We just had to go back! (HH/BW Challenge Series)
When we told our fellow RVers that we were doing this challenge, we had resounding positive reactions to Harvest Hosts, and rightly so. We also had a few people tell us it sounded more like a fun adventure than a challenge. We always try to have fun when we challenge ourselves, but the reality of these 4 weeks could not be overlooked.
- We battled storms in places without good shelter
- We had a record heat wave when we were mostly dry camping, making cooling our rig very difficult
- We had a drive day almost every single day, while keeping up with full-time work schedules
- We had to stay very, very organized, as each location had their own rules and guidelines, and with this many places, it's hard to keep track
- Every day brings a new unknown: Where are we going? Will we fit into the parking spot? What will the place be like?
Then, on our night at Iron Saddle Ranch, we noticed a new challenge: We weren't getting great sleep. Some locations had been amazing. We will never complain about a quiet vineyard that's dark and we're the only ones on the whole property. However, not all nights are like that. The hot temperatures and loud thunderstorms didn't help, but even taking those out of the equation, some nights were loud. Some were smelly. Some were both! Then, when we add in the sheer stress of planning and keeping track of everything, plus each day having a new routine and schedule, our circadian rhythms were totally thrown off.
That's why our day at uCamp Express was so needed. We could wait out storms in a place where shelters were nearby. We could get work done in the comfort of our own campsite. We could have the security that, for those 9-10 hours, we were exactly where we needed to be. We could run our AC and take long showers without needing to think about conserving.
But, as you know, we did not stay at uCamp, despite paying the fee for the whole night. We couldn't give up that easily. We already had a Harvest Host waiting for us, and it was a place that had been on our radar since the first week of our challenge.
C-Town Twist Ice Cream Stand and Mini Golf, Centralia, IL
As soon as we found C-Town on our Harvest Hosts map, it became a must-stop. Because it was situated a little further east of St. Louis, we decided to wait until we returned from southern Illinois and then hit it as we began our trek towards Indiana. Only, once back in the area, we needed to wait a day because C-Town was closed on Mondays. That's how we ended up at Iron Saddle Ranch Monday night. We were lying in wait.
The listing had this warning: "We have a train track close, but most don't mind!" Many of the reviews mentioned it too, but in the RV life, trains become our neighbors often. In fact, the percentage of RV parks located near the rails is probably far higher than coincidence. After all, we're all just vehicles trying to get places! We figured if most didn't mind, neither would we.
We pulled into the back lot, where we found a level spot to park. As soon as we chocked our wheels, our neighbor for the night came over to greet us. He and his wife had parked their Dutch Star in the front lot, a short distance away from us. He warned us that the trains get really loud, blasting their horns at the crossing, and they are nonstop. He recommended that we pull to the other side of the lot, closer to the mini golf course. Initially, we thought the extra 20 feet wouldn't make a difference, but as we were heading inside, a train came by and that horn blasted us into oblivion. Holy moly. We were used to loud, but this was "rupture our eardrums" loud! We de-chocked and moved ourselves over to the less level side of the lot. We swung the trailer around so that the head of our bed would be as far away from the railroad crossing as possible. All of this maneuvering was being done in temperatures in the upper 80s, and we were too flustered to remember to take pictures of the parking lot. We did, however, snap one of our rather unique view.
As soon as we got settled, we took Tanner over to the ice cream stand so we could order some food and get him a pup cup. We got some dinner - standard fried munchies you'd expect from a food stand - and then we each got a sundae. C-Town specializes in frozen custard soft serve. Frozen custard is popular in the northern part of the Midwest. The owner, after hearing we're from Massachusetts, remarked that we probably don't have things like this where we're from. Almost true, except Anthony is from New York, and that's actually where frozen custard originated. However, it found a home in the Midwest, and traveling through the region this year, we can safely say we're happy to have it here!
We loved the little patio area with all the picnic tables, and even more tables were situated in the grass on the side of the building. There is also a drive-thru that was hopping on a Tuesday evening! We opted to bring our food back to the rig, though, because it was really hot out. Our ice cream was practically melted just in the 60 seconds it took us to walk back to the RV.
Don't let the melty smooshiness fool you. This custard was delicious! Look at those air pockets in the close-up shot! We must say, desserts have really been the MVPs of this challenge.
But the LVP? The heat, of course! As the sun set, a few visitors braved it to play a round of mini golf, and it looked so fun, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend more time out there.
For the second night in a row, we faced a dilemma. We wanted to keep the windows open for air flow, but an external factor was infiltrating our trailer. At Iron Saddle Ranch, it was the "manure malodor" and here it was the train horns that could be heard from outer space.
It's not the fault of C-Town Twist, and the owner was actually very nice about it, making sure to bring the trains up in discussion and tell us he hopes we get good sleep despite the noise. We just wished we could have let some cool night air in without constantly being deafened. Sitting in the heat, waiting for the next train to come roaring by, we thought about our uCamp site, just sitting there, already paid for. We won't lie, we longed for it just a bit. But, we stayed positive. We had another great Harvest Host experience with yummy food and nice people. Good vibes received!
Once we settled in for the night, the temperatures became slightly more tolerable and the trains didn't actually come as often as we feared. We heard a few through the night, but they weren't too startling. The night may not have been as easy as a full hookup campsite, but in this challenge, we're not looking for easy. We're looking for memorable!
We keep mentioning the heat, but you're probably wondering, how were the storms? True, they never seem to stay away for long, and that was the case here in Centralia. That night, we were one county away from a multiple-county tornado watch. Three rotating supercells were spotted southeast of Indianapolis, resulting in warnings for that whole area and a watch for a huge radius surrounding it.
The next day's forecast was looking scary. Centralia was going to get strong storms with "tornadoes likely" in the afternoon. We would already be gone, and our continued eastward march would let us remain on the outskirts of the extreme weather. As we got on I-70, the sky was looking bizarre. It was midday but looked like dusk. The atmosphere had a yellow-gray glow. We weren't sure what weather we'd endure at our next location, but if the forecast stuck, we would at least be free of another tornado watch.
Richard's Farm Restaurant, Casey, IL
We're baaaack! We found this Harvest Host during our Blitz East last fall, and we had the best time here. Even before we left, we were counting the days until we could return. Not only does this restaurant have amazing homestyle food, but the property is lovely, with a sprawling field, gardens, farm animals, walkways, a pond, and the world's largest pitchfork! If you're confused about that last one, we explain it here.
There was no way we weren't including Richards Farm in our Harvest Host challenge. We were even willing to brave I-70 in Indiana for it, and that road is not for the faint of heart! We even cleared our schedules of our usual Wednesday night calls so we could enjoy a leisurely dinner there. We couldn't wait to have the familiarity of a favorite place, but also see what had changed in the last 7 months.
We traded the fall foliage for the spring blooms. A bed of irises lined the back parking lot, and new garden boxes graced one of the pathways. We visited the farm animals and discovered that one of the goats had recently given birth! The kids were so adorable, with one constantly trying to climb on the other, who looked less than amused.
We parked in the same spot as last time, under a fruit tree. We still don't know what fruits they are, but they were on the tree in the fall, not the spring.
From the golden autumn to the green spring! Left photo taken Oct 2023 and right photo taken May 2024.
Then of course, we had to say hello to the pitchfork.
When we visited here last fall, we were filled with energy, driven by the fact that we had just escaped St. Louis and traveled to Illinois on a whim. This time, we felt very relaxed. The weather had finally cooled off enough for us to maintain a pleasant temperature in the rig with the open windows. The clouds and loud birdsong alerted us to storms on the horizon, and soon after we settled into the trailer, the rain came, bringing along a few rumbles of thunder. Contrary to some of the other storms we've experienced during this challenge, this one wasn't scary. It created a rather soothing soundscape, coupled with the cool breeze that rustled the branches above us.
We waited for a break in the rain to go inside and have dinner. As we left the rig, I pointed out to Anthony that he was whispering. He said that he felt like he had to because everything was so quiet. He was right. The dense air muffled the sounds. We recalled the outdoor speaker on the side of the restaurant, and I thought it wasn't on, even though it was! We couldn't even hear the music until we were about 10 feet away. Back in the fall, in the same parking spot, we could hear the speaker from inside our RV.
The vibe is best described with one word: hyggeligt. If you've heard of the Danish word "hygge," this is the adjective. It describes the comfort and coziness that boosts wellbeing. Because Denmark is often cold, dark, and stormy, the Danes have created cultural traditions that offset the outside atmosphere with warmth and pleasantness inside. These traditions often engage multiple senses. Think warm lighting and minimal clutter for seeing; soft music and conversation for hearing; fragrant candles or a fireplace for smelling; tasty beverages and comforting foods for tasting; and blankets and plush furniture for touching.
This vibe continued in the restaurant. At 4:30PM on a Wednesday, all was quiet except for conversations at the few occupied booths and the oldies on the sound system. We met two other RVers and swapped stories of skirting tornadoes throughout the Midwest. They were on their way home and staying at the KOA in Casey, and we were all thankful that we seemed to be out of the severe weather for the night.
No food is more hyggeligt than Richards Farm. It's comfort on a plate! We ordered our meals and added on the salad bar, and just like last time, everything was fresh, homey, and delicious.
If this energy continued, we'd be in for one peaceful night! Buuuuut not so much. When we returned to the trailer, one of the landscapers decided to take advantage of a break in the rain to start laying down new gravel. When we first arrived, we talked to a couple of the ladies who initially said we might need to move, but then later told us not to worry about it, and if the guy started graveling, he would just go around us and finish the rest the next day. We all assumed it wouldn't happen anyway because of the rain, but the dude had other plans. Laying the gravel didn't take long, but it was very loud outside our open windows.
Once he left, we thought we were in the clear, but around 8:10PM, we noticed a car park in the back lot. A couple got out and went over to the back patio. We assumed they got food to go, and since the restaurant closed at 8PM, decided to eat it outside. But then another car pulled in. And another. And another. They just kept coming, and the more cars that pulled in, the louder it got. There ended up being about 7 cars in total, and probably about 10 people. They looked young, maybe late teens or early 20s. Soon after, the smell of weed starting wafting into our trailer. We feared the worst. Was this going to turn into some rowdy party that goes on into the night? We don't want to be Karens about it, but we really needed sleep! We waited things out to see what would happen. Soon the storms returned, bringing tons of lightning – about a flash every 30 seconds. We hoped that this would deter the group, but they carried on.
We wondered if we would need to contact the restaurant, but we also didn't really have a way to do this. The phone number is to the restaurant, but the restaurant was closed. We don't think they monitor Harvest Hosts messages. Besides, what were we supposed to say? "Hello, are you aware that there is a large group being loud and smoking weed on your back patio? Because we are!" We had no idea if the group was allowed to be there, or what rules Richards Farm places on use of the patio. One would hope that if RVers are parked there that rowdiness would not be condoned – that goes for RVers and anyone else on the grounds. But we just don't know.
We ultimately decided that, if they stayed late and things got out of control, we would just deal with it and try to alert a manager when they opened the next morning. Thankfully, it didn't come to that. One by one, the cars slowly started leaving around 9:30PM, well before we went to bed. Shortly after, the storms subsided, and even though we were supposed to get more overnight, none came. The night was peaceful, with the only noises coming from the distant highway and even more distant train tracks, both of which are barely audible even with the windows open.
In our minds, there is very little Richards Farm can do wrong, so even with those little hiccups, we were thrilled with our stay. It continues to hold a top spot in our favorite Harvest Hosts of all time.
