This week began with John wondering where in the world we were going as he pulled our camper down a gravel road. It ended with the girls hugging more new friends goodbye, money they had earned working on the farm tucked proudly into their pocketbooks, and our camper filled with more fresh produce than we could carry across the Canadian border.

In between, we picked bushels of cherry tomatoes, packaged 90 farm orders, planted rows of spinach, attended a birthday party, rode horses through the corn fields, watched Penn State football outside again, and shared more meals than we could count.

There was also an Airbnb water scare, a damaged truck, and our most frustrating parking experience yet, because even the sweetest weeks on the road usually come with a little chaos.

But what we’ll remember most is how quickly we became part of life at Pleasant Valley Farm. We arrived expecting a quiet Harvest Hosts stay. Instead, we found another little community that made it difficult to leave.

Down the Gravel Road 🚐

Our journey from Tupper Lake began with route advice from our new friends Joe and Cindy. They helped us find the best way to our next stop, another Harvest Hosts location tucked along a gravel road near Argyle, New York.

As John pulled the camper farther down the road, he had multiple “Where exactly are we going?” moments. Then we reached Pleasant Valley Farm.

Paul met us just as we were pulling in and showed us where to park on the back side of the property, near the farm’s tunnels and fields. The farm stretches across more than 100 acres, and our little corner felt wonderfully quiet and removed from everything. For most of our stay, we were the only campers there. Three others pulled in one evening, but two left the next morning and only one stayed through the weekend.

Almost immediately, we were greeted by Paul and Sandy’s grandchildren, Chase and Astrid, and by a caterpillar that had somehow traveled with us inside the camper. It felt like a funny continuation of our troll hunt at The Wild Center, where Lowina discovered a favorite caterpillar and desperately wanted to bring it home. This time, we really did bring one along (woops!). We found our tiny stowaway a new home outside, and the girls started playing with their new friends.

Apparently, Astrid never goes inside campers, but she loved ours. Before long, all four kids were playing inside as if they had known one another much longer than a few minutes. We ate dinner all together in the camper, then moved the fun into the farmhouse for ice cream and even more playing. The girls stayed up late, but sometimes a new friendship is worth stretching bedtime.

We had arrived expecting a new place to park. By the end of our first night, it already felt like something more.

When the Farm Becomes the Playground 🌱

Thursday morning brought more playtime for the kids while John and I caught up on work. Their new friends had to leave later that morning, so after saying goodbye, we shifted back into homeschool mode.

That afternoon, we headed into Greenwich for dinner and a playground stop before returning to the camper for a family movie night. It was a quieter day, but we were beginning to settle into the rhythm of the farm.

There were fields outside our windows, excavators building a new tunnel, and produce being harvested and prepared for customers. We were surrounded by work that had to happen whether visitors were there or not.

The girls had plenty of space to explore. John and I had work to finish. There was nowhere we needed to rush. For a family traveling full-time, that kind of ordinary day can feel every bit as valuable as a packed sightseeing itinerary.

Three Bushels of Cherry Tomatoes 🍅

By Friday, the girls’ new friends were back for the day. We started with homeschool, then the entire family joined us for a much bigger assignment: picking cherry tomatoes.

The farm had orders to fill and not enough harvested tomatoes, so our goal was to collect three bushels. It turned into a full-family project. The farm kids lasted about 30 minutes. Lizzie made it around 45 before running off to play with her friends. Lowina stayed for more than an hour (go girl!).

Eventually, the three bushels were full, the orders had their tomatoes, and the kids returned to the very important business of playing. That evening, Paul and Sandy invited us to join them at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Greenwich for a thank you dinner honoring the volunteers who help make the fair happen each year. Paul and Sandy volunteer with the fair, and for just $5 each, we received enormous plates of food.

We ate together beneath a beautiful sunset, surrounded by people whose work helps keep a beloved local tradition alive. It was one of those experiences we never would have found on an itinerary. We were there because someone welcomed us into a small part of their life, and those moments continue to become some of our favorites.

Ninety Farm Orders and a Late Night in the Wash House 📦

When we returned to the farm, three other campers had arrived. Two were only staying for the night, while one planned to remain through the weekend.

The farm team was also behind on packing its weekly orders, so John offered to help. He spent several hours in the wash house organizing and packaging produce into totes for deliveries and customer pickups. John stayed until around 11 pm, and the rest of the crew kept working until nearly 2 am. In his words:

There is something different about seeing a farm from the inside. It is easy to admire neat rows of vegetables, beautiful produce stands, and overflowing market baskets. It is another thing to see the late nights, complicated logistics, and many hands required to get that food into someone’s kitchen.

For John, it was a chance to step briefly into a life he has imagined for years. For all of us, it was a reminder of how much work exists behind every fresh ingredient we bring home.

Mountain Views and Our First Family Trail Ride 🐴

Saturday began slowly, with the girls playing and John preparing for the Penn State game. He brought his $40 thrift store TV outside, continuing what has officially become his new Saturday travel tradition: Penn State football outside the camper.

We had originally planned to visit Lake George, but the girls were completely content playing with their friends, so we stayed for a lazy morning. One of the lessons this journey keeps teaching us is that a good plan is not always better than a happy child. Sometimes the best choice is to let the day remain simple.

Later, we headed to 4J Farmm for our first horseback ride as an entire family. Along our journey so far, I'd been looking for a farm that would allow the girls and I to do a trail ride together and had failed so far to find one that would allow the girls at their ages and wasn't too far from our campground. Funny enough, I had texted to Colleen at 4J on our way to the farm, and when I mentioned horseback riding to Sandy when we arrived, she said she could make it happen and serendipitously, she recommend 4J Farmm and Colleen!

John had never ridden a horse before, but he was a natural. Lizzie had ridden ponies but had never been on a real trail ride. She did great and looked completely comfortable in the saddle. Lowina had a blast, especially when her horse, who apparently enjoys running, decided to gallop down a hill.

The ride was peaceful and beautiful, with mountain views stretching out around us. After a week spent working and playing close to the earth, seeing the landscape from horseback felt like the perfect addition.

That evening, we traded saddles for garden gloves and helped Paul, Sandy, Chase, and Astrid plant three rows of spinach. It was nearly bedtime, but we had a job to finish. Planting spinach by hand as the day faded around us, we felt less like overnight guests and more like temporary members of the farm family.

Waterfalls, Fake Nails and a Parking Garage Surprise 💦

Sunday was…eventful. We woke to a message from guests checking out of our Airbnb in Greensboro. They had heard what sounded like a waterfall and then discovered water coming from beneath the washing machine. Just the message every Airbnb host hopes to receive first thing in the morning.

We called friends to see who could check the house, determine whether it was flooding, and decide if we needed an emergency plumber... A huge thank-you to Nick for going over to help. Thankfully, the situation was not as disastrous as it initially sounded, and we avoided an emergency plumbing visit.

While managing those calls, we ventured into Saratoga Springs. Because John’s parents are Disney Vacation Club members and Saratoga Springs is their home resort, he was eager to visit the actual town. We parked and walked through a secondhand market in the park near the carousel. The girls found some fake nails (thanks Dad!) then we went to brunch while waiting for the carousel to open. Afterward, we returned for two rides.

For a brief moment, the day seemed to have settled down. Then we returned to the parking garage and discovered that someone had hit John’s truck... The damage was significant enough that we needed to file a report for insurance. Fortunately, my insurance agent husband knew exactly what to do.

Unfortunately, knowing what to do did not make spending more than an hour in a parking garage part of our original plans. Eventually, we completed the report and headed back to the farm, ready for a happier ending to the day.

A Birthday Party at the Farm 🎈

Back at Pleasant Valley Farm, the kids returned to playing while the adults prepared for Astrid’s birthday celebration. We helped inflate balloons and decorate. Paul and Sandy cooked hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh picked corn, and homemade potato salad.

After dinner, there was a piñata, presents, and an ice cream treat. It was simple, joyful, and exactly the kind of birthday party kids love.

By then, the girls had moved well past acting like visitors. They ran around the farm with Chase and Astrid, helped with the decorations, and celebrated alongside the family.

That night captured so much of what made this stop special. We had known these people for only a few days, yet we had already shared dinners, farm work, playtime, a fairground meal, a horseback ride, and now a birthday.

Life on the road has a strange way of speeding up friendship. When your time together is short, you don’t wait weeks to begin sharing real life. You simply begin.

Paid Farm Girls and One Last Goodbye 💛

Monday morning, it was time to leave. We packed the camper while the girls worked on a dinosaur-digging toy with their friends.

Before we pulled out, we placed one final farm order and stocked up on fresh produce. Then Sandy surprised the girls with money for their work on the farm. They were pumped.

They had picked tomatoes, helped plant spinach, and experienced the satisfaction of contributing to something bigger than themselves. Now they had their own money to show for it. There were plenty of hugs before we finally pulled away.

We had spent less than a week at the farm, but leaving felt much harder than we expected. Once again, we had arrived somewhere knowing no one and left with people we hoped to see again.

Our Shortest Drive and Worst Parking Experience Yet 😬

Our next destination was near Vergennes, the oldest city in Vermont. We found a place in Addison, just down the road from Vergennes and across Lake Champlain from New York. It was our shortest travel day so far, and the drive itself was easy.

Parking was not. Our first assigned campsite was incredibly unlevel. It would've been fine for our 21' we traveled with last summer, but not for our 43' beast. We attempted to position the camper, unhook, and use the automatic leveling system, but nothing worked. We then had to figure how to manually override the camper’s auto-level system out on the fly. There were many choice words from John.

Eventually, we moved to a different site. The second spot was much better, but after the first attempt, even the easier setup felt stressful. We finally got situated and level, then made a farm fresh dinner with some of the food we had brought from Pleasant Valley Farm.

Because we were preparing to enter Canada, we needed to use as much of our fresh produce as possible. Cooked fruits and vegetables can cross with us, but many fresh or raw items could not, so our camper kitchen went into full production.

After lots of cooking, we settled in and introduced the girls to Mighty Joe Young. They fell in love with it. For John and I, it was pure nostalgia. I love when they find joy in movies that we loved to watch growing up.

History, Ice Cream and Spending Their Earnings 🍦

Tuesday morning was dedicated to catching up on work before we headed out for another field trip. We visited the Crown Point State Historic Site and the nearby monument, adding another layer of New York history to our travels before crossing into Canada. Then we returned to the camper for a fire and a little more work.

That evening, we drove into Vergennes for ice cream from Lu Lu, who specializes in home-made small batches of ice cream. I ordered an affogato with dairy free gelato, which was every bit as good as it sounds.

The girls also had important business to handle: spending some of the money they had earned on the farm. After carefully considering their options, each of them chose a drink and a bag of chips. Honestly, there may be no greater childhood luxury than snacks purchased entirely with your own money.

We returned to the camper for more playing and another farm-fresh dinner. It was a quiet final evening in the United States, filled with good food and anticipation for what was coming next.

From Farm Fields to a New Country 🇨🇦

Wednesday morning, we began packing again. This was our shortest stay so far, aside from a few quick overnights during longer drives, but it served its purpose: giving us a place to catch our breath, explore a little of Vermont, and prepare for our first international border crossing with the camper.

This morning, most of our fresh produce had been cooked, the camper was almost ready to travel, and the girls had spent the last of their farm money.

Canada is up next. Another country, another new campsite, and another adventure none of us had experienced before.

Until Next Time… 🤍

We arrived at Pleasant Valley Farm by way of a gravel road, with John wondering whether we were heading in the right direction. A few days later, the girls were picking cherry tomatoes, John was packing farm orders late into the night, and all four of us were planting spinach alongside Paul, Sandy, Chase, and Astrid.

We ate meals together. We celebrated a birthday. We rode horses overlooking the mountains. We watched the kids turn open fields and a camper into their own world. The girls learned that food does not simply appear in a grocery store. They experienced the patience required to fill a bushel with tiny tomatoes and the pride that comes from earning money through real work. John saw a side of farm life he had always wanted to experience. And I watched another unfamiliar place begin to feel like home.

There were three bushels of cherry tomatoes, 90 farm orders, three rows of spinach, one first family trail ride, a Penn State game outside, an Airbnb water scare, a damaged truck, a birthday party, and more fresh produce than we could take into Canada.

There were stressful moments. There were late nights. There were travel plans that changed because the girls were simply too happy playing to leave. There were people who welcomed us into their home, their work, and their family. There were children who became friends almost instantly and adults who let us experience a small piece of a life very different from our own.

This lifestyle continues to remind us that the places we stay are only part of the story. The real magic is in the people who invite us in.

Ready to Plan Something Unforgettable?

Thanks for riding along with us this week, and for letting our travels inspire your own. Your next adventure is closer than you think.🤍

Until the next stop,

The Wagner Family