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Book Society

Traveling Book Club's Bookish Backyard Bird Chronicles Retreat

An Exclusive Book Society Members-Only Experience Inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles

Olema House Grid 1 - Thin Border
Olema House Grid 2 - Thin Border

Dates
Feb. 21-22, 2025

Duration
2 days, 1 night

Group Size
Intimate

Starting at
$695

Trip Highlights

Escape. Discover. Unwind.

  • Retreat to Point Reyes National Seashore with its wild coastal beauty

  • Stay at Olema House, a storied boutique hotel perfect for curious travelers

  • Witness nature's grand gathering during expert-led birdwatching

  • Learn to draw birds! Discover your inner artist in an calming sketch workshop

  • Connect with other Book Society members over locally sourced meals, wine, and shared moments

  • Rejuvenate with time to cozy up with a book, explore at your own pace, or simply breathe without an agenda

  • Share this experience with a non-member guest (see details below)

What's Included?

With a boutique partner, you don’t just travel—you gain insider access, thoughtful curation, and extraordinary moments you simply can’t book online.

  • Arrive for our carpool from Book Society or choose to meet the group in Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Leisurely walk along the coast to Abbotts Lagoon
  • Guided birdwatching excursion inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles
  • Enjoy a lovely picnic lunch
  • Sketch Journal Workshop
  • 1-night stay at Olema House, a serene luxury boutique near Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Relaxation hour for reading and rejuvenation
  • Dinner party at Due West, featuring fresh West Marin fare
  • After-hours activity with wine tasting
Olema House Fire Pit - Square
Reading and Writing Cabin - Square

Exclusive Benefits:

  • Members may bring a non-member guest
  • Pre-trip planning & coordination
  • Travel app for information and easy communication
  • Exclusive cost savings extended for our community (this trip is a $1,300+ per person value)

What's Included?

With a boutique partner, you don’t just travel—you gain insider access, thoughtful curation, and extraordinary moments you simply can’t book online.

Olema House Fire Pit - Square

Includes:

  • 1-night stay at Olema House, a serene luxury boutique near Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Guided birdwatching excursion inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles
  • Sketch Journal Workshop
  • Lunch and leisurely walk and on the coast at the Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Relaxation hour for reading and rejuvenation
  • Dinner party at Due West, featuring fresh West Marin fare
  • After-hours activity with wine tasting
  • Light breakfast
  • Morning zen practice, inspired by Book Society's Sunday in the Stacks

Exclusive Benefits:
  • Members may bring a non-member guest
  • Pre-trip planning & coordination
  • Travel app for information and easy communication
  • Exclusive cost savings extended for our community (this trip is a $1,300+ per person value)
Reading and Writing Cabin - Square
  • Gather—You have the option to carpool from Book Society or meet the group in Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Leisurely walk along the coast
  • Guided birdwatching excursion inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles
  • Picnic lunch 
  • Sketch Journal Workshop
  • Check-in for 1-night stay at Olema House, a serene luxury boutique near Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Relaxation hour for reading and rejuvenation
  • Dinner party at Due West, featuring fresh West Marin fare
  • After-hours activity with wine tasting

What's Included?

With a boutique partner, you don’t just travel—you gain insider access, thoughtful curation, and extraordinary moments you simply can’t book online.

Olema House Fire Pit - Square
  • Arrive for our carpool from Book Society or choose to meet the group in Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Leisurely walk along the coast to Abbotts Lagoon
  • Guided birdwatching excursion inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles
  • Enjoy a lovely picnic lunch
  • Sketch Journal Workshop
  • 1-night stay at Olema House, a serene luxury boutique near Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Relaxation hour for reading and rejuvenation
  • Dinner party at Due West, featuring fresh West Marin fare
  • After-hours activity with wine tasting
Reading and Writing Cabin - Square

Trip Reading List

We encourage you to connect with nature and find a little (or a lot) of joy while doing so. These reads provide opportunities to savor quiet moments and discover the intricate lives of birds.

View the full reading list on Bookshop.org or visit Book Society for a copy.

Backyard Bird Chronicles Book Cover

The Backyard Bird Chronicles

by Amy Tan—Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

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Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America Book Cover

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America

by Matt Kracht—A national bestselling book, perfect book for the birder and anti-birder alike. Take a humorous look at 50 common North American dumb birds. This snarky, illustrated handbook is equal parts profane, funny, and—let's face it—true.

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1

The Backyard Bird Journal

by Amy Tan—What are the stories in your backyard? This thoughtfully designed journal helps you channel intentional curiosity with room to write and sketch what you observe outdoors.

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Book Your Retreat

Pay your deposit in 2025 to take advantage of interest free installment plans.

 

Have a question about the retreat?

Sent us a note or book a quick chat to get all your questions answered. 

Questions?

Fill out the form below to join the interest list, receive more information, or ask us a question. We're here to help. No curiosity is too big or too small.
Field Notes

  • West Marin's rich eelgrass beds, tidal mudflats, and coastal lagoons provide an abundant food supply for migrating birds. The region's mild winter climate and protected bays make it an ideal refuge when northern breeding grounds are frozen and inhospitable.

  • February's Migrating Birds:

    • Expected arrivals:  Allen’s Hummingbird, Violet-green Swallow

    • Expected departures: Heermann’s Gull

  • Winter Weather: February brings crisp, dynamic weather to Point Reyes, a triangular peninsula with ~80 miles of shoreline. Expect daytime temperatures in the mid-50s to low 60s°F, with mornings and evenings dipping into the 40s.

Booking Terms

Book Society Members must be active as of Feb 1, 2026
Book Society Members may bring a guest

Deposits are non-refundable. Any additional payments may be refunded when canceled more than 60 days prior to the expedition date. Deposits may be transferred once to another trip departing within 12 months and incur a $100 rebooking fee. Book Society Members may also extend their deposit to Fair Travel Co.'s private trip planning concierge service.

We use these deposits not only to reserve your space on the trip, but also to lock in our favorite boutique hotels and expert guides while honoring our commitments to the local partners who make this trip extraordinary.

Read the complete booking terms and conditions.

Travel Insurance

Proof of travel insurance is required to protect you and your investment in the expedition. We are happy to advise you on any insurance considerations. Just ask!

If you prefer not to purchase travel insurance, please sign our opt-out waiver.

Includes:

  • 1-night stay at Olema House, a serene luxury boutique near Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Guided birdwatching excursion inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles
  • Sketch Journal Workshop
  • Lunch and leisurely walk and on the coast at the Point Reyes National Seashore
  • Relaxation hour for reading and rejuvenation
  • Dinner party at Due West, featuring fresh West Marin fare
  • After-hours activity with wine tasting
  • Light breakfast
  • Morning zen practice, inspired by Book Society's Sunday in the Stacks

Exclusive Benefits:
  • Members may bring a non-member guest
  • Pre-trip planning & coordination
  • Travel app for information and easy communication
  • Exclusive cost savings extended for our community (this trip is a $1,300+ per person value)

Excludes:

  • Transportation (we'll carpool from Book Society)
  • Individual Binoculars (we'll have some for the group)
  • Gratuities

Join us for a cozy, weekend escape—Inspired by Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles—to Northern California's stunning coast.

When Amy turned her attention to the birds beyond her window, she discovered something extraordinary: a world of wonder, rhythm, and beauty that had been there all along, waiting to be noticed. What began as simple observation became a profound practice—a way to savor quiet moments, connect more deeply to the natural world, and rediscover joy in the everyday.

We invite you to do the same—and in exceptional company.

Venture to West Marin, where hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl gather each winter in one of nature's most spectacular displays. Through expert-led birdwatching, a playful sketching workshop, and plenty of time to simply be, you'll cultivate the art of noticing and uncover beauty that might otherwise go unseen.

But the magic of this weekend extends beyond the birds. Picture wine-paired dinners with fellow book lovers, morning walks along windswept coastal trails, solo time with a good book in a beautifully designed space, and conversations that linger long after you've returned home. This is a chance to unplug from the noise, reconnect with what matters, and remember what it feels like to be fully present—in nature, in community, and in yourself.