Harvest Host is a network of wineries, breweries, farms, golf courses and other attractions that invite RVers to stay overnight. There are no fees unless the host has installed electricity and hook-ups and will charge if you decide to use their amenities. To be a member there is a yearly fee and you must call ahead to see if the host has room for you to stay. 

We have stopped at some great places and even though there is no fee, you are expected to support the host by purchasing a local product.  Many of the hosts have stores on their farm or it might be wine from a winery.

Our beautiful Savannah Rose passed away last month from a year long battle with brain cancer. We thought at first it was dementia because her personality began to change. She didn't enjoy walking the trails anymore but loved being pushed in her stroller. She was a great kitty and traveled everywhere with us since 2011. We miss her every day.

Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. - Dr. Seuss

Our new 2021 Coachmen Beyond arrived in August 2020 and we are so excited to get back on the road. We love the layout of our new van and an extra two feet makes a huge difference. We now have a comfortable couch in the back and it easily lets back into a huge bed. Just in time to set off for Florida for the winter.

Well, on June 30, 2020 we sold our Travato 59 GL to a very nice couple from Jacksonville, FL.  Here we are without a van again and must be crazy.  We have ordered a new van and leaving the Winnebago family.  We are waiting now for our new 2021 Coachmen Beyond 22C EB Li3 AWD.  Needless to say how excited we are and counting the days until August. It will come off of assembly on July 23rd and should be ours a few weeks later.

We made our way back home from Florida early this year due to the Covid 19 scare. I guess we need to look at our to-do list for the townhouse and get busy. We did take a short trip to Don Carter State Park on Lake Lanier for a few days.

We have been searching everywhere for a 2019 Travato 59GL and finally found one in Arizona. The price was right but the logistics were crazy with two kitties so we turned it down. We finally decided to stay local and put in an order for a 2020 with the options we really want. So, she is on order with an expected delivery date of July 31, 2019.  What do we do all summer without a way to camp? It's time to do those chores around the house that are so easy to put off when you have a van waiting to take you on an adventure.

We found this 360-mile trail in the Friends of GA State Park magazine and decided to take off in June 2018 to see what we could find. 

Our trip began in Habersham County taking Hwy 441 to Cornelia GA. We visited the Train Museum, had lunch at Bigg Daddy’s and walked the City Walking Trail. We then drove to Mount Airy, GA and camped at Lake Russell Recreation Area. The last stop in Habersham County is Clarkesville GA and we stopped for lunch at Batesville General Store. The next county is Rabun County to visit the Goats On The Roof in Tiger GA. 

We crossed the Chattooga River to SC on Hwy 76 and camped at Chau Ram River County Park. We stopped in Walhalla SC to visit the Oconee History Center, but it was closed.

Our next stop is Jackson County in NC and we stopped at Gorges State Park for the views and drove through Lake Toxaway. We stopped next in Cashiers NC for lunch and drove through busy Highlands NC. We spent the night just outside of Highlands NC boondocking in Van Hook Glade Forestry Campground. 

The next county is Macon County and we walked around Franklin NC and on to Clay County. This was Sunday and we drove leisurely through Hayesville NC and on to Cherokee County. We stayed two nights in Murphy NC at our first KOA Park. Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino was less than a mile away.

Polk County is next and we drove through Ducktown TN and to Thunder Rock Recreation Area in Benton on the Ocoee River.  This is the site of the 1996 Olympics Whitewater Rafting competition. We left TN and headed back into GA and Murray County. We stayed at Fort Mountain State Park in Chatsworth, GA. The ride to the park was beautiful and a little steep.

Gilmer County is next and we drove through Ellijay GA. Carters Lake is a great camping area in Ellijay. We drove through Blue Ridge GA and one day will return to take the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway drive. We drove on down to Blairsville GA, which is in Union County to have lunch, and visited the Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center. Vogel State Park is a mile away and we snagged the last spot for the night.
 
Towns County is next on the list with Hiawassee being a big attraction but we were ready to head home. This was a great driving tour and very relaxing.
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In March 2018 we loaded up our new Winnebago Travato van and headed west. We decided to travel on I10 and didn’t make any reservations. 
 
The van was wonderful and it was so easy to stop for the night or stop and visit a museum such as the USS Kidd in Baton Rouge LA.  We had a “first for us” overnight at a casino in CA, a Holiday Inn parking lot in TX and of course many Cracker Barrel’s along the way We learned to boondock in the forest for free or as little as $5.00 with our senior card.
 
We made it through Texas and into New Mexico and stopped at White Sands National Monument. It was amazing and free with our senior pass. 
 
We reached Tucson AZ and spent a few days with Mike’s school friend, Seth, camping on his driveway. Now it’s on to Quartzsite AZ.
 
We made it through Los Angeles and reached the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Coast Highway and views of the ocean were beautiful. We were able to camp directly on the beach and feel the ocean breeze.
 
We decided to take I40 out of California and headed to Flagstaff Arizona. We visited the Walnut Canyon National Monument and camped for free on a forest road just outside of the park. Then it was on to Tasayan AZ to see the Grand Canyon. Words cannot describe the feeling when you first see the beauty and depth of the Grand Canyon. 
 
The scenery and mountains were so beautiful and we’ll never forget the red rocks of Sedona. We boondocked in the Coconino National Forest on Red Canyon Road BLM land. On to Winslow AZ to “Stand on the Corner” and followed Route 66 along I40. We drove through the Painted Desert National Park and were speechless. The colors were magnificent. We saw a few weird sites on Route 66 and enjoyed lunch at the Road Kill Cafe in Seligman, AZ  
 
We traveled back through New Mexico and made a wonderful stop in Albuquerque to have lunch with Mike’s niece, Sara, and her sweet family. We passed through Amarillo TX and on to Oklahoma and Arkansas. It was nice to see the green trees in Arkansas. 
 
The weather began to get a little rough in Arkansas and a huge storm was heading our way so we decided to head down to I20 and made our way home. What a wonderful trip.  We traveled a little over 6000 miles and visited 9 different states. 

We have taken possession of our new Travato and chose Fort Yargo in Winder, GA for our maiden voyage. We found it so easy to throw in a few clothes, pack the refrigerator and load up the cats. Off we go and found driving to be a pleasure.

Pulling into the campground and finding a site was so easy in the van. We hooked up the water and electricity in five minutes and wondered what was next. Are we forgetting to do something? This was too quick and easy! 

We spent four days learning a new way to camp. The kitties did very well in a small space and we walked them on their leashes and kept them outside during the day. We are looking forward to being more mobile.