2025 Phoenix

Come back to the future and rev up to your 50th reunion in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Gather in community for fun activities, some light learning, and lots of connections with your fellow Oles and honorary Oles. 

We custom-designed this tour to introduce you to fun features and activities in Phoenix, and to create the opportunity for you to re-connect with classmates from ’76, ’77, ’78, and ’79. 

Group activities include guided tours of the Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, Taliesin West, and Musical Instrument Museum, plus an e-bike, hike, and BBQ lunch outing. There’ll also be plenty of free time for you to pursue your interests, relax in the warmth of Phoenix, or take advantage of the many amenities at our hotel,  including several pools, hot tubs, and a sand beach, five on-site restaurants, two spas, retail shops, two fitness centers, two adjacent golf courses, catch-and-release lagoon fishing, a beauty salon, and a family rec center. 

See more details below and use the Register for Phoenix button above to join us.

This trip is designed to be a long weekend in Phoenix, and to combine with our optional Third Chapter Retreat in Carefree, Arizona. You can view the first draft of the itinerary for the Phoenix adventure, and also view the itinerary for the optional Third Chapter Retreat.

You’ll get the most out of study travel if you research what to do during your free time. This allows you to reap the benefits of group travel, while also customizing the tour to your interests and activity level. Read more about How to Be an Independent Group Traveler.

After a 30+year career in banking and wealth management in the Twin Cities, Megan returned to the Hill in 2018 as a Senior Development Officer.  She graduated from St. Olaf in 1986 with a B.A. in Economics.  Megan’s assigned geographical territories include the Southeast U.S. (Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas), Colorado, Nebraska, and the Twin Cities. Megan also leads the planning for St. Olaf’s milestone 50th Reunion.

Her favorite spot on the Hill?  Any Adirondack chair within earshot of the memorial wind chimes and during any season, except winter!

Movement to group activities will be by air-conditioned, private motor coach. Movement at each museum or site will be on foot. You should be capable of walking and standing for a couple of hours at a time, of climbing in and out of a touring coach (the steps can often be large), of keeping pace with an active group of travelers on long days of traveling, and of being a considerate member of the group (prompt, courteous and flexible).

Any participant who has demonstrated an inability, in the opinion of the tour leader, of keeping up with the group or of safely participating in program activities may be prohibited from participating in certain activities.

Accommodations and several group meals are at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a beautiful Phoenix-area resort, with many amenities. (See the optional extension information above for details about the Third Chapter Retreat site.)

See more details below and use the Register for Third Chapter Retreat button above to join this optional program.

Click here to view, print, or download all the optional Third Chapter Retreat information listed below.

We invite you to join us for a retreat at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona. The sessions will equip St. Olaf alumni, family members, and friends in – or approaching – the third chapter of life to journey further down pathways of purpose and meaning for life today and tomorrow. Through active participation in reflection on our lives as Oles and honorary Oles, the retreat offers space for reflection and connections with others in similar places along life’s journey. We’ll create a vision for our vocation beyond occupation that we can take with us and bring value to the communities that matter to us (including St. Olaf!).

What Past Participants Had to Say
Deanna’s agenda was perfect for this program. I gained more than I ever thought possible.

I felt very well cared for by Deanna.

I liked how we were in session for 1.5 hours and then had time to rest and reflect in between.

The food at Spirit in the Desert was simply amazing, as was the physical space around the retreat center (labyrinth and paths). The staff at Spirit in the Desert were very welcoming. 

The flow of the program was excellent.

Length of retreat was perfect — not too long. The evening time for the group to socialize was a lot of fun.

The opportunity to share stories with strangers who became friends was a major highlight. I also greatly appreciated Deanna Thompson’s expertise, theological insights, and willingness to share her own story as it related to the topic.

Itinerary
You can view – and print or download if you wish – the most up-to-date itinerary here. It remains subject to change.

Retreat Leader
Deanna A. Thompson ’89 P ’21 is Martin E. Marty Regents Chair in Religion and the Academy and Director of the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values and Community at St. Olaf. An award-winning teacher and author of five books on topics ranging from Martin Luther and feminism to practicing hope in the face of life-threatening illness, Thompson is dedicated to drawing on resources from Lutheran tradition as well as from contemporary insights that can enhance our understanding of what it means to practice faith, hope, and love for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors. Before moving to St. Olaf to direct the Lutheran Center in 2019, Thompson was Chair and Professor of Religion at Hamline University, where she taught for over 20 years. When she’s not writing, speaking or teaching, Thompson can be found hiking in a national park with her husband and two adult  children.

Home Base
This retreat takes place at Spirit in the Desert in Carefree, Arizona. Lodging, meals, and discussions will all be held on the comfortable campus about 35 miles north of Phoenix. In addition to meeting, dining, and sleeping facilities, the center also features a worship space, meditation labyrinth, reflective walking path, fountains, the striking desert landscape, heated pool and spa, 24-hour coffee, tea, water, ice, laundry access, and Wi-Fi access throughout the site.

Price
Inclusions and exclusions vary by tour. Please read the following information carefully. The tour price is $1,406 per person for single or double occupancy. There are a limited number of single occupancy spaces. You may also register without a roommate if you are willing to be paired with a same-sex participant.

Inclusions: discussions guided by Deanna Thompson, assistance on-site by Megan Nelson, three nights’ accommodations at Spirit in the Desert, all meals from dinner on Sunday, March 16 through lunch on Wednesday, March 19.

Exclusions: Transportation to and from Spirit in the Desert is not included. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the program fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: transportation to and from Spirit in the Desert, baggage insurance, travel insurance, gratuities, laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service, or other items of a personal nature, expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities, meals other than those listed above, and items not specifically listed above as included.

Payment and Refund Schedule
This schedule is in addition to the Phoenix Pre-50th schedule. (I.e., a $500 deposit is required to register for both Phoenix and the optional Third Chapter Retreat.)

This schedule is based on payments St. Olaf College must make to tour vendors to guarantee group rates. We highly recommend that you purchase additional trip cancellation insurance at the time of registration to recover your payments should you need to withdraw from the tour.

Deposit due:                          $500 upon registration
Refund if you cancel:          $350 until July 31, 2024. If the deposit is made after July 31, 2024 there is no refund.

Balance due:                         December 1, 2024
Refund if you cancel:          None, unless the tour is full and your place can be resold

Cancellations must be in writing.

Inclusions and exclusions vary from tour to tour. Please read the following information carefully.

A high-end resort and spa during spring break month, adventures, and group meals are not bargain basement steals. The opportunity to come together with fellow interested, fun travelers? Priceless.

The tour price is $3,251, based on double occupancy. The supplement for single occupancy is $958.

Inclusions: Leadership and logistical oversight by Megan Nelson, accommodations, breakfast daily and group meals as listed on the itinerary, group activities as listed on the itinerary, ground transportation during the tour (except airport transfers if that’s how you arrive at and depart from the tour), and gratuities to group guides, drivers, and meal servers.

Exclusions: Transportation to and from Phoenix, Arizona is not included. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the tour fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: transportation to and from the tour, travel insurance of any kind, beverages at most group meals, gratuities to housekeeping staff, laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service or other items of a personal nature, expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities, lunch and dinner, unless specifically included on tour itinerary, items not specifically listed above as included.

This schedule is based on payments St. Olaf College must make to tour vendors to guarantee group rates. We highly recommend that you purchase additional trip cancellation insurance at the time of registration to recover your payments should you need to withdraw from the tour.

Deposit due:                          $500 upon registration
Refund if you cancel:          $350 until July 31, 2024. If the deposit is made after July 31, 2024 there is no refund.

Interim payment due:        $1,000 on August 1, 2024
Refund if you cancel:          $450 if you cancel before November 30, 2024

Balance due:                         December 1, 2024
Refund if you cancel:          None, unless the tour is full and your place can be resold

Cancellations must be in writing.

Read the Release & Waiver and Terms & Conditions for the Phoenix Adventure, and the Release & Waiver and Terms & Conditions for the Third Chapter Retreat.

Take time to Prepare for your adventure by checking out a variety of resources, including frequently asked questions, general health information, safety overview, and more.

Hold the dates of March 12–16, 2025 for Phoenix, and March 16–19, 2025 for the optional Third Chapter Retreat, but do not book non-refundable flights (if that’s how you decide to get to Phoenix) until we can announce the tour is a go. Meanwhile, see our Booking Your Flights page for notes and tips.