Due to the high demand for Vipassana courses during the winter holidays, the Northwest Vipassana Center organizes an extra course most years from Dec. 21 - Jan. 1 at the Cornet Bay Environmental Learning Center in Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor, WA (click for map). The site is set on a saltwater bay and surrounded by forest. The building used for the meditation hall can hold up to 84 students. Most of the sleeping cabins have bunk beds and hold up to 10 people. ADA accessible facilities are available.
Weather
Temperatures in December can range from 25°F (-5°C) to 50°F (15°C) with a good chance of rain. All facilities are heated, but participants must walk outside from the sleeping cabins to the meditation hall and dining hall several times during the day. Participants should bring a rain coat, rain boots, and an umbrella. For a complete list of what to bring to the course, click here.
Driving Directions:
The Cornet Bay Environmental Learning Center is located at the north end of Whidbey Island, just south of the Deception Pass bridge.
FROM I-5:
Take the Anacortes exit #230 (Highway 20 west). Go about 10 miles. Turn left (South) at the traffic light marked for Oak Harbor and Deception Pass. Continue South for approximately 5 miles. One mile after the bridge turn left at the traffic light onto Cornet Bay Road. Go a quarter of a mile and turn left into the driveway for the Environmental Learning Center. From the parking lot it is a short walk to the dining hall, where registration will take place. Driving time is about 1 hour 45 minutes from Seattle, 1 hour 10 minutes from Bellingham.
FROM OLYMPIC PENNINSULA:
Take US 101 or 104 to Highway 20 east. Drive about 13 miles to Port Townsend and take the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry (for ferry information, visit WA State Ferries). Crossing time is 30 minutes. Continue on Highway 20 east for about 23 miles. Turn right at the traffic light onto Cornet Bay Road. Go a quarter of a mile and turn left into the driveway for the Environmental Learning Center. From the parking lot it is a short walk to the dining hall, where registration will take place. Driving time from the Keystone ferry terminal is about 1 hour.
Transportation Options
Ride Sharing
If you can offer others a ride to the course, or if you need a ride, please visit our online ride-share board. From this page, you can send email to other participants in your area who need or can offer a ride, or you can add youself to the list so other people can contact you. No personal contact information is displayed on the page. One can send someone on the list an email with their contact information, but the sender will not see the recipient's email address when they do so. The recipient can choose whether or not to respond. Note that many participants may not add themselves to the list until a week or two before the course starts.
Train Service to Everett or Mount Vernon, WA: Amtrak, 1-800-872-7245
Bus Service to Everett or Mount Vernon, WA: Greyhound, 1-800-231-2222
Shuttle from SeaTac airport to Oak Harbor, WA: Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, 877-679-4003 or www.seatacshuttle.com. One-way fare is $36, round-trip is $64 (plus fuel surcharge). Make reservations to/from the North Oak Harbor stop (Liberty Valero Gas Station).
Bus from Oak Harbor to Deception Pass State Park: Island Transit, 800-240-8747 or www.islandtransit.org. All fares are free.
The following options take more time, but are less expensive:
Bus from Seattle area, SeaTac airport, or Everett to Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry Terminal: King County Metro Transit, 206-553-3000 or http://transit.metrokc.gov/. One-way fare is $2.
Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry: Washington State Ferries, 206-464-6400 or www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. One-way fare is $3.40.
Bus from Clinton to Oak Harbor and Oak Harbor to Deception Pass State Park: Island Transit, 800-240-8747 or www.islandtransit.org. All fares are free.
You can reach the course management on-site at Cornet Bay at 360-279-1005 beginning at 11:00 am on the day the course starts to arrange for a pick-up at the Liberty Valero Gas Station. Please do not call this number before that time. If you have questions, call the number listed below or send us an email.
Contact us:
Northwest Vipassana Center
445 Gore Rd.
Onalaska, WA 98570
Center Management:
Phone: 360-978-5434
Fax: 360-978-5433
| Registration:
Seattle: 206-508-1489
Olympia: 360-350-1985
Portland: 503-573-1232
Fax: 360-242-5988
registration@kunja.dhamma.org |
