Harvest Hosts, Maine, New Hampshire

Northward into Maine

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May 29-30, 2018 – Brentwood, NH 

May 31, 2018 – Fairfield, ME

Pulling up stakes in Cape Cod and heading northward into Maine, we made a couple of noteworthy stops.  The first one was in Brentwood, New Hampshire at a Boondockers Welcome location, Winterwood Farm.

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Our hosts provided us with a level site next to their barn for two nights, complete with 30 amp electric.  Per the rules of the organization, we won’t reveal their names on social media or this blog.  We will say that they were wonderful hosts!

After getting to know them a bit, we headed off to the town of Exeter, New Hampshire.  We had dinner reservations, as it was my sweetie’s birthday!

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We had a window seat at a place called Hemmingway’s.  It was yummy!

From there we headed to Stone Church in the town of New Preston, an 1824 former church turned pub.  We were looking for live music, and it turns out our host was playing banjo in a jam session that night.

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What a great time!  We stuck around for several songs, then headed home for the night.

The next day, we explored the area a bit.  Diana’s long-time friend Debi has a brother who is part owner of North Country Hard Cider, which was located nearby in the town of Rollinsford. Unfortunately they were closed that day, but we were able to  purchase some of North Country’s Original Press at a local convenience store.  They definitely have a great product!

We also visited Flag Hill Distillery and Winery in the village of Lee that day.  While we found their wine to be a bit sweet for our tastes, their bourbon was amazing and their rye whiskey was even better!  We bought a bottle of the rye.  🙂

We had a fantastic stay at Winterwood Farm.  If you are a Boondockers Welcome member, be sure to look them up.  They are wonderful hosts!

The next day, we headed into Maine.  We came to the Pine Tree State once every three years, from 1986 through 2010.  That streak was sidetracked while we were responsible for Diana’s mom, so we missed 2013 and 2016.  Crossing the border was like coming home.  Our destination for the night was a Harvest Host location, Misty Acres Alpaca Farm in Sidney.

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What an amazing place!  Charlie greeted us and gave us a choice of places to park.  We chose the big barn, giving us a chance to fill our water tank and grab enough electric to keep our battery charged.

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Not only that, we had a nice view of the pasture!

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The alpacas were adorable!

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They aren’t fond of being petted, but they are very curious. 🙂

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Diana took the opportunity to bottle feed one of the little ones.  It had yet to be named; she put her vote in for the name Cocoa.

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This tiny white one is named Miracle.  She was prematurely born on a very cold spring evening.  Fortunately Charlie found her when he fed the herd, as she would have froze by morning.  He and his wife Connie took her in the house and gave her warm baths and nursed her back to health.  She is doing really well!

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They also have a store filled with alpaca clothing.

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We brought home a pair of socks, a scarf, and a few shoe inserts.  I’m here to tell you that the inserts are like a dream in my slippers!

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We thoroughly enjoyed our stay with Charlie and Connie!  They welcomed us back, and we will definitely take them up on that!

Next up:  We come home to Acadia, after an eight year hiatus.  Be sure to stay tuned for what will be multiple posts on this beautiful slice of heaven.  Until then, safe and happy travels!

Note:  Be sure to take a look at our header menu for our new page Modifications and Repairs.  This is the place that deals with anything of that nature in our travels thus far.  As new issues crop up, we will share them with you on that page.

 

21 thoughts on “Northward into Maine”

  1. Happy Birthday to the birthday girl! Lovely photo, Diana:)

    What fun to stay right next to the alpaca! Those little ones are so dear. I am glad Miracle was found quickly and nursed back to health. Enjoy Maine! We haven’t been that way for six years but I do love the lobster.

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    1. Thanks Ingrid! There were over 100 alpacas. When it cooled off in the evening the little ones were playing tag with a Guinea fowl. It would chase them and then they would chase back. It cracked us up, as we knew the Guinea fowl could have just flown away but was making a game of it. Diana

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    1. Thanks Debbie! We have had some great Harvest Hosts experiences. Wineries and small farms are our favorite locations. We always read the reviews, and use Google maps to see an aerial view of where we will park and the surrounding area. Diana

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    1. Thanks Rick! The quaint New Hampshire towns were a great place to celebrate my birthday. We turned our chairs facing out of our big window in the back, and really enjoyed watching the alpacas play. I agree that Maxine would like them too.

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