Harvest Hosts Top Pick: TX-Ture Farms in Aubrey, Texas

Have you ever visited a place that puts a smile on your face and revs up your creative engine while also reconnecting you with nature? I'm glad to say we have.

We have been Harvest Hosts fans for quite a while now. Since we launched out on our full-time RV adventure back in 2017, it has offered us some unforgettable experiences in remarkable locations. These locations have included wineries, cideries, and other "tasty" spots around the continent.

But in March, the bar was raised for our Harvest Hosts experiences. It was raised so high that it's hard to see that bar without binoculars!

(By the way, be sure to tune in to our TREKKN site because we plan to be visiting LOTS of Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome locations in the coming months now that we are fully set up for boondocking in our campervan. We will be writing about our best experiences so you can enjoy them as well!) Stay at TX-Ture Farms for:

• Convenient, peaceful location
• Great amount of space
• Dogs!
• Alpacas!
• Unique Products
• One-of-a-kind experiences

TX-Ture Farm Is A Don't Miss!

When we heard that a friend of ours from Slovakia was coming to Dallas for a conference, we immediately headed to the Harvest Hosts website to see spots to park our campervan. There were a few reasonable options within a decent driving distance, but one, in particular, stood out to me.

Why? Well...ALPACAS!

Julie has been obsessed with alpacas for quite a while now (I've had SO many videos shoved in my face), but she had never had a chance to meet one face-to-face. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make that happen.

So yes, that was reason #1. But now that we have spent a couple of nights there, we have so many more reasons for you to move this visit to the top of your list.

Convenient but Peaceful Location

This is the match made in heaven: convenient + peaceful. I enjoy both.

And TX-Ture Farm offered us both. We planned to visit Dallas and Flower Mound, TX, and their location in Aubrey put us within 30-60 minutes of each location. When you mix the peaceful factor, this worked well for us. (Who would want a spot in the heart of Dallas?)

While the entire area north of Dallas/Fort Worth seems to be exploding with suburbs, TX-Ture Farm is tucked away in a quiet corner of this suburban sprawl. It's just off a tiny little two-lane road that keeps road noise to a minimum.

Room to Breathe

While we truly have enjoyed every Harvest Hosts location we have visited, some offer more room to breathe than others.

Space was certainly not limited at this quaint alpaca farm. We were able to back our campervan right next to their iconic red barn and look out over fields of lavender and Christmas trees, not to mention the grazing alpacas.

They even have a couple of picnic tables and a firepit pit in the shade of a pine tree right next to the parking spaces. I've been less impressed by many $60-$80 per night RV parks than I was with our accommodations here at the farm.

It also helped that we were the only ones there at this time. They offer two spots for Harvest Hosts guests, so you may not have it all to yourself. But even if you do have a neighbor, I don't think it will make you feel claustrophobic.

As an additional bonus, they have a nice circular route through the property that helps you avoid any stressful backing if you're in a big rig. Always a plus for me when we were towing our 26-foot travel trailer. Not a big factor in our 20-foot campervan.

Furry Friends

When we pulled in, we were immediately greeted by Russell and his best friend, Rocco (aka the greeting crew). After Russell gave us simple directions on where to park, Rocco (who is a Black Lab, I think) followed us to our spot to be sure we didn't feel lonely. And he is SUCH a well-behaved and friendly dog. We could hardly believe it.

As we unpacked and prepared a few things inside, Rocco stood outside whimpering a little because he wanted to get to know us. When we opened the campervan door again, he couldn't contain his curiosity and had to visit.

And the Wooly Friends

While Rocco set the stage well with his friendly and gentle demeanor, the next day, we got the chance to hang out with the real stars of the show: the alpacas.

They have a herd of about 17 alpacas (if I remember correctly) of all different sizes and colors that you can watch graze in the field from your camping spot. And that is fun, but we wanted to get up close and personal with them.

Russell did not disappoint us on this front! He grabbed some small feeding bags and took us right out into the middle of the herd of females to meet and greet.

He told us that if we felt "adventurous," we could sit down and let them come in and tower over us. It was an awesome experience. Being swarmed by alpacas is an experience you need to add to your bucket list!

Unique and Irresistible Products in Their Shop

If you're familiar at all with Harvest Hosts, you know that they recommend spending at least $20 on products during your stay. This is to help support these small operations and tell them to thank you for the hospitality.

And normally, at a winery or cidery, we will do this. A bottle or two of a tasty drink, and all is good.

But at TX-Ture Farm? Well, we lost control and spent a bit more than that. We were completely fascinated by all the ways they had found to turn some of the "throwaway" material from the alpaca wool into useful or fun products.

On top of that, they also had honey products from their bees. Honey is one of my weaknesses, so that had to get tossed into the purchase bin as well.

There you have it: you've been warned. The shop is a dangerous place to pack your willpower. Or not. :)

Enjoyable Education and Experiences

In our discussions with Russell and Annemiek, the owners of the place, we learned so much! They shared details about all aspects of their operation and how they developed the product mix that they currently have available. I was just blown away by how much fun it was to start to understand this whole process.

But guess what? There are more opportunities here than just some random conversations, as good as they are.

Russell and Annemiek offer a wide variety of hands-on opportunities to produce your products or just experience all the farm offers:

• Walk-a-paca Experience
• Soap making classes
• Scarf felting classes
• Alpaca yoga
• Candle making (with wine tasting)
• Farm Discovery field trip
• Dive into the Hive field trip (all about the bees)

A pretty amazing array of opportunities, right? We just feel like they offer a little something for everyone.And if you're more into a larger gathering, they also offer several festival experiences throughout the year:

• Shearing Fest 2022
• Forging Texas Festival (blacksmithing)
• Lavender Fest
• Gourdgeous Pumpkins Festival

The list just seems to go on and on, and they are always looking to expand and offer new experiences to the community. TX-Ture Farm is a trendsetter in this area, as other farms begin to follow their lead and offer their own experiences. So it's a win-win for everyone involved.

With the endless creativity of Russell and Annemiek leading the way, there is no telling what could come into existence over the coming months and years!

Did We Mention They Are Just Getting Started?

You are going to have a hard time believing this. I know I did.

This whole adventure at TX-Ture Farm just started coming to life about two years ago! That's when they started some of the construction projects to get the place ready to go.

But they've only been open for business for less than a year, yet it feels like they must have been at this for many years because of all they offer.

It truly is impressive, and we are confident that the best is absolutely yet to come for this rising star.

We were so impressed with Russell and Annemiek and their whole operation that we have every intention of getting back to their place as soon as we can (just a few hours from home for us) and volunteering on the farm. This is something we want to give a part of ourselves to because everything about it, including the owners, has such positive energy to it.

When Are You Going to Visit this Amazing Harvest Hosts Location?

This much I know: You could not possibly regret a visit to TX-Ture Farm. Whether you go in your RV to stay the night, or you just want to visit for a class or a festival, you will find yourself mesmerized and eager to return as soon as possible.

It's just one of those places that makes you feel alive and makes you start to dream about bringing good things into the world. It helps you remember that great things are happening all around us, even when it's easy to feel like the world is imploding.

And it reconnects you to the natural world while inspiring you to find your creative path. That is my kind of place.

This is only ONE of the 3,000+ Harvest Hosts locations around the continent! So can you imagine what is waiting out there for you to discover??

Yep, it's time to find out.

Todd and Julie Bonner are just a couple of adventurous 40-something souls who spent 17 months RVing full-time with their family of five in a 26-foot travel trailer. Now nearing an empty nest, they've transitioned to a campervan that perfectly fits their desire for simplicity. You can follow their wanderings on Instagram @trekkndotco or their blog at TREKKN.co.