Where Nature Meets Growth: The Inspiration Behind Choosing Trout Lodge
“The combination of natural beauty, welcoming facilities, and opportunities for both community and solitude is why Trout Lodge is where Resilience for Progress begins.”
When I thought about where to host the very first Resilience for Progress retreat, I researched many different options. There are countless beautiful venues out there, but when it came down to it, only one place felt right: YMCA Trout Lodge.
My connection to Trout Lodge goes back to 2008, when the all-ages summer camp I had attended since preschool relocated there. At that time, I was leading children’s programming and serving as liaison to the facility for our 400-person group. Later, I had the honor of serving as President of the same organization, coordinating workshops, schedules, and community events for a growing population of attendees. Nearly every summer since, my family and I have returned for a week together with friends who feel like family. Each visit deepened my love for the setting: the peaceful sense of being away from it all, the beautiful lake views, and the iconic YMCA camp activities like campfires, horseback riding, and adventure courses.
Some of my favorite memories are simple ones: extended conversations under the stars, late-night laughter in the cabin, relaxing by the beachfront, or walking a candlelit labyrinth. For me, returning to Trout Lodge has always felt like coming home.
For the same reasons, I came to realize it is the perfect place to invite others into the Resilience for Progress experience. The setting provides a mix of indoor meeting areas for group facilitation and outdoor spaces for reflection and personal discovery. The buffet-style dining offers a variety of choices each meal, with plenty of casual comfort food that makes you feel nourished and at ease. Accommodations offer private or shared rooms, each with its own bathroom, located just steps or a quick elevator ride from the dining hall and meeting space. Comfortable rooms, casual meals, and the surrounding natural beauty come together to create an environment away from daily routines that sets the stage for growth.
Here, participants can step back, breathe deeply, and open themselves to progress across the four pillars of the retreat:
Physical Progress: Open spaces for movement, private rooms for restful sleep, and nourishing meals to fuel the day’s work.
Personal Progress: Shared stories and experiences around the campfire or in small groups build deeper, sustaining relationships.
Professional Progress: The lodge’s meeting spaces create room to explore skills, passions, and purpose, and to imagine work that feels more fulfilling.
Prosperity Progress: Stepping away from daily obligations allows reflection on financial habits, helping participants align money with values and create lasting security.
The combination of natural beauty, welcoming facilities, and opportunities for both community and solitude is why Trout Lodge is the place where Resilience for Progress begins.
I cannot wait to welcome you to Trout Lodge this October 24-26. Come join us and discover how this special place can feel like home as you begin your own journey of resilience and progress.