Hey John, these are great suggestions which I will pass along to my wife as we are looking to cut some costs coming up in our swing westward. I never know about Harvest Hosts. One thing that will change in the coming months is that we will be staying for longer duration in the west and northwest. Right now, we’re back at home as my father in law got sick (new post forthcoming), but we will take those recommendations for sure. One thing we like about KOAs is the wifi, as we both work remotely, but we’re getting the DirectTV internet package when we get back west. Great idea on the mebership pass for the museums in CA as we are going there next. Thanks much for the tips and comment!

The good news is that public campgrounds are far cheaper in the west than the east, and way more abundant. We were typically paying $10 to $15 in national parks and forests. You will probably pay more in the marquee parks like Yellowstone, though. Be aware that some have showers and flush toilets and a lot don’t. But you should start saving soon, if not already.

We were able to boondock a few times at Wal-Mart and Cabela’s, although that is a last resort. A better option, though, is Harvest Hosts. If you google it, you will find the website as well as my article on Hub Pages. It is a service that allows you to stay at farms and wineries for free (after the $30 membership), but just overnight. We have used this several times and will use it in the future. It has its drawbacks, but is far better than a parking lot.

We saved a HUGE pile of money by getting an annual membership that is part of the museum association. We joined Turtle Bay in Redding, CA and for $80, we now have access to over 300 museums and over 50 botanical gardens across the country. Check at the next museum to see what the cost of an annual membership and if it is a member of the association. Other than our purchase of the National Park Pass (I assume you bought this), this membership was our single best purchase and paid for itself in the first 2 weeks.

Ah yes how times have indeed changed. KOAs are now upwards of $40-50/night but are worth it just so we can use the shower and the toilet without having to worry about overfilling the sewer tanks. Thanks for the comment!

Eli says: Thanks matt fror the comment its good to know that someone else thinks were doing pretty good on our expenses! Cant wait to see you too! Eli

We miss you….LOVE hearing your voices and seeing your smiling faces on the videos!

xoxo