Retreat Tips & Hints: Optimizing Your Stay at the Rainforest Writers Village

We’re in the rainforest. Bring an umbrella (Or a good hat, or a good jacket). We've had snow before, too!

Hiking trails start very near to the resort. Bring plenty of layers, and a waterproof or water resistant jacket. Bring solid hiking footwear. Given the condition of some of the hiking trails, a walking stick could be very helpful.

Most of you will have laptops, so bring your power supply and cord in order to recharge from time spent in areas where outlets are scarce. Also consider bringing an extension cord or power strip, so that when in community areas you can reach (and share) limited outlets.

Internet service on the resort is available in the Lounge (community writing area). The resort has recently upgraded its system and boosted its signal. More areas of the resort now can get onto the (free) wireless signal. But...sometimes it comes and goes. And sometimes slow.

There are no telephones in any of the rooms or cabins. There’s a phone in the resort store for emergencies.

Cell phone service is spotty. (You really just wanted to write, didn’t you!?)

There's a competition for biggest word count! Stretch those writing muscles ahead of time and join the fun.

Bring food and snacks with you. The resort has a great little store for those things you’ve forgotten (or run out of). Befriend a guest who has a cabin with a kitchen! You'll also be able to graze goodies in Cabin #6: There will always be fixings available for sandwiches and salads. Also: fruits, veggies, sodas, water, and snacks and desserts.

Cabin #6, the retreat office, has an open door policy, day and night. You can come in any time you like to grab a snack, or small meal, or update the word count board. Several writer discussions will happen here too, as well as a few group meals.

Bring cozy blankets. Bring a comfort item or two.

Don't forget the camera and/or video camera.

Bring extra money to spend at the resort gift shop (very reasonable prices!), as well as the restaurant. Support our friends at the Rain Forest Resort Village!

For those writers who write in the lounge, optical mice don't always work with the tabletops in there, so make sure to bring a mousepad.

Think about bringing a backup USB stick or portable hard drive so that all that hard work you've done isn't lost if the laptop hard drive fails.

When in the lounge writing, when it is not the normal business hours (4-9 pm), loud conversations are bad news. Take it outside or to the restaurant. We've had complaints before about this.

The lounge and restauraunt are open to the public during their normal business hours, so do realize that other guests and locals will be coming in there. If you can write during the hub-bub, no worries! The resort asks that you do not take up more than one table. If you're settled at a table in the lounge, do not leave your things there to go eat in the restaurant. Either pack that table up, or eat in the lounge at your table.

Because of state liquor laws, no alcohol from the outside can be in the lounge at any time, even after business hours.

Past participants: Email Patrick with other helpful tips you suggest that can be added here.