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Bill's Farm Hostel
1 review for Bill's Farm Hostel
One star for quality of accommodations plus a whole star and half for uniqueness!
In my search for unique lodging, I came across Bill's Farm Hostel located in Nipomo, only a short drive from the sand dunes of Pismo Beach.
Farm animals - check.
Will work for lodging - check.
Raging environmentalist with out of control beard - check.
Strange photo of woman frolicking naked on sand dunes - check.
The split-level home didn't look out of the ordinary and certainly didnt look like it could house a farm of any sort. From the outside alone, the house could have been home to your all-American nuclear family. But little did we know...
We pulled onto Bill's front lawn and let ourselves in according to the "Please come on in" sign posted at the wide-open front door. We found ourselves wandering the halls aimlessly for some time before Bill appeared, flustered and scatterbrained. I reminded him that I had emailed and he went about giving us a tour.
A cornucopia of vegetables had exploded in Bill's kitchen and we were welcome to anything we wanted. We thought twice after spotting a mouse scampering through the food. There were also bottles of unpasteurized goat's milk labeled with dates and times in the fridge, but my lactose intolerance told me better.
The best part was the actual farm itself, which was housed in the backyard and protected by four very friendly German Shepherds. There were piggies, turkeys, horses, goats, chickens, and other animals for petting. We were particularly fond of Heidi the turkey, who was very affectionate.
Our showers were infested with spiders that loomed over our heads just out of reach of the water. We soon learned that our beds too were not protected from the arachnids. We fell asleep nervously as the 10pm curfew drew on.
We were awoken at 8am on the next morning by courtesy of Bill's bugle-trumpeting wake-up call.
Bill himself is quite the character--a hippie, a tree-hugger, an environmentalist, but most of all, a person who enjoys life to its fullest. He lives alone, but fills his days leading tours of the local habitat, tending to his animals, and entertaining hostel guests. His house is cluttered with mementos of his life and from what I could tell, he took carpe diem to heart.
Dorm accommodations are $12 a night (there's also a private room available), though two hours of work can also be substituted for the donation. There are two dorms with about six beds in each room, though we were the only guests on that weekend.
If you take it in stride, laugh off the little things (rats/spiders/sanitation), and have the right attitude, Bill's Farm Hostel is a cheap and interesting alternative for your vacation. Think of it as a destination/landmark in and of itself!
PS. Bill protests ATVs on the sand dunes, so if you're like me and manage to fly off yours and come back with fatty stitches, just tell him you tripped and fell.
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