In the event you’ve ever been to an RV present, you’ve probably heard of Harvest Host. In the event 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 already know 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 inform you 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 is advisable to be self contained, so you’ll want to have your personal rest room, water, and electrical. You’ll be able to solely keep one evening (except particular preparations have been made with a single Host.) No tents are allowed. And, it’s solely accessible 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 simply agree too when becoming a member of Harvest Host is that you simply spend at the very least $20 at every of the Host’s as a Thank You for permitting you to be there. The $20 could 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 hitch, and now you need to pay at the very least $20 for every of the Hosts that you simply keep at? Sure. Let’s be sincere, why do you suppose a number of Walmart’s can help you keep the evening of their parking zone. As a result of they know there’s a very excessive chance that you’ll be coming inside and shopping for one thing. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless value each single penny if you happen to ask us. And right here is why…
First, waking up among the many grapes in a winery is much more picturesque than a Walmart parking zone. I’m grateful for Walmart permitting this, however we favor to make the most of that in an emergency state of affairs, like, we are able to’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’ve had super issue staying at any campground for lower than $20 an evening… And guess what, that $20 was at a Nationwide Forest. Now, there are fully free dispersed tenting websites, I do know. And sure, that’s truly 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 charge’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 number of the resorts. This can be a yearly charge of $100, and also you get to remain at quite a few unbelievable locations.
Third, the cash that we now have been capable of save on websites, has offered 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.
In the event you had a $500 tenting funds 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 dwelling. You spent about $50. On the 2nd evening, you head over to the native museum and spend $15 per particular person to go inside. The third evening you go to a neighborhood farm the place they promote greens and their native honey. $20 for farm recent greens on the dinner desk at all times makes it style higher. You might be already 3 nights into your 4 day weekend, and also you’ve solely spent a complete of $200 of your funds and that features the price of the membership! Possibly on the 4th evening you discover a Gator Ranch the place for $10 per particular person you may stroll the alligator boardwalk. However as an alternative, since you’ve saved a lot in your different nights, you determine to spend the $35 per particular person to take the airboat experience 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 cook dinner within the camper.
In your 4 day weekend, you’ve achieved a wine tasting, visited a neighborhood museum, purchased native farm recent vegetable, and gone on an airboat experience to see the alligators. Feels 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 often run specials providing 15% off. Or if you’re serious about becoming a member of and there’s no low cost accessible at the moment, you may ship us an e mail at InterstateAdventuresCom@gmail.com and we are able to give you a private invitation to Harvest Host and a 15% off low cost.