When you’ve ever been to an RV present, you’ve seemingly heard of Harvest Host. When you haven’t been to an RV present, however you or a few of your folks go tenting, there’s a excessive chance that you realize somebody that makes use of Harvest Host. So, what’s it? Is is value it? Do you have to use it? In our expertise, the reply to all of these questions is a convincing YES! I’m going to let you know why we really feel this manner, however first, for those who aren’t acquainted…
Harvest Host is an organization that has reached out to quite a few farms, wineries, distilleries, museums, breweries, and even golf programs to allow tenting at their locations of enterprise. There are a couple of restrictions. It’s good to be self contained, so you could have your personal toilet, water, and electrical. You may solely keep one evening (until particular preparations have been made with a single Host.) No tents are allowed. And, it’s solely obtainable to their members.
Anybody who meets the camper requirement can be a part of Harvest Host. The price of a primary membership (which doesn’t embrace the golf programs) is $99.00 for a 12 month interval. So no matter month you be a part of, is the month your yearly membership begins. Why would a farm or vineyard need you and your camper on their property while you aren’t paying them for a web site? Nicely, a part of the Code of Conduct that you just agree too when becoming a member of Harvest Host is that you just spend no less than $20 at every of the Host’s as a Thank You for permitting you to be there. The $20 might be for a product that they promote, a donation, a tip, or a service that they supply. These locations of enterprise acquire you as a buyer for the day in return for permitting you to camp there for the evening.
Alright, because the camper…. You’ve simply paid $99.00 to affix, and now you must pay no less than $20 for every of the Hosts that you just keep at? Sure. Let’s be trustworthy, why do you assume a number of Walmart’s assist you to keep the evening of their car parking zone. As a result of they know there’s a very excessive chance that you may be coming inside and shopping for one thing. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless value each single penny in the event you ask us. And right here is why…
First, waking up among the many grapes in a winery is much more picturesque than a Walmart car parking zone. I’m grateful for Walmart permitting this, however we want to make the most of that in an emergency state of affairs, like, we will’t hold our eyes open anymore and aren’t near the place we deliberate on being but.
Second, the price of tenting has elevated astronomically. We have now had great problem staying at any campground for lower than $20 an evening… And guess what, that $20 was at a Nationwide Forest. Now, there are utterly free dispersed tenting websites, I do know. And sure, that’s really free. But when you’re going to spend $20 to remain in a Nationwide Forest the place you don’t have any hook-up’s, why not keep at a Harvest Host the place your tenting expertise will likely be totally different than everybody else’s. When you begin paying campground price’s at State Parks, RV Parks, and Resorts, you’re looking at wherever from $40 per evening to upwards of $150 per evening at a few of the resorts. This can be a yearly price of $100, and also you get to remain at numerous unimaginable locations.
Third, the cash that we’ve been capable of save on websites, has supplied us with a possibility for experiences. Experiences like… Wine tasting’s at a winery. Photograph shoots at an outside studio. Museum excursions. Airboat rides to see the alligators. Moonshine tastings. The locations you may go, and the issues you may see, are actually infinite.
When you had a $500 tenting price range for a 4 day weekend for two folks… You spend $100 in your Harvest Host membership. With the remaining $400, you may spend 1 evening at a vineyard. Go inside, do a tasting, possibly even purchase a bottle of wine for residence. You spent about $50. On the 2nd evening, you head over to the native museum and spend $15 per individual to go inside. The third evening you go to an area farm the place they promote greens and their native honey. $20 for farm contemporary greens on the dinner desk all the time makes it style higher. You’re already 3 nights into your 4 day weekend, and also you’ve solely spent a complete of $200 of your price range and that features the price of the membership! Perhaps on the 4th evening you discover a Gator Ranch the place for $10 per individual you may stroll the alligator boardwalk. However as an alternative, since you’ve saved a lot in your different nights, you resolve to spend the $35 per individual to take the airboat journey the place you see wild alligators of their pure habitat AND you get the boardwalk. Plus now you may head out to dinner in your final evening of trip as an alternative of getting to prepare dinner within the camper.
In your 4 day weekend, you’ve accomplished a wine tasting, visited an area museum, purchased native farm contemporary vegetable, and gone on an airboat journey to see the alligators. Appears like a way more attention-grabbing 4 day weekend than simply going to the native campground.
On the Harvest Host web site, it’s $99 for the yearly membership. They generally run specials providing 15% off. Or in case you are enthusiastic about becoming a member of and there’s no low cost obtainable at the moment, you may ship us an electronic mail at [email protected] and we will offer you a private invitation to Harvest Host and a 15% off low cost.