Have you heard about Harvest Hosts?

 

Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, VA

If you have been reading our blog the past few years then, yes, you have heard of Harvest Hosts. But do you know what it is? No? Well, let us tell you.

Harvest Hosts is an organization in which RVers can purchase a yearly membership. The membership allows RVers to boondock (that means no amenities like water and electricity) overnight  at designated establishments throughout the country at no charge (of course one is expected to make a purchase at the establishment.) Yeah, we know, one can do that at Walmart or Cracker Barrel without a club membership. But that is so boring and noisy. With Harvest Hosts we have stayed at wineries and breweries (okay, maybe that is what initially got our attention.) We have also parked at an alpaca farm, a sugar maple farm, a lavender farm, in a peach orchard, at a car dealership, a date farm, and the list goes on. The best part is we get off the interstate and usually into a small town or rural area. We meet people in the communities and often other travelers. It just feeds our adventurous souls.

This past week we had a fun time at the Orange County Distillery near New Hampton, NY. In addition to spirits, they offer wine and beer (including an outstanding Southern Tier Pumpkin Ale that was just right for a crisp fall New England evening.)

 

We listened to live music and chatted with the locals.

Let’s just get this out there, New York is more than New York City! This is the third brewery at which we have parked in rural New York. The folks are the friendly, blue jeans and flannel shirt types, just like us.

Sharing our space was a couple from Canada.

Next we stayed at The Appalachian Brewing Company in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

 

This was a rare dud. Basically, it is a restaurant with a large parking lot next to a Tesla dealership in a metropolitan area. The food and beer was okay but nothing special. The staff was pleasant as one would expect in a restaurant but no personal interaction.

 

Five or six other rigs were in the parking lot, we spoke with a couple from Colorado but there was no common gathering place.  It was pretty much like staying in a Walmart parking lot.

The next night’s stay at Barren Ridge Winery

overlooking the beautiful Shenandoah Valley made up for the dud.

We visited with a local couple as we sipped wine on the patio.

Most interesting was Captain’s conversation with the owner. At age 83 (yes, she revealed her age and also indicated Captain was not that far behind her) she is still actively engaged in running the winery. She stopped by the RV on her way home to invite us back the next afternoon to listen to a musician from Sweden. Unfortunately we were already committed and couldn’t stay over.

 Driving through Massachusetts, Connecticut and the Poconos was stunningly beautiful.

 

We could share about 6 hours of video but will spare you and show only a clip that might inspire you to experience the Northeast in the fall if you have not already done so.

 We parked overnight in the driveway of our good friends, Steve and Wendy.

You might remember them from earlier posts as we have visited them multiple times in West Texas. Recently they moved from Andrews, Texas to Johnson City, Tennessee.

As an unofficial tour guide, Wendy gave us a tour of Jonesborough, the oldest city in Tennessee.

 

 

Wendy is doing a great job as she has only lived in the area for a little over a year and she now understands the challenge of finding parking for an RV.  (It was great, Wendy, thank you so much!)

We continued to enjoy the fall colors as we drove through the Appalachian Mountains.

 

 

Today we are back in familiar territory.

 

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”  Mark Twain