Editor’s observe: Every month, we wish to introduce one in all our great Glamping Hub hosts and ask what impressed them to create a glamping website. This month, we’re showcasing Glamping Hub’s Host of the Month for November 2022, Rusty and Cecelia in Oakhurst California. This internet hosting couple started their glamping website by changing an outdated caboose right into a visitor house and has since added an adventurous treehouse and mountain suite. This heat and welcoming duo is at the moment setting up three extra domes in Baja Califonia, New Mexico, so as to add to their enjoyable glamping websites.
Inform us a bit about your self
My spouse, Cecelia, and I’ve been doing trip leases since 2011, beginning with the caboose close to Yosemite. After 30 years of educating, teaching golf, and being an athletic director, I hung up schooling for development. In the course of the COVID pandemic, I obtained my contractor’s license and began my very own enterprise specializing in serving to others begin their very own trip leases. We’re each educators, effectively one in all us continues to be an educator. As soon as Cecelia retires we plan to broaden our trip rental in La Ribera, Baja California, by including three domes we’re at the moment setting up to the property. Life has been one journey after one other, however we love all of them.
What attracted you to proudly owning a glamping property?
Truly, a pal of ours had a double-wide cell house as a trip rental and satisfied us to leap into the holiday rental enterprise. Sharing our distinctive and peaceable locations in addition to assembly new individuals is a good expertise. With the ability to share tales over a glass of wine with company means we be taught many desirable issues about individuals from locations across the USA and the world.
Each glamping website has a particular story, may you inform us about yours?
Our story begins with us buying a five-acre property that had a tremendous forest of pines and oak bushes with a somewhat unremarkable home on it. Through the years now we have lived by the John Muir mantra: “Wherever you go, depart the place higher than once you got here.” So, with that in thoughts, now we have cleared brush and cleaned up our 5 acres to create a peaceable sanctuary the place individuals can get away to relaxation and chill out. Together with tending the land, we transformed the home into our personal Oetinger design. All the development and design work was performed by my spouse and me. The one factor we subbed out was the drywall, we hate doing drywall.
While you stay close to Yosemite, associates, and household are likely to migrate towards your private home, so we began having lots of guests. Regardless of increasing the home, we simply didn’t have sufficient room, and I obtained the loopy thought to buy the deserted Santa Fe Caboose on the town. Earlier than retiring as a trip rental, the caboose was an deserted Mexican restaurant. I believed I used to be lowballing the proprietor after I supplied him $2000 for the caboose. To my shock, he didn’t even haggle. I understood why later after I needed to rent an enormous crane, and two semi-trucks to maneuver the factor to my property. $7000 later, I nonetheless figured I obtained a cut price. I spent the following yr and a half, cleansing it out and refurbishing it. Within the spring of 2011, we opened the caboose as a trip rental and have by no means seemed again. Since then, we added a 300 sq. ft. treehouse. Initially, it was for my youngsters however they like their outdated rooms and so the treehouse has joined our leases. It has been an actual journey ever since.
What are among the challenges you face and what have you ever discovered since opening?
The challenges that we face are about the right way to keep nice service whereas we’re touring. We have now discovered that this can be very necessary to rent nice individuals to work with. The best problem is attempting to be too excellent. What I imply by that’s; you will need to notice that issues don’t all the time run easily or completely and that’s the nature of the enterprise. Most company settle for our particular place for what it’s and find it irresistible as a lot as we do.
How was your first time internet hosting?
Our first-time internet hosting was excellent! We hosted a pair from Washington DC. We gave all of them the details about the place and the native information concerning Yosemite and the encircling space. The humorous factor was, that they got here again from their journey to Yosemite and simply frolicked with us, whereas we labored on our backyard planting tomatoes. We ended up getting invited to go to them in DC.
Are you able to inform us about your most memorable visitor expertise up to now?
Our most memorable visitor expertise was with two {couples} from LA. The household got here to stick with us to rejoice their birthdays. They had been an Armenian household and straight away, I knew we had been going to be good associates. As quickly as I checked them in, they’d me keep and inform me all in regards to the caboose and its story. They stunned my household by cooking us a conventional Armenian dinner the following night. They had been treating us as if we had been company. At dinner, I discovered issues in regards to the Armenian genocide that I had by no means heard of and had among the most superb meals I’ve ever tasted. How the ladies cooked a seven-course meal with a toaster oven, microwave, and a scorching plate, is past me. Wonderful! They left and made us promise to go to them in LA. Two months later we had been consuming extra Armenian meals of their home. We’re nice associates to today.
For those who may have anyone keep at your lodging, who wouldn’t it be and why?
I might like to have Denzel Washington keep. It might be nice to get to know him as an individual somewhat than a celeb. We may hang around across the hearth pit and share tales over good meals and good whiskey. He comes throughout as an individual who embraces life and lives it to the fullest. I believe he would find it irresistible right here.
The place is your supreme vacation vacation spot? Apart from your glamping property after all!
Our favorites are Roatán in Honduras or wherever in Thailand. Thailand could be our favourite. We love every part about Thailand, the meals, the individuals, the surf, scuba diving, the nice and cozy water, and the enjoyable vibe that simply appears to permeate every part.
What do you like probably the most about operating a glamping website?
We love the individuals. Undoubtedly assembly new individuals! We love sitting and sharing tales and listening to about all of the issues happening in several components of the nation and the world. Having the chance to hang around with company is de facto superior.
What recommendation would you give to anybody trying to begin or enhance their very own glamping enterprise?
The perfect recommendation we may give is to make your house distinctive and to deal with each visitor as if they’re household. Welcome them and make them really feel heat and comfy. Give as a lot native information as doable and assist them to have probably the most satisfying expertise they’ll. I can’t inform you what number of instances now we have had dinner with company in our house as a result of I occurred to be cooking one thing on the BBQ. So lots of our company have written in our visitor e book about hanging out with us, somewhat than writing in regards to the superb Yosemite Valley. It makes us proud to know that we made them really feel like locals for a short while.
Our group of hosts means every part to us right here at Glamping Hub, which is why we like to share their tales in our Host of the Month function. If you wish to be welcomed like an outdated pal and revel in a really native getaway, e book this treehouse close to Yosemite, California. Rusty and Cecelia are positive to make you’re feeling at house once you lease this cozy caboose in Oakhurst. You’ll really feel identical to household once you keep on this cozy mountain suite close to Yosemite Nationwide Park. In Mexico? Benefit from the couple’s heat hospitality in La Ribera, Baja California.
Have you ever stayed with one in all our unimaginable hosts lately and want to nominate them for Glamping Hub’s Host of the Month? Ship us a message through Fb or Instagram explaining who you’ve chosen and why!
In case you are considering making a glamping resort, discover out extra details about how we will help you develop or begin a glamping enterprise by Develop with Glamping Hub.
