New Hope Black Walnut Farm, Ellijay, GA
Greetings from this superfood farm in the mountains of Georgia. As the leaves fall from the trees and the weather turns cold, I’m heading south this year. I am currently in northern Georgia as I wait for the leaves to disappear from the trees.
New Hope Black Walnut Farm has 30 black walnut trees that are harvested annually and dried throughout the year. You may not know it, but these nuts are superfoods. They have higher levels of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and plenty of other healthy benefits.
If you want to learn more about these, you need to use your Harvest Hosts membership and make your way to Ellijay, Georgia.
Destinations: Hiawassee, GA
If you can’t make up your mind between heading to the lake or to the mountains, Hiawassee Georgia has both. Hiawassee sits along Lake Chatuge and is located in northeast Georgia near the North Carolina border. This man-made reservoir is an absolute hot spot for water recreation like fishing, paddling, and boating.
Along with the manmade lake, there is plenty of hiking and waterfall chasing. There are a couple of different hiking trails worth visiting. The Highland Shoals Falls Trail is about 20 minutes south of downtown. It is a nice 2.6-mile hike with cascading waterfalls at the end. If you make your way to the area, it’s a hike most people can do. Another great trail is the Anna Ruby Falls Trail. And finally, the Hemlock Falls Trail is highly rated too! All of these are within a 30 minute drive.
Here you’ll find everything outdoor adventurers love with a small town America feel. You can enjoy long early springs, warm-humid summers, and a fall that lasts a little longer than most. Regardless of the time of year, this is a great area that flies under the radar for many. Put Hiawassee on your list of places to check out.
New Coach: Entegra Launch 4×4
The Entegra Launch 4×4 is a Class B coach that beautifully blends the off-road, boondocking lifestyle with the comfort of an Entegra Coach. This RV is built on a Mercedes Sprinter 4×4 platform. It has a drop down bed in the back—giving you tons of room to bring your gear with you. It is fully equipped with everything you need for off-grid living, including 210 amp hours of lithium battery, 200 watts of roof-mounted solar panels, and a built-in port to add portable solar panels once you arrive at your destination.
This coach has a luxurious feel, but still gets you out where your heart comes alive. It is definitely something to dream about.
Lifestyle: Everything Winter
With winter right around the corner, there are certain tips and tricks I have learned during my travels that I want to share with you. Hopefully, learning from my experiences will make your adventures even better.
Is It Time to Start Thinking About Winterizing Your RV?
Unless you are a full-timer or store your rig indoors, it is that time of year to start preparing your RV for hibernation. This is never a fun part of the year, but it is essential to make the transition into your next RV season seamless.
Here is a great list of things to think about and do during your winterization process.
RVing Tips for Winter Travel
But if you are planning on utilizing your Harvest Hosts membership year round, there are some other steps you might take. It isn’t enough to just switch your air conditioning off and your furnace on.
If you are planning on living in your rig through the entire winter, there are a lot of things to consider. You may think about adding a skirt around the bottom of your RV, using additional heating options, and more.
To get an in-depth look at things to help you prepare for the winter before it’s too late, you can check out more Harvest Hosts blogs.
Driving Your RV This Winter
Winter driving is a big deterrent for many RVers. The idea of taking your rig through the mountains or across the winds in the high plains can be concerning. You need to stay alert to the weather conditions, always carry chains for your tires, keep your batteries in good shape, and always exercise more caution than you typically would. Check out the link below for more winter driving advice.
New Tech: Cummins Enters the Off-Grid Power Solution
Cummins has moved from providing some of the best generators in the industry to providing complete off-grid solutions. With all of the people invading the off-grid battery market, it’s difficult to know which direction to go. With Onan, you are getting a product from a proven company that offers great durability and efficiency.
HaRVey’s New Hack from the Harvest Hosts Community
Keeping your RV warm inside is such a hard thing to do in cold weather climates. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by keeping your floors warm. Bill from Vermont says he uses an electric space heater in the basement of his RV.
When he puts this electric heater in his basement, he clears out a significant amount of space around it and places it near his water. This helps create warm floors, protects the pipes from freezing, and it’s great because heat rises. Overall, this seems like a great lifehack to help make your winter RVing way more enjoyable—especially waking up with hooves that don’t freeze as soon as they hit the floor.
Until Next Time, Harvest Hosts Members!
Each month I will be giving you an update with my travels, some RV news and destinations, and of course, highlighting some of the best farms, wineries, breweries, golf courses, and more around North America—all available through your Harvest Hosts Membership. In the meantime, you can stay in touch with me through our Harvest Hosts chat system at HarvestHosts.com. Talk to you soon!
