The Orchard House
September 09, 2013
Posted By: Shaunescy
It's been a longtime family dream. To rent a house, pack up everything we need, enjoy some sun and relaxation with every amenity at our fingertips. The dream was not only to make this getaway happen but, to enjoy it with friends. A few years ago, hubby and I started scheming in investigating and planning just such a trip. We found it!
Flathead Lake is gorgeous. Polson sits at the southern end of the lake and we found The Orchard House a short 8-mile jog North of Polson on Finley Point. The house sits on a honest-to-goodness Flathead Cherry Orchard. It sleeps up to 15 people, has 2 fully stocked kitchens, towels and linens are provided. All we needed to bring was our clothes, food and beach stuff.
So why is this the dream? My kids would probably say, "Duh, mom. Vacation is fun!" And they'd be right. I mean, it's good to shake things up and step out of your day-to-day life. Plus I think that my kids grow and change so much after every trip we take. Their little bodies and minds expand as they experience new places and new adventures. And the Flathead region is stunning.
Lounging on the porch of The Orchard House with a view of the lake, a glass of wine and a fashion mag was all I needed to bring my blood pressure down and get ready to dive into the school year. With a boat slip 1/4 mile from the front door and other adventures to be had we'd all landed right where we needed to be.
This was the first ever trip any of us had taken to Polson and we were excited to partake in the lighthearted touristy attractions available there. We took the Happy Hippo adventure ride one day. Captain Bronco Bob was a complete showman. He told us bombastic lies and stories the whole time. And now, I totally have a friendship-crush and want him to come to all of my dinner parties. I loved it; despite having inadvertently punk'd my friends. Bozemama and Hermione got a little more 'adventure' than they bargained for. But the under-10 set was psyched to be soaked with a firehose in the middle of the lake. And this is where it really was great to be able to come back to the house and throw all the wet clothes into the dryer, put on fleece jackets and have a snack before dinner.
We found another cruise that was 90 minutes long, departing from the Best Western KwaTaqNuk Resort. This was a much more sophisticated affair, and while the boat cruised speedily around the lake, we simply leaned back and enjoyed the view, the sun and the breeze from the upper deck.
All in all, going to the Flathead was wonderful. Homey and comfortable, leisure and adventure, while getting to spend time with people we really like and enjoy. The Orchard House would be a great place for a family reunion or a bachelorette gathering. It was so pretty at the end of summer, but I can only imagine how incredible it looks and smells when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Maybe we'll have to go back in the spring.
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Ok, here are the nuts and bolts of planning your own Orchard House getaway!
From a very pragmatic stand point we looked at the costs of traveling as a family. Here is how it usually breaks down:
Conservative Estimates:
Hotel Room $140/day
Restaurants $20 - $30 per meal (lunch and dinner)
That alone is roughly $240/day or $1680/week for food and hotels alone for one family. Two families = $3360, Three families $5,040.
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Cost to rent the Orchard House for the week $2520
Cooking per day, this can vary a lot, but I made fish, pasta salad and more for $25. Breakfast was cereal and Lunch was sandwiches. Pretty much cut the restaurant costs in half.
So that is $50 in food and $360 for the house per day. And depending on how you split it up, with either 2 families or 3; it begins to get very economical to travel like this. Plus it's fun and a great way to build connections and traditions.
Here is the website link to the Orchard House. Just to help you dream a little bit too.
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p333553
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All my best, BunnyFufu ~ The Housewife
