Lost Lake Woods Club
Lincoln, Michigan
All activities at Inspiration Alcona retreats are centered at the lodge/hotel of Lost Lake Woods Club, a private gated community a few miles north of Lincoln, Michigan, near the northern edge of Alcona County. The club contains the lodge, about 500 individual homes, 10,000 acres of forest, five small lakes, a swimming beach, a golf course, tennis courts, horseback riding, lots of wildlife to watch, and more recreational facilities.
On the retreat weekend, the club will be very quiet, with few visitors besides those involved in the retreat. The lodge has daily maid service, individual climate control for all rooms, a good restaurant and large rooms for our writers to meet. Lodge rooms are comfortable and clean, but they are not fancy; it’s likely they will remind you of the 1950s. A few rooms are modernized each year, but most rooms resemble the ones shown below.
Rooms have neither television nor phone, but public areas in the lodge feature several big-screen TVs. Newer cell phones work well, but owners of older models may find they need to stand in the lodge parking lot to get a good signal. Outside class time, students will find lots of good spots inside and within a few hundred feet of the lodge to sit and relax, or go for a walk or run. Students are welcome to bring family members (at additional cost), and both students and family may golf, go horseback riding or fish on one of the lakes on the property.
You should plan to arrive at Lost Lake Woods Club after lunch on the Thursday of your retreat; check-in for both the retreat and the lodge rooms begins at 3 p.m. The Five Lakes Grille, at the lodge, will be open Thursday for dinner. At 7 p.m. we’ll start the opening night party, which features wine- and beer-tasting, along with hot and cold hors d’ oeuvres (plenty to make a big dinner unnecessary). You’ll have a chance to meet all the students and instructors during this time.
Friday and Saturday, activities will take place from approximately 9 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m. Sunday morning retreat activities will fit in the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. time frame.
Breakfast and lunch will be available at the lodge each day of the retreat for all students. If you have purchased one of the lodging and meal plans, those meals are included. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings you’ll be on your own for dinner; the Five Lakes Grille will be open, but you may want to explore other restaurants in the area.
Breakfast and lunch will be available at the lodge each day of the retreat for all students. If you have purchased one of the lodging and meal plans, those meals are included. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings you’ll be on your own for dinner; the Five Lakes Grille will be open, but you may want to explore other restaurants in the area.
On Sunday, the Lost Lake Writers Retreat ends with a farewell brunch and a final reading by participants.
