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Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard– Nebraska City, Nebraska
The Kimmel Farm has been around since 1925, when Richard took over the farm from his grandfather. In the rolling hills of South Dakota, the farm produces apples, strawberries, and cherries. They offer u- pick for apples and strawberries. The Kimmel gift shop offered jams, honey, sauces, and freshly baked goodies. It was National Donut Day, and the aroma of fresh apple doughnuts was wafting throughout the shop. We made our purchases – couldn’t leave without buying anything. Next, Mitch and I headed toward the wine tasting section. We prefer dry red wines, but Amy coaxed us to try the new Honey Crisp Apple wine. It was very refreshing, and of course, we walked out of the store with a bottle for later. There were two other Harvest Hosts couples for the night, and we had an enjoyable time conversing with them. One couple was from Dunedin, Florida. Literally, neighbors to our home in Palm Harbor. It was interesting to see Kimmel farm partner with the University of Nebraska. The college has a research center, a food lab, and meeting rooms on the premises as an extension of the college. I can only imagine the crowds that gather during apple season and the fun events during that time.
The next night we visited……..
Humble Hill Winery – Garretson, South Dakota
This winery was on a much smaller scale than the winery visited the day before. Rob and his wife own it, and the grapes are grown on their property. We did a wine tasting and once again we walked away with the Honey Crisp Apple wine. We sat under a shaded tree to enjoy the quiet and relax from our journey. There were these plump birds I had never seen before and they made loud sounds. We found out they are called guinea fowl. Later that evening, we could load noises coming from our canopy. Mitch went to check out the noise and there perched on our bedroom canopy was a guinea fowl. With a little coaxing the bird decided to find another spot. When I asked Rob how he got into this business, his reply was, “I was bored.” Rob was retired from the military, and one of his buddies had a winery in California, and he figured why not. He joined Harvest Host in August, and he said he enjoyed meeting people and the interesting conversations. We have to agree, meeting these hosts, and other travelers is a much more pleasant way to spend an overnight stop than in a Walmart or Cracker Barrel. As of yet, we haven’t had to stay in either one but never say never.
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Thibaut Point Park COE Campground- Warsaw, Missouri
Another great campground hosted by the Corp of Engineers. Not on the water this time, but close enough to view it from our site. One of the aspects I love about these sites is the surroundings. They are usually by some body of water and surrounded by forestry. Who doesn’t love nature’s wake-up call – the birds singing to the dawn of a new day. It beats most private campgrounds where sounds range from train whistles, highway noise, or loud conversations from the camper next door.
Knowing we didn’t have many sun-filled days, we tried to take advantage of them. The first day we went to the edge of the Harry S. Truman Reservoir (it looks like a lake to me), propped our chairs, and listened to the lapping of the water hitting the rocks as the boats sped by. We enjoyed a packed lunch – pasta salad compliments of Chef Durene and soaked up the rays of the sun. The following day, we rose early to take a hike through the Shawnee Bend Bluff trail. Hikes are interesting as you never know what will cross your path. I am intrigued by the variety of flowers and foliage I have never seen before. The highlight of this hike was a dilapidated old stone cottage. Besides its stone beauty, I found the story behind it more fascinating. Questions such as who lived there, when they lived there, and how they thrived will forever be unknown.
We went to the town of Warsaw and walked the Main Street. It was a quaint little town and we enjoyed the looking at the shops. They had a few stores from long ago like the Rexall drugstore and the Texaco station which had the old fashioned pumps. Since the station was closed, we didn’t know if it was just for show or they actually pumped gas. We also strolled across the suspension bridge which was erected in 1904 spans the Osage River. We came across various locks attached to the bridge. We saw the same thing when we went to Italy, and I am not embarrassed to say, I put our own lock of love on one of the bridges. I would like to someday go back and see if the lock is still there.
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Indian Pointe COE Campground- Branson, Missouri
The rain waved goodbye at Prairie Creek and gave us a wet welcome at Indian Pointe Campground. Usually, I don’t mind an occasional shower but outdoor activities aren’t much fun. The roads getting to this destination reminded me of being on a roller coaster, climbing up a hill only to reach its apex, and before you know, its descent begins. The winding portions were not ones we wish to navigate in the dark. At times, I would look over to Mitch only to see him actively focusing on the road ahead, and I could tell this drive was stressful for him.
On the few days, it didn’t rain, we kayaked the Table Top Lake and rode our bikes around the town. Branson is very much a tourist town with a multitude of different restaurants, shops, and activities. My favorites were the Amish shop and Dave’s 5 & 10 cent store. Dave’s was like going back to our childhood as they had toys and candy most stores don’t even sell anymore. We squeezed in a 3-mile hike in Table Rock State Park and took a chance the grounds would be semi-dry. Throughout the three miles, we had the trail to ourselves. It was a leisurely hike through the woods on a well-marked trail. We finished our trek with mud-caked boots, and the mosquitoes had feasted on my exposed flesh. Note to self – add mosquito repellent to the hiking pack.
There are some drawbacks to traveling in your RV. Coming into the park, the RV went off the road and damaged a part of our independent suspension. When we sent the picture to the company, they overnighted us a new spring and shock. We were supposed to depart the park on Friday, and we could not extend our stay since there was no availability. Campers took advantage of the three-day holiday, and not one site was available in the area. We couldn’t move on to our new location as it wouldn’t be safe to drive any long distance. Fast forward, after multiple calls to RV techs and searching for another place until this could get fixed, we were able to secure a space at the hotel across the street. Thanks to Mitch’s canvassing local property owners to find a space to fit our RV. Martin, the hotel owner, was kind enough to let us stay overnight. He wouldn’t even accept any compensation. Somewhere down the road, we need to repay his kindness forward. We hit the jackpot when we could get an RV tech to come out on a Saturday. This event has taught us adaptability. It’s not always going to be perfect, so view the ill weather and hiccups along the way as all part of the grand journey.
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Prairie Creek COE – Rogers, Arkansas
The forecast for our stay was dismal at best. The rain seems to follow us this year. Mitch’s brother and wife live about 25 minutes from the campsite, so a family visit was on the top of our list. They had just purchased a boat and were eager to take it for its maiden voyage. Sunday morning appeared to be the best time for a ride since it wasn’t supposed to rain until the afternoon. The boat ride was excellent as it glided along Beaver Lake. After docking the boat, we went into the town of Roger, known for the first Sam Walton store. It was great to spend time with family and enjoy lunch.
The following morning the rain made its appearance. However, we didn’t let it get in the way of us touring the War Eagle Cavern. The temperature is always 58,’ and it is home to 75,000 bats. Thankfully, we only spotted two as most were out for the day, knowing Durene was touring the cave. Our tour guide was pleasant and highly knowledgeable. Exiting the cave, we saw the sun beginning to peek through the trees. We hoped it would continue as we had two more stops before dusk. The next stop was the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. This museum is on 120 acres in the Ozark woods. There is no admission to enter as it was the vision of Alice Walton to bring art to the community. The architecture of this museum is unique and worth a visit. Even if you don’t enjoy museums, wandering the 120 acres would be a treat since art structures adorn the various trails. Alice Walton had a Frank Llyod Wright home moved onto the property, but due to COVID, we were not allowed inside. Our last stop for the day was a visit to downtown Bentonville. The town square was busy with people enjoying the sun’s rays and waiting for their turn to enter the Walmart museum. We passed on the museum and savored our ice cream as we people watched from a bench in the town square.
During a sporadic break from the rain, we visited Lake Atlanta to get in some exercise. Mitch went for a run around the lake (I walked). Unfortunately, the rain continued until the day we left. It’s not much fun breaking down as the rain pelts your face as you put away wet items. Rainy travel days make us more cautious as we head to our next destination, but it’s all part of the journey.
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