond International Airport: Richmond, VA--58 miles, 1 hr 11 min. drive; (Alternative)--Newport News/Williamsburg Airport: Newport News, VA--40.4 miles, 57 min. drive

Tourism information:  Virginia Tourism Bureau

Studios/Rates:  

Payment terms:  To guarantee your reservation, you will be confirmed upon receipt of 50% non-refundable deposit. Balance is due upon arrival.

Cancellation policy:  Re-schedules are possible, no refunds. Trip cancellation insurance is strongly advised and can be obtained through your travel agent.

A sampling of memories from our residents

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