Night 2 of our anniversary weekend trying out Harvest Hosts was spent at Tsali Notch Vineyards in Madisonville, TN. We were there an hour before we said we would be, but JD welcomed us with open arms and told us to head into the Tasting Room to let them know we were there. It was only about a 20-minute drive from Grain Bin Commodities so if you wanted to stay at the Vineyard and make a pastry run, you could. (Just a suggestion!) If you're coming from I75, the drive is only about 10 miles from the exit so it's not too far out of the way. The vineyard is also just down the road from The Lost Sea so you could spend the day exploring the world's largest underground lake and then stay the night.
 |
| Entrance to Tsali Notch Vineyards |
When we arrived JD was prepping for an event so we tried to just stay out of the way. I managed to get in the wine tasting ($10) before it started raining. Tsali Notch is a Muscadine vineyard, and, being a red-wine girl, I wasn't sure how I would like the wines. But I managed to find a couple that I liked, so again, I had no trouble spending the suggested $20 for staying the night. The Chatsworth is a dry red with just a hint of sweetness. Even the French Broad (rosé) surprised me. Their juice is pure juice from the Muscadine; no sweeteners are added...or needed.
 |
| The Tasting Room |
While it rained, Robert napped and I read. Even with an event happening at the bottom of the hill, it was extremely quiet and peaceful.
 |
| View from the side window as it rained. |
 |
| The view looking out of the windshield |
Our site for the night was just beautiful. There was one other van that came in later; their view was awesome as well.
 |
| We parked right across the road from one of the vineyards |
 |
| Perfect spot! |
 |
Our view from behind the van before the rain.
|
We had asked ahead of time if we could set up our gazebo and were given the go-ahead. There were storms in the forecast so we decided not to put it up in case the wind picked up. It ended up just raining, which was fine since we had such a nice quiet afternoon. The views after the rain were even more spectacular:
 |
| Mist over the vineyard after the rain |
 |
| Low-lying cloud in the distance |
 |
| More clouds in the distance |
More views of the vineyard:
 |
| I loved these Tennessee Tri-Star fire pits |
In the above picture, t
he building on the left is the Jackson Lounge, where the restrooms are housed. The restrooms were kept open at night and weren't that far of a walk from the van. That made it really nice so we didn't have to use the van toilet. Also, the gates are closed at night, but when we left around 9:00 the next morning, they were already open. As we drove away, I made Robert stop so I could jump out and take a few more pictures of the vineyard in the morning mist. |
| Looking out over the main vineyards |
 |
| The Event Barn |
Both nights during our weekend were A+! Harvest Hosts is a great way to discover unique places in your area of the country that you may not have known existed. It may not be your typical camping experience, but what a great way to support small businesses!
Have you heard about Harvest Hosts? It's an RV camping membership that has opened up exciting and new overnight experiences for my road trips! Use it to unlock unlimited overnight stays at locations such as farms, wineries, museums and so much more. The network has over 4000 locations and is expanding daily - and it's so much fun! I think that you'd really enjoy it. Here is the link to join with a special discount: Flyin' the Coop Harvest Hosts Invitation . Check it out and let me know what you think!
