Montrose Orchard, Harvest Host

After staying in campgrounds and parks for the last several nights, we decided to check out Harvest Hosts for a place to stay on Saturday night on the way to Traverse City, MI. Harvest Hosts is a network of wineries, farms, breweries, museums and other unique attractions that invite RVers to visit and stay overnight in exchange for supporting their business. We had a great time at a small family brewery in Pennsylvania when we traveled to the Erie Canal ride in 2019 and thought we’d like to try it out again. We really need to do this more often.

I browsed the app and found Montrose Orchards in Montrose, MI, operated by Don and Sandra Hill and owned by the Hill family since 1925. They grow over 30 varieties of apples, along with pears, plums, cherries and delicious blueberries that are in season now.

Debbie greeted us and showed us around, giving us a chance to try out the apple donuts in Debbie’s Kitchen, an on-site bakery featuring pies made from fruit grown at the orchard. The donuts were delicious. We were tempted to get a frozen cherry pie for later but our pantry, microwave and fridge are stuffed full of Amish cookies, bread and cake. I really don’t need to add to it. I’ll be rolling out the door when we get home as it is.

We followed Debbie down a dirt road away from the main building toward the blueberry fields. She pointed out several areas and gave us our choice on where to stay for the night. We chose a nice, private spot tucked under a grove of trees.

There are no hookups so the only set up we needed to do was to open the screen doors, extend the awning and set up our chairs. By that time we were hungry for lunch so made sandwiches with the Amish bread and had a picnic under the trees.

The blueberry fields were just a short walk away so we wandered over and chatted with the fellow tending the pick-your-own operation. Harvest Hosts guests are welcome to pick all the berries you want, so I grabbed a couple bowls and we set out to fill them. The berries were fat and sweet and the rows went on and on. I’m not sure how many blueberry bushes they have but it would definitely take a dedicated crew of pickers to harvest all of them.

Later, I hung a hammock between a couple of the trees and read a book while Riley took a nap in Charlie. It’s so quiet compared to the campground yesterday. I enjoyed hearing nothing but the sound of the wind and the birds in the trees.

Around 5 PM, the blueberry pickers left for the day and we had the place to ourselves. A thunderstorm blew in, putting down heavy rain and the wind picked up a bit. We were cozy and dry in Charlie, listening to the rain and then to an emergency siren signaling 70 mph winds, sounding from the Genesee County Fire Department. I remember hearing these as a kid; I had totally forgotten that was a thing. Back in the day before constant connectivity, cable tv and 24-hour weather stations this was how tornado alerts were communicated.

The awning was extended and secured so the winds weren’t a big concern but I noticed it was collecting a lot of rain water, causing it to sag in the middle. I went outside and stood on a little table, making me just tall enough to shed some of the excess water. Riley’s height came in handy as usual, and we were able to adjust it so it was lower on one side and could drain. That was great, except closer inspection showed that a screw popped out a little, causing it to be permanently lower on one side. Well, add that to the list of things we need to take care of when we get home.

The rain left as quickly as it started and the sun came out again, bringing a hungry swarm of mosquitos with it. It was too nice out to stay inside, and a walk before dinner seemed like a good idea except for the hungry mosquitos . We dashed out the door, making a beeline for the open field, hoping they would stay behind under the trees. We were right. Other than avoiding puddles, the field was a nice place to wander around before dinner and I snagged a few more berries to replace the ones I’d already eaten. I hope I don’t regret eating so many before bed.

With the gas stove, solar panels, water tanks and a generator, we can be self-sufficient for 2 or 3 days no problem. Charlie has a full bathroom with a separate walk-in shower so we have everything we need to be comfortable.

We fixed dinner and watched over-the-air TV and a couple episodes of Schitt’s Creek on the DVD player before bed. It was peaceful and quiet as we slept with the doors open and screen doors in place. The only sound we heard were deer close by sometime during the night. I had seen a doe running along the trees on the other side of the blueberry field earlier in the evening.

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The next morning we said goodbye to Montrose Orchards and set out to Traverse City State Park where we’ll stay for 3 nights so Riley can do transition training at Giving Wings Aviation Flight Center.

One of the highlights planned for this trip is attending the Isabella County Youth and Farm Fair in Mt. Pleasant, MI. If you are a fan of The Incredible Dr. Pol tv show you will have seen several episodes featuring the fair and kids who raise animals to show there. We enjoy the show and really like county fairs in general so the timing seemed perfect.

A Google search said the dates are July 25-31 and a click of the “get directions” link routed us to our destination. We made good time on the Interstate and zipped along state highways until we were within 5 miles of the fairgrounds when traffic slowed to a crawl. Waze and Google Maps both showed standstill traffic with no alternate routes. It was past lunchtime and someone gets a little grouchy when he’s hungry so traveling 3 miles in 30 minutes wasn’t super fun.

We wondered if this traffic was caused by the fair and worried that it would take too long to get in and out, leaving us no time to enjoy the it. It will take another hour and half to drive from Mt Pleasant to Traverse City. It turned out that the traffic problem was caused by a small pull-behind RV that was split in two, strewn across the highway. I’m sorry for those travelers but I was glad to finally get past it.

At last, the fairgrounds were in sight. I’m sure Riley could taste the Gyros and elephant ears already. As we turned in to the fairgrounds, it became apparent that it wasn’t yet open. In fact, it wasn’t even fully set up. The dates on michigan.org were wrong. It actually starts on Monday, July 26th – TOMORROW.

This is one of those days that I am reminded how fortunate I am that Riley doesn’t get angry or mad when another man would. He was hungry, tired of driving and disappointed but he took it all in stride and never blamed me for the mix-up.

A Mexican restaurant not far away satisfied our hunger and we turned around and headed for Traverse City, arriving in time to enjoy the sunset on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay.

Tomorrow is another day.