R and J in the USA

We have so enjoyed our Harvest Host/Boondockers Welcome experience throughout this trip. It is farms, wineries and fellow travelers that open up their homes, homesteads, farms etc…to travelers in need of a place to park their rig for the night. There is always the presence of generosity, reciprocity and, often, a chance to compare notes and get to know friendly folks across the country.

When Scott and Louise came out in the morning of our stay to generously refill our water tank and show us around their farm store, we immediately all hit it off. We spent almost an hour taking care of business and chatting. The conversation flowed easily and prolifically. We shared with them about our trip and we learned about Scott and Louise’s 50 states goal. They had horses and their goal was to go for a horseback ride in all 50 states. They had 28 states down already. They had started 4 years ago and tried to do at least 2 states in a year, some years knocking out many more. They also told us about their recent east coast tour where they spent a couple of days going full tourist in NYC. Their tour took them all the way up the coast to Prince Edward Island. They had had a great time and had enjoyed seeing these places that were so far away, literally and figuratively, from their home and life in Montana where they were both from originally. 

Before long, we were not just bonding about 50 states travel dreams, but getting deeper into the value of travel and getting to know our neighbors across these 50 states and how much you learn just by seeing where people are living, especially people living differently than you. You learn about their lifestyle, about their culture, the differences in the scenery, the weather and the terrain where they live out their lives and how it is easier to understand people with different viewpoints when you go and stand in the places from which they are forming those viewpoints.

We felt like fast friends with Scott and Louise and welcomed them to swing by Rochester if they every wanted to go for a horseback ride in our area or needed a place to stay.

They gave us a taste of four different kinds of jams they made, each with a berry we had never heard of, and they were all interesting and delicious.

The had choke cherry syrup, sand cherry jam, Saskatoon jam and, the one they saved for last because they knew it was a sure crowd pleaser, the honeyberry jam. They were correct. Imagine if a raspberry, a strawberry, and a honeycomb all had a baby. This would be the honeyberry. And the jam that was made from it was delicious! 

Whether we were talking, sharing spreads or swapping stories, we had a blast jamming with our new Montana friends, Scott and Louise.