2024’s retreat is almost in the exact center of Washington state! Wenatchee Confluence State Park is beautiful and has direct access to a great trail system. For more details, check out the Retreat 2024 page.

Some fun facts about Wenatchee:

• It was known as the “Apple Capital of the World” from 1902 until 2006—104 years!—when the city updated their slogan to “Wenatchee. Meeting Rivers. Meeting Friends. Meeting Needs.” (Meh, I like the first one better.)

• “Wenatchee” has a split personality. Technically, Wenatchee is on the west side of the Columbia river and is in Chelan county. East Wenatchee is literally on the other side of the river and is a separate town in Douglas county.

• On October 5, 1931, Clyde Pangborn and his copilot Hugh Herndon landed their airplane, named the Miss Veedol, in the hills of East Wenatchee, and thus became the first aviators to fly nonstop across the Pacific Ocean from Sabishiro Beach in Japan.

• Mythical creatures like the elusive Lake Serpent are said to inhabit Wentachee Lake.

• Second graders in the Wenatchee School District study an apple unit every year.