I really enjoy a glass of red wine. I’m a super moderate drinker (some might call me a light weight) but I do enjoy many types of alcoholic beverage. Tequila, however, can go fuck itself.
When you first get an RV there are at least 10,000 membership orgs that everyone tells you that ‘you must have’. They are wrong. First of all, it is expensive to join all of these clubs and the ROI is totally dependent on how you roll.
“GeT gOoD SAm” - I heard that (in that tone) everywhere I went. I got Good Sam and guess what? I didn’t use it once. Now, I’m sure there are folks who hit the RV campground circuit hard and Good Sam is a great deal for them. That’s the thing though…you have to figure out what your travel style is and make choices that make sense for you.
The only membership that I renewed after a year on the road is my Harvest Hosts membership. Let me start by saying, I am not a “blogger for hire” - if I talk about a place or product it’s because I think it’s great. I don’t get paid for this and I want you to know that this is coming from a place of just really digging it and wanting to share that with you. That said, if you decide to give it a go you should have a discount code! Here’s mine.
What is Harvest Hosts? A membership group (around $60/year) that gives you access, via an app and website, where you can hook up with vineyards, wineries, breweries, and other unexpected places. You book online and you can stay one night. There’s no fee for staying over BUT obviously the idea is that you support the small business you are staying with. I love it! It’s a way for me to learn about and support local businesses as I travel through places and my stays have been really special.
This week I stayed at 4e Winery just outside of Fargo, ND. Ooooohhhhhhhh it was pretty. The part that made me the happiest was turning the corner and seeing a big ole pride flag waving in the wind. There is nothing that calms this queer solo travelers soul quite like a pride flag in the middle of North Dakota - especially when you weren’t expecting it.
I was the only camper that night so I had the place to myself. The winery wasn't actually open because it was a Tuesday but the owners met me as I arrived and I had pre-ordered wine online for pick up. Thing is, we started talking and we had A LOT to talk about. She is a fiber artist. He is a vegan chef. They run a winery. Hello.
As we chatted we moved inside and I got to sample their wine lineup. YUM. They had just harvested their garden so they shared veggies with me. As I type, I’m cooking zucchini and lentils in my instapot with farm fresh zucchini!
I headed to the back and got set up between their garden and an endless field of wheat with a shocking number of grasshoppers…like…biblical number of grasshoppers. They stayed in the wheat though and left me alone.
The thing is, that day was day fourteen of 95-107 degree heat and Maggie was not self-regulating well despite a cooling mat and fan. It’s hard to be over 100 years old!
The deal with Harvest Hosts is that it’s mostly boondocking situations.
Boondocking is when you camp in your RV with no hook ups. So no plugging into electric, sewer, or water. I’ll talk more about boondocking another time.
These very generous humans, however, invited me to park near the barn and plug into their outlet if need be. Because HUMANS are awesome most of the time.
I did relocate to the barn and plugged in to help Maggie cool down.
It’s a good thing I did because oooooh an unexpected storm came through in the middle of the night! Hail, rain, winds, so much lightening. Maggie was absolutely terrified. I, however, was terrified for a different reason. Do you see that barn? Do you watch The Walking Dead? Did I fully expect zombie Sophia and squad to bust out of that barn at any minute? Yes. Yes I did. I mean…this is what it looked like from my bed…
It literally looks like a fucking zombie apocalypse movie. These are the moments where I remind myself what a badass I am.
Anywhooo the storm passed and while we didn’t sleep a wink, we also had air conditioning and no zombies were seen. In the morning, mother nature was all…what storm?
Do you see why I’m loving Harvest Hosts? It is a great solution when I’m doing a long travel leg and I want to break it up but don’t want the drama of an RV park or the potential trauma of a random parking lot.
Let me just tell you about one more place I stayed at because it was also AMAZING and as a fiber artist it was basically like staying in my version of heaven. Are you ready? Wait for it….
an ALPACA FARM!!!!!!! I stayed on an alpaca farm in Virginia you guys!!! Cobb Hill Alpaca Farm was amazing. I was the only RVer that night too so I had the farm to myself. The owner was so generous with his time and took me on a lengthy farm tour. I literally met every single alpaca and chicken on the farm.
and they had a beautiful shop full of everything I would ever want and I definitely spent my entire month’s budget there - happily! And they threw in a dozen eggs from my favorite chicken.
As you can see, Harvest Hosts is a great resource for me and I look forward to staying at more as I travel on. Like with anything, you have to decide if this how you want to roll or not. I love it as a stop gap solution for long travel legs as well as for fun experiences and supporting local businesses.
xo
Shannon