Witnessing the sun rise, brightening vineyard hillsides. Sipping wine flights on a gorgeous mountainside patio. The opportunity to purchase artisan cheese on the actual dairy farm where it was made. Conversations with an award-winning winemaker. Watching the sun set across expansive, rippling farm fields. Peaceful scenes. New views on life, inspired—likewise—by the unique vistas.
Over the past few months, my husband and I have experienced one-of-a-kind travel adventures within an hour’s drive of Harrisburg. It’s been a complete turnaround, after a pandemic year of shutdowns brought our travels to a halt. But our 2021 adventures have been possible because of two purchases. One was a splurge to celebrate our 30th anniversary— a shiny new RV—and the second was a membership that cost less than $100. Becoming Harvest Hosts members opened an entire world of unique travel experiences—the ability to park our new wheels where virtually no one else ever stays: gorgeous wineries, innovative breweries, and the most Americana of all small businesses—pastoral family farms.
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Enter Harvest Hosts
The thing that surprises people the most about Harvest Hosts is that, once you join, your RV stays are free. Here’s how it works.
A fairly new and growing opportunity for RV owners, Harvest Hosts is a nationwide network of more than 2,500 wineries, breweries, farmers, and other attractions that welcome overnight RVers—at no cost—but with an understanding that RVers will patronize their wine tastings, farmers’ markets, or restaurants in exchange for that free—and truly unique—overnight accommodation.
Many Harvest Host locations are beautiful, undiscovered gems where no one but RV owners can actually stay. There are generally no services such as no water hookups or electricity. But for one night at a time, RVers can do what’s called “boondocking” or dry camping, relying on solar panels or generators to power their mini houses on wheels, if needed.
“Our membership base has more than doubled in the last year, growing past 200,000 members,” says Joel Holland, the Coloradobased CEO of Harvest Hosts. “The pandemic forced people to reconsider their travel options, such as road trips—and RVing emerged as the cheaper, safer, easier, and more adventurous way to travel. It helped Harvest Hosts cultivate a strong community, ready to travel and help support other businesses financially.”
In Pennsylvania, there are 90 Harvest Host locations, ranging from traditional family farms, alpaca and Christmas tree farms, and even a reindeer farm. There are also many distilleries and wineries with tastings and restaurants available, farmer’s markets, plus a handful of museums and attractions.
The Rise in RVs
Chances are, you’ve noticed more RVs on the road. That’s because RV sales are booming. This year, 2021, is predicted to be a banner year for “recreational vehicles.” The industry is on pace for a 20% increase in sales—the highest annual total RV sales on record, around 500,000 units.
The upswing is due to several factors: airline and other pandemic travel hesitancy, and increases in RV-based and location-independent remote workers including families with home-schooled or online learners. In essence, more Americans than ever before are experiencing the flexibility and desire to hit the road, explore, and travel.
One issue my husband and I have run into is that increased outdoor adventure means record-breaking local, state and national park attendance—and booked campgrounds
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RV Ripple Effects
Each Harvest Host location could be a destination in itself. Not only does each one offer a unique experience—the chance to connect with agricultural makers, walk their properties, feed their animals—and then be their guests—there’s also the appreciation factor. You come away from each visit with new insights and appreciation for farmers, winemakers, brewers, and others whose livelihood are linked to the land. One way to show that appreciation is by patronizing their businesses during a period in time when it matters more than ever.
“These businesses suffered immeasurable damage due to the combination of COVID and restrictions placed on business operations,” Holland says. “Harvest Hosts helps people connect with unique destinations and capture the joy of experiencing the open road in America. These make up the local and independent businesses across the country, many that still rely on tourists and travel revenue to survive.”
And yet, it’s a pretty exclusive, peaceful experience, unlike a crowded campground. Most Harvest Host locations welcome one or two RVers per night; sometimes as many as three or five, spaced apart across a field or vineyard.
So who’s behind all those RV wheels? RVing isn’t just for retirees anymore.
“We are starting to see the RV industry shift as a new generation of RVers discovers the lure of the open road,” says Holland. “Traditionally our members are 55+ and retired, but we are starting to see growth in interest from millennials and young families as well.”
Giving It a Whirl
Armstrong Valley Winery in northern Dauphin County was our first Harvest Host experience. And what an experience it was. We “parked” directly in the vineyard within sight of the winery’s landmark red barn, where we enjoyed wine flights that evening. We literally loved each of our tastings—something that rarely happens. One of my favorites was the award-winning bubbly Cha-Cha made with Chardonnay grapes.
Early the next morning, as we were walking our dog (many Harvest Host locations allow furry friends to stay too), we ran into one of the co-owners, Jake Gruver. He invited us to walk through additional vineyards down the road, which were all coming into spring bloom.
That’s where we truly got an appreciation for the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in any agriculturally-based business. Seeing the meticulously-cared-for grapevines carefully trained, labeled by types, stretching out row after row, up and down hillsides— it was a truly special and picturesque behind-the-scenes experience.
“We work hard to make the customer experience not just a good one, but a great one,” says Dean Miller, Armstrong Valley Winery’s “other” co-owner. “To us, going to a winery should be an experience, because you can go wherever and buy wine and take it home. We have vineyards where we source our grapes, so the wine is literally from here. We would hope this wine-centric encounter shows how well PA can keep up with other wine-producing regions.”
Not only does Armstrong Valley offer an experience for the visitor, but the winery’s affiliation with Harvest Hosts also has been a great experience, Miller says.
“I’d say about 95% are first-timers here. We have occasional RVers who stop here on the way up toward New England and then stop again on the way back down,” says Miller.
It’s a similar story at Seven Mountains Wine Cellars, about an hour north of Harrisburg, toward State College—another Harvest Host location that offered an outstanding overnight stay in our RV.
“Harvest Hosts has been very good for us,” said winemaker Nathan Bubb—he’s the son of Seven Mountains’ father-son winemaking team. “People from all over the country—you wouldn’t believe it—people from the west coast, people traveling to see the country amid COVID.”
He got into the program at the ground level, mainly because his family also owns RVs and is “big into camping.”
“We first joined, maybe six years ago, but now it’s blowing up,” Bubb says. “In an average week, we have 15-20 RVers, easily. Lots of nights we have four people [their maximum capacity].”
Seven Mountains is set in the woods—very close to Bald Eagle State Forest, yet only a few miles from US Route 322. Our RV spot was tucked up on the hillside, above the winery and its pretty patio, where we enjoyed a peaceful afternoon of tastings—including an outstanding blackberry merlot.
Bubb joined us for a great conversation, and we learned how his father transitioned from one of the top amateur winemakers in the country into a successful business owner. He also brought a treat—a bottle of the newly-released Night Owl, which began as the blackberry merlot we loved so much, fortified with grape brandy, to turn it into a blackberry port.
Overall, my husband and I have loved our Harvest Hosts experiences. In addition to Armstrong Valley Winery and Seven Mountains Wine Cellars, we’ve also visited several other locations.
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Goalposts for Harvest Hosts
At Wadel’s Dairy, Shippensburg, we had an unobstructed, frontrow view of South Mountain across lush, rippling green fields and an incredible sunset. The fresh eggs and artisan cheeses we took home from their little shop were delicious reminders of our agricultural adventure.
Grandview Vineyard in Mount Joy, Lancaster County offered stunning vineyard views. Our little RV was nestled at the foot of the winery’s hillside vineyard vista. From the patio above, strains of an acoustic musician floated down through the grapevines as we enjoyed a delicious bottle of their Barrel-Aged Black Jack Cherry in our little home on wheels and said, “Cheers.”
For more information, see harvesthosts.com
Karen shares her RV adventures at pearltherv.com and on Instagram @pearltherv. Follow her to learn why she named her RV “Pearl,” and read her reflections from the road, which she calls “Pearls of Wisdom.”
