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I think anyone that has been in business for over 30 years and is involved in travel deserves to be checked out. I ran across the Evergreen Club (for people over 50) and found it to be a bit unusual, so it caught my eye and I decided to speak to the owner. It turns out Linda's mother started the company 30 years ago and she is now the keeper of the flame.
It's actually a take on the idea of a Bed and Breakfast, but it has a twist. This is a people to people set up in a person's spare guest room that also includes breakfast. I know – a bit quirky, but cool at the same time.
There are 2,500 member locations across the United States and Canada. They have added a few locations in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain and here's how it works. There is an annual membership fee of $75 (very reasonable). Your host provides a guest room and breakfast and the suggested length of stay is about 3 nights – just about the amount of time you would want to have house guests! They have a standard gratuity to the home owners of $10 for a single and $15 for a double per day. You receive up-to-date details regarding each accommodation such as hosts' interests and hobbies, amenities, bed size, etc. so the guests are matched up properly. The hosts provide clean accommodations and a hearty breakfast plus good conversation and will share knowledge of their area so you can explore on your own. You can choose a home in the city, country, near the mountains or by water. Some of the homes are pet friendly which means they have a pet, so you would need to check with them if your pet would also be welcome.
This is not a commercial venture, so there will not be evening wine tastings or other guests with which to mingle, but from the sound of it, lifelong friends are made in the process between the hosts and their guests. It's very personal and they will fully refund your membership dues if you are not completely satisfied with the experience.
It seems like a win-win whether you are a host or a guest. As luck would have it, I was telling our Food Patrol, Blondee about this concept and the next day, friends of her family stopped by for a visit and it turns out, they are Evergreen Club members and have loved all their stays, so I got a first-hand “thumbs up” testimonial.
If this sounds like something that is right for you, be sure and check them out online or call their toll-free number – 800-962-2392.
Website: www.evergreenclub.com
July 31, 2023
