Part of life on the road is finding a good place to camp. We have found Harvest Hosts, a membership of churches, wineries and farms, a suitable way to meet interesting people at little or no cost. The concept behind Harvest Hosts is you stay free, but they ask that you spend at least $20 in support of the host’s business or mission. Just off of Interstate 95 in Ashland, Va., is James River Cellars, a vineyard and winery. The people were very friendly and knowledgeable about their wines. The tasting room is very nice with a patio all around, well situated among the trees overlooking a small vineyard, where they were able to produce about a barrel of wine. The rest of the vineyard is at another location.
The best part of the visit was meeting fellow campers Dannielle and Dillon, their three kids and dog. They came from Michigan where they decided that living in that state was more trouble than it was worth. The kids tested two years behind in the public schools, ostensibly because of COVID. In just a couple of months, Dannielle had already got her daughter caught up by homeschooling. They decided Michigan had nothing for them. Schools were full of propaganda. The COVID restrictions and mandates were overwhelming. None of them are COVID-vaxed, a choice they made exercising their bodily autonomy. They took preventatives that the mainstream doctors condemned. They decided taking an experimental vaccine that was not proven safe and was proven ineffective was not the best idea for their family.
They paid a social price. In Michigan, they received a good deal of shunning. One person, angry they refused vaccination, even harassed their three-year-old daughter, calling her a Nazi—can you imagine? So gone they are from the state in which they all were born. Dillon, son of a dairy farmer, had his own concrete business, but he also is very talented with technology. Dannielle is a wedding photographer, natural remedy enthusiast and adventurer. They sold their concrete business, then their home at an estate auction, bought a camping trailer, and hit the road two months later. They are traveling through every state to pick a new place to live. They have a wooden map of the US on the wall. Each state can be pulled from it as they visit it. So far they have been in MI, OH, NY, PA, NJ, MD and VA.
They were headed to Georgia, and after that will make a decision where to go next. They see the entire experience as liberating and educational for their kids. I have heard that because of the strong-armed tactics of the government during COVID there are many Dannielle’s and Dillon’s on adventure road. They are enthusiastic, resilient, and embracing a new idea of America–working on the road, raising kids with old-fashioned values, and focusing on what’s good about our country. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” They are standing in the way and seeking that ancient path of finding their good way. They intend to find, rest and walk in it. May they do so.
