The Great West Trip Part 1

For our big trip, we talked about either going north or west. It just happened that the northern US was being pounded by a lot of rain, so we decided to go west. One of the reasons for that decision was that I (Mary) had never been to Utah. I wanted to see Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Arches. Plus, I wanted to see some places in Colorado that Robert talked about. We decided that we wouldn't push ourselves and would take our time. We didn't make any reservations except for the Harvest Hosts on the way to the Badlands. 
We made our way out of TN with the first Harvest Host as the first goal. We ended up leaving a day later than expected because of an issue with our cabin air conditioner. We took it by the dealer where we purchased the van only to be told that the battery was okay. I'm not sure if they didn't understand that we knew the battery was okay; it was the AC that needed to be looked at. In hindsight, when Robert bought it, I think he just checked to make sure that it was blowing and not that it was cooling. Anyway, we made the decision to go ahead with the trip without a working AC unit in the cabin; if it was too hot at night we would just get a hotel room. This actually worked extremely well for us. We ended up staying a few nights in hotels but opening the window above the bed and turning on the MaxxAir was all we needed. 
Holt RV Service was our first host. We spent the night of the 4th of July there. They were so very welcoming, even though they had a family party happening that night. We were treated to fireworks and nice conversation. If you're thinking, "Couldn't he have fixed the AC?", the answer is "no" due to the voltage of our AC. 

Nice spot at Holt RV Service

They have a super friendly cat that we had to make sure we didn't take along with us when we left the next day.

The next stop was my sister's house in Missouri, just north of Kansas City. We ended up spending a couple of nights there so I could have my sister time, then headed to the next Harvest Host site in Iowa. Stensland Family Farm is a working dairy farm. We dealt with flies, but it is a dairy farm. The parking was in the parking lot which was very level and quiet. We got a quick tour of how the freeze-dried ice cream was made and were given some samples. There is a small store with a pizza maker, ice cream, and cheese. You pay via the honor system which means if you want to use a credit card you have to make a phone call. They ended up getting a bit of a tip since we didn't have exact change.

View heading toward the farm

View from the front of the van

We parked in the parking lot but it was a quiet night. There was one other camper who came in while we were there.

It's a working dairy farm....you've gotta take a picture with a cow (real or not!)

On to the Badlands! On our previous trip out west we drove past this National Park but didn't actually go into it. This was one place I knew I had to visit and it definitely didn't disappoint. The scenery was breathtaking! We found an amazing place to Boondock, along with about 100 other people. You'll want to make sure you get to this space in the afternoon; if you wait until the evening you won't be able to find the best spot.

The view from our van

We spent 2 nights on the Pinnacles (also called "Badlands Boondocking Area" or "Badlands Boondock Campspot" on Google Maps). The whole drive through the Badlands was just breathtaking. We rode through the "loop" when we got there, found a spot to spend the night, and then spent the next day going back through the park at a much slower pace. We showered at the campground and then headed back to the Pinnacles to find a spot for the night. 

We had been advised to be aware of the wind. We had a young couple in a tent in back of us. Luckily the winds weren't too bad that night and their tent didn't end up against the van. We ended up seeing the couple again a couple of days after that on the interstate to Billings. It was very cool to have someone to wave to when we were so far away from home. 

From the Badlands, we started heading north/northwest. We had the luxury of taking our time deciding where we were going to go next as we drove along. We averaged 4-5 hours of driving each day which was perfect for us. I was already amazed at how beautiful this area of the country is; there was much more to come!

Harvest Hosts: Tsali Notch Vineyard, Madisonville, TN

Night 2 of our anniversary weekend trying out Harvest Hosts was spent at Tsali Notch Vineyards in Madisonville, TN. We were there an hour before we said we would be, but JD welcomed us with open arms and told us to head into the Tasting Room to let them know we were there. It was only about a 20-minute drive from Grain Bin Commodities so if you wanted to stay at the Vineyard and make a pastry run, you could. (Just a suggestion!) If you're coming from I75, the drive is only about 10 miles from the exit so it's not too far out of the way. The vineyard is also just down the road from The Lost Sea so you could spend the day exploring the world's largest underground lake and then stay the night.

Entrance to Tsali Notch Vineyards

When we arrived JD was prepping for an event so we tried to just stay out of the way. I managed to get in the wine tasting ($10) before it started raining. Tsali Notch is a Muscadine vineyard, and, being a red-wine girl, I wasn't sure how I would like the wines. But I managed to find a couple that I liked, so again, I had no trouble spending the suggested $20 for staying the night. The Chatsworth is a dry red with just a hint of sweetness. Even the French Broad (rosé) surprised me. Their juice is pure juice from the Muscadine; no sweeteners are added...or needed. 

The Tasting Room

While it rained, Robert napped and I read. Even with an event happening at the bottom of the hill, it was extremely quiet and peaceful. 

View from the side window as it rained.

The view looking out of the windshield

Our site for the night was just beautiful. There was one other van that came in later; their view was awesome as well.

We parked right across the road from one of the vineyards

Perfect spot!

Our view from behind the van before the rain.

We had asked ahead of time if we could set up our gazebo and were given the go-ahead. There were storms in the forecast so we decided not to put it up in case the wind picked up. It ended up just raining, which was fine since we had such a nice quiet afternoon. The views after the rain were even more spectacular:

Mist over the vineyard after the rain

Low-lying cloud in the distance

More clouds in the distance

More views of the vineyard:

I loved these Tennessee Tri-Star fire pits

In the above picture, the building on the left is the Jackson Lounge, where the restrooms are housed. The restrooms were kept open at night and weren't that far of a walk from the van. That made it really nice so we didn't have to use the van toilet. Also, the gates are closed at night, but when we left around 9:00 the next morning, they were already open. As we drove away, I made Robert stop so I could jump out and take a few more pictures of the vineyard in the morning mist.

Looking out over the main vineyards

The Event Barn

Both nights during our weekend were A+! Harvest Hosts is a great way to discover unique places in your area of the country that you may not have known existed. It may not be your typical camping experience, but what a great way to support small businesses! 

Have you heard about Harvest Hosts? It's an RV camping membership that has opened up exciting and new overnight experiences for my road trips! Use it to unlock unlimited overnight stays at locations such as farms, wineries, museums and so much more. The network has over 4000 locations and is expanding daily - and it's so much fun! I think that you'd really enjoy it. Here is the link to join with a special discount: Flyin' the Coop Harvest Hosts Invitation . Check it out and let me know what you think!

Harvest Hosts: Grain Bin Commodities in Sweetwater, TN

I bought a Harvest Hosts membership in April during National Parks Month for $20 off of the original price. I thought we'd try it out and see if we would use it enough to make it worth the money. We wanted to try it out at a couple of places near our home before we hit the road and need to use it. We chose our anniversary weekend to spend the night on a farm and a vineyard about an hour away.

Friday night was spent at Grain Bin Commodities. This unique farm has a bakery right in the middle of it. Craig met us as we pulled in and showed us around the bakery while telling us the story of how they got started. He led us to some options to stay and was extremely accommodating. We were able to finally sleep with the back doors open to enjoy the fresh country air and late spring breezes.

Entrance to Grain Bin Commodities. There is a little dip just as you go in so if you have a bigger rig you may scrape.

The camping spots are just beyond the field. There were several flat ones to choose from.

We were at the bakery just before 9:00 the next morning to buy goodies for breakfast, as well as some to take with us. 

They have an event barn for private events.

We enjoyed our breakfast on the patio.

The views were gorgeous.

How relaxing would this be to sit here with coffee and a book, just watching the world go by!

The outdoor fireplace would be perfect for cool fall nights.

Callie & Craig paid close attention to every detail on the grounds.

And even in the bathrooms!

We had no trouble spending the requested $20. It was hard to choose what to buy.

But we did make a choice:

Night one of our Harvest Hosts weekend was a hit.  Maeve Anne continues to perform just as she should.

Stay tuned for our second night...

Have you heard about Harvest Hosts? It's an RV camping membership that has opened up exciting and new overnight experiences for my road trips! Use it to unlock unlimited overnight stays at locations such as farms, wineries, museums and so much more. The network has over 4000 locations and is expanding daily - and it's so much fun! I think that you'd really enjoy it. Here is the link to join with a special discount: Flyin' the Coop Harvest Hosts Invitation. Check it out and let me know what you think!