October 16th, 2020
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Nebraska, the Cornhusker state. I had to look up what a Cornhusker is. So here’s what Google said: A Cornhusker is “A person or machine that removes the husk from a corncob.” Makes sense. Also, the state’s insect is a honeybee and their motto is: “Equality before the law.”
Honestly, I didn’t know a single soul from Nebraska until now. We arrived at Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard around 5:30pm and parked the rig at our first Harvest Host location. From our front window we had a view of the apple orchard and grape vineyards. The Kimmel property was gorgeous, filled with pumpkins and peach trees. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped as we settled in for the evening. I went for a walk and Mike cooked up dinner. We had spaghetti with vodka sauce, along with a leftover meatball from Missouri that we split in half. It was delicious.
We had a fellow big rig boondocking next to us and the owner was from Rome, New York. The stars were so clear at night, mainly because there’s absolutely nothing in Nebraska, other than corn, beans and farmers. We ran everything off the generator for the first time. It ran all night until about 7am, when we woke up. We’re still trying to figure out the most efficient way to Boondock, whether it’s with the battery, generator, or a mix of both. If any fellow RV’ers have suggestions, please send them our way.
In the morning, we made a quick trip to Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart was immaculate. We arrived at 9:00am to stock up on some food before we would boondock for a couple of days. The workers were all really friendly and joking around with one another. Different Wal-Mart vibes than New York. We went to the Kimmel store on the property to say thank you for hosting us and because they were making hot apple cider donuts. We bought a dozen, out of which Mike ate four and I ate two. I felt sick afterwards, but I swear they were the most scrumptious donuts ever. We bought a bottle of wine and cider, both made on their farm, then walked Berk while he greeted the children on the playground. We packed the camper up and headed Northwest for Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
October 17th
Brandon, South Dakota
The speed limit in South Dakota is 80. We average about 60mph pulling the camper, because it’s like we’re pulling a big parachute behind us. We’re currently averaging about six miles to the gallon, which is absurd. We have to get gas almost every two hours. South Dakota, like Nebraska, has a surplus of corn and soybeans. Mike still gives me a heads up every time we pass them, which I find humorous. He says “It’s flat as a pancake out here.” Which is true. You can literally see for miles. Driving on the highways are a lot less stressful for me because they’re two lanes and mainly surrounded by corn, so I can let off my invisible break and relax for a bit.
Brandon, South Dakota welcomed us with miles of dirt roads, fruit wine and unmasked civilians. We arrived at our second harvest host stay at Wilde Prairie Winery. We drove up a narrow, dirt driveway and were directed past the winery and a big red tractor, to a grassy area alongside a giant cornfield, where we would park for the night. We settled in, watched the farmer collect cornhusks from the field and fed Berk dinner. I went for a run on the dirt road leading to the winery, which was freeing after driving for a couple days. I couldn’t quite relax into my pace though, seeing as the cornfields surrounding me looked like a shot out of a horror film. I looked over my shoulder every thirty seconds to make sure I was still alone.
Berkley, Mike and I headed up to the barn to do our wine tasting before their tasting room closed for the evening. I bought a bottle of the Honey Raspberry wine and we got to keep our wine glasses, so we don’t have to drink out of mugs anymore. The host was from California and recently returned from an Australian van trip with his girlfriend, so we had lots of stories to exchange. We made ramen and ate queso with chips out of our mini crock-pot, then headed to bed.
We left for Badlands National Park in Interior, South Dakota, Saturday morning and had a four hour drive to get there. The billboard we just drove passed read, “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy wine.” True. We’ve bought a bottle of wine at every winery we’ve visited thus far. If we don’t drink them all before we arrive in Colorado for Thanksgiving, we plan to do a wine tasting with my family then. Stay tuned for an update about the Badlands!
Travel the Fernweh 