As I lay there knowing we were leaving Rhode Island this morning, bound for Vermont, my biologist’s mind started tracking the little hitchhiker's journey. RVers spend so much time thinking about how we move across the landscape, but what about the hitchhikers we take with us? If this tiny adventurer rode along in our rolling cabin and slipped out at a campground hundreds of miles away, what happens next? Does it introduce fresh genes to an isolated local population, subtly shifting the evolutionary trajectory of the local woods?
It’s a fascinating thought to think our drive serves as an unintentional vector for island-hopping genetics across the Northeast. Is this how invasive species get started?
I knew Tad would be in soon for the morning alarm so I got the jump on him. Setting the coffee burner at low again, we strolled out to catch the morning sunrise.
But it was quiet and the view of the marsh was amazing.
The rain started and we hustled to get the bikes loaded and other items stashed and loaded out of the rain. Before we knew it, it was 11 am, checkout time! The hustling really kicked in then and by 1115am we were on our way out of the campground. The rain was steadily coming down m and the drive took us through 4 states to our destination in Vermont.
Our host offered a myriad of spot options, but we settled on the open field framed by the edge of the vineyard where Tad would have room to stretch his legs. Still mindful of his recent quill-filled misadventure with that porcupine up in Maine, we kept him restricted to the open green. The late-afternoon lighting was striking, casting a vibrant pop on the wet grass, and run he did while soaking up every bit of freedom after hours in the rig.
We noticed right away that another Harvest Host guest was there. They were from PA (Port Angeles) Washington. As usual, Tad was the ice breaker. We hit it off right away. Bob and Liz have just begun travelling and staying at Harvest Hosts so they gobbled up the suggestions we had for seeing places on their way home.They wanted to go see some covered bridges before it got dark and hoped to see us later at the winery.
We enjoyed some pizza and wine while Tad looked on.
After eating, we returned to the motorhome to sit outside and soak up the sun and sites. Tad wanted to play so I chased him a bit. I found some milkweed seeds and decided to liberate them.
Dusk set in just as a light rain began to patter against the rig. We hustled our gear back inside, grabbed a headlamp, and set off on a tenth-of-a-mile walk through the dark, wet vineyard toward the restaurant, hoping for another glimpse of Bob and Liz.
When we stepped inside, there was no sign of them, so we settled into a pair of barstools and ordered a charcuterie board. Chatting with our bartender, a 23-year-old named Cameron, we learned he was the owner's son and had actually helped build the restaurant with his own two hands.
His parents planted the vineyard 16 years ago, committing entirely to estate wines produced strictly from their own grapes.
While taking in the cozy interior, Kasey spotted a framed black-and-white photograph on the bar nearby featuring baseball legends Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. When Kasey asked Cameron about the history behind the shot, he revealed a fascinating local secret: the property had actually been owned by Ted Williams himself, and Cameron's parents had purchased it directly from the Splendid Splinter's daughter.
Stacy, Cameron's mom, shared with us just how wonderful hosting through Harvest Hosts has been for them, meeting great people and noting how much open space they have on the property to comfortably accommodate several rig setups at once.
When it was time to head back to the motorhome, we departed without seeing Bob and Liz after all. We made our way down the puddle-laden dirt road and back through the quiet vineyard, using our trusty headlamp to light the path ahead. Stepping carefully around the standing water, Kasey made a point of mentioning just how glad he was to have his waterproof boots on.
A call from Ken suddenly brought our plans into focus. He and Jenny had a few local sights lined up that they wanted to explore with us, framing the next leg of our trip. With our itinerary set for later in the day, it left us with a wide-open morning—plenty of time to take in this beautiful property at our own pace before meeting up with them.
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