Thank you for considering The Sequoia Retreat Center for your next gathering.  People from all over the world come here to reflect on, renew and reenergize the meaning and purpose of their lives and work. 

We are Scott and Diane Myers-Lipton.  As the current stewards of this very special place we look forward to welcoming you here.  Our history is intertwined with the original Sequoia Seminar.  We met at a Beyond War table in 1987 and had our marriage retreat on the grounds in 1991 with Pixie and Bob Hammond.  To honor Pixie and the support she offered many couples as they entered into commitment, we offer "Pixie's Garden" a wedding ceremony circle next to Las Alas Lodge.

History of the Site

The origins of this place trace back more than eighty years to a search for unity of the disciplines of science and religion in the belief that each sought universal truths about reality.

The Jesus as Teacher studies were brought to the west in the 1930's by Dr. Harry Rathbun* of Stanford University and his wife Emilia.  Seminars were held at Asilomar and other locations.  By the 1940's it was clear that a permanent facility was needed.  Early meetings were held in a cottage and participants stayed in tents during the two and three week summer seminars.  *[Harry's Last Lecture: click here]

Sequoia Seminar was incorporated in 1949 and the building of the lodges and cabins you will find here today began.  The first lodge was built on land at the Quaker Center in Ben Lomond.  Here the tradition of working together was begun and the goal of blending buildings with the land was met in "Casa de Luz", House of Light.  This first lodge was given to the Quaker Center in 1973.

Las Alas de Las Aguilas, Wings of the Eagle, was completed in 1973.  And thus the grounds as Learning Center was enlarged to include very special programs.  Las Alas was literally built as a "barn raising" by 100's of people.  We recently learned that each stone in the fire place was signed by the person who placed the stone - a community built this beautiful building.

In 1982, Beyond War was initiated as a movement to promote peace and unity among peoples of the world.  Scott participated in many Beyond War seminars held on the grounds. Beyond War is back, visit them at http://www.beyondwar.org/. 

In the fall of 1993, men and women from Armenia and Azerbaijan attended a week-long meeting to explore ways to end their war over Nagorno-Karabakh.  Two years earlier, leading Israelis and Palestinians held a week-long seminar which produced a working document for peace.  The document, Framework for a Public Peace Process: Toward a Peaceful Israeli-Palestinian Relationship, was distributed widely among the negotiating parties.