The Longsword Winery in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon, was the first winery that hosted us for a night
under the Harvest Hosts program. For a $20 membership you receive access to a growing number of wineries and farms who will allow you to park your RV overnight without a fee. Longsword is a small, relatively new, family run operation with some very good wines and several significant awards. We tasted several wines and bought one, somewhat pricey, but excellent wine as a gift for special friends. Our free night cost us $30, but we not only got the fine wine, but a personal history of the winery from the weed whacker wielding winemaker; you must be a master of all trades to start a wine growing and making operation. We enjoyed a lovely sunset, quiet night and glowing sunrise.
We left Turtle (our motorhome if you don’t know her name already) parked at the winery, unloaded the road bikes, and despite three flat tires, and some cold and wet weather, got in a 44 mile ride to a lake at the headwaters of the Applegate River, and the surprise discovery of a restored covered bridge.
We said our thanks and drove off into the late afternoon light to the nearest Wal*Mart, not nearly so nice a boondock spot, but a better place to buy food! Our first Harvest Host experience was great and we’re looking forward to more as our Alaska summer progresses.
Claire Rogers writes on cross-cultural adventure drawn from her travels across the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul, around Australia and of course, through Iceland–all by bike.
She’s currently traveling by tandem with her husband Bob, through southwest China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Check out NewBohemians.net for more information on their travels.
