If you are flying into Rochester
If you are driving
Upon arriving at Chapin Mill
When sesshin ends

GENERAL

When making your sesshin travel arrangements, consider:
For sesshins that start on a weeknight: check-in begins at Chapin Mill at 6:00 pm (opening ceremony starts around 8 pm)
For sesshins that start on Saturday: check-in begins at Chapin Mill at 5:00 pm (opening ceremony starts around 7 pm).

If you have not already included your travel plans on your sesshin application, e-mail the Center’s receptionist as soon as possible after sesshin decisions are made (after 2:30 pm the day after the deadline) to provide your arrival and departure information, including your airline and flight number (if applicable).

IF YOU ARE FLYING INTO ROCHESTER

Generally we try to pick up people at the Rochester airport, but as this is not always possible, be prepared to take a taxi to the Center or to Chapin Mill.

If you are picked up at the airport, please wait for your ride in the lower (baggage claim) level at the information/visitor area. The suggested donation (per person) for a ride to or from the Center or Chapin Mill is $5, to be given to the driver to help defray expenses.

People flying into the Rochester airport a day or more before sesshin starts and wanting to be picked up at the airport should arrive before 8 pm. If arriving after 8 pm you will need to take a taxi to the Center (about $25), and be sure you know the code to get in the back door.

People flying into the Rochester airport on the day sesshin starts will be contacted by the receptionist about pickup arrangements. Make sure that your flight will arrive in Rochester before 3:30 pm on the day sesshin starts; if you arrive later than 3:30, you may need to make your own arrangements for transportation to Chapin Mill (about $90 by taxi).

If your flight has been delayed and you will be arriving late for sesshin, please call the Chapin Mill emergency contact number, 585-343-5684, and leave a message.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING

Participants arriving the day of sesshin should drive directly to Chapin Mill. Directions are below, and can also be found on the Zen Center website along with a map.

The address of the Chapin Mill Retreat Center is 5357 Grist Mill Road, Batavia, NY, 14020.

From the Rochester area: Drive west from Rochester for 20 miles on I-490 to Exit #2 (Route 33 – Bergen and Batavia). (Note: Exit #2 is the second exit for Route 33; the first is just a few miles outside of Rochester.) After exiting, turn right onto Route 33 and head west toward Batavia. Continue 11 miles (at 10 miles, you’ll cross over the New York State Thruway) to a traffic light with a Mobile gas station and Crosby’s convenience store on the far right corner. At this light, turn left onto Seven Springs Road. Travel over the railroad tracks, and then in about another half mile, turn left onto Grist Mill Road, the driveway that leads to Chapin Mill Retreat Center. Follow the driveway along the pond and turn left onto Retreat Center Drive.

From other locations: Take I-90 (the New York State Thruway) to Exit 48 for Batavia. After paying the toll, turn left onto Route 98 (Oak Street). In the center of Batavia, turn left onto Route 5 (Main Street), then bear left at the fork in the middle of town, staying on Route 5. At the edge of town, Route 33 splits off at a slight angle to the left (stay on Route 5), and just past that intersection you’ll see a Rite Aid, also on the left. Go a little more than a mile and a half further and turn left onto Seven Springs Road. Travel a little less than a half mile north on Seven Springs, then turn right onto Grist Mill Road, the driveway that leads to Chapin Mill Retreat Center. Follow the driveway along the pond and turn left onto Retreat Center Drive.

If you are willing to pick someone up from the airport on the way to Chapin Mill, please contact the receptionist (receptionist@rzc.org).

UPON ARRIVING AT CHAPIN MILL

Check in with the greeters at Chapin Mill at the appointed time to get your room, shower time, zendo seat, and work assignments. You will need to see your work supervisor and possibly meet with the sesshin monitors, so it is important to be punctual. No meal is served on the first night of sesshin, but you are welcome to help yourself to leftovers, which are put out in the dining room around 4:30.

WHEN SESSHIN ENDS

Sesshin ends with a closing ceremony in the early afternoon, followed by an optional lunch, usually around 2 pm. If you are flying out of Rochester on the day that sesshin ends, please schedule a departure after 4pm. Those taking earlier flights may need to make their own arrangements for transport from Chapin Mill to the airport.

On the night after sesshin, participants may stay at Chapin Mill or at Arnold Park (if there’s room). Please let us know in advance if you’ll need a bed.

The morning after four- and seven-day sesshins, there is always a final, festive breakfast at 10:00 am in Rochester, so do stay for that if you can.