We are a quiet, friendly couple with 1 child at home yet and 5 grown children who have flown the coop. We are non-intrusive but available to help when needed.
Agricultural knowledge and experience, canning and preserving, sewing, crochet, knitting, tatting, business experience (start-up, ownership, finances, etc), and construction.
We have 3 dogs (1 of which free ranges) and several cats. The dogs are a japanese chin which does not leave the house, a beagle which gets tied out to potty, and an Irish Wolfhound which free ranges. Our place is a small farm so we also have4 goats, 6 chickens (for fresh eggs), 2 bunnies, 2 cattle, and 2 horses.
We haven't boondocked much but would like to start doing so.
Our place is a small farm located on a gravel road approximately 2 miles off the highway. No other houses can be seen from our property. We have a pasture with a pond, a barn, a pole building, and a few other small buildings. We are within eye sight of the Turkey River and within 15 miles of the Mississippi River. Elkader (nearest town) has a population of 1273. There is a family owned grocery store, a small movie theater, and numerous quaint shops. The closest town with a Walmart is 21 miles away. You won't find a more peaceful setting than our place.
1992 Winnebago Adventurer. Older rig but in excellent shape. Toad is a 2015 Kia Optima.
Enjoyed everything about the farm. Sunset was spectacular! Greeted with a gift basket, was phenomenal 👍. We ate the greens, the eggs and the jam on our trip😊. Thank you so much for your kindness👏👏
We loved our stay with Jazzyjjm. My wife even performed the Field of Dreams drama as she disappeared into 12 ft high corn.
The hosts made us feel very welcome and we wish we had had more time to just sit and talk.
We had a great day touring NE Iowa finding Guttenberg and Motor Mill to be real highlights.
And at night, just lay there and listen to the night time sounds. Mr. Coyote calls his family, Mr. Owl starts his evening hunt. And in the morning, goats, chickens and Mr. Rooster. Wonderful, just wonderful.
Thank You for being part of BDW.
She greeted us with a basket full of amazing things right from the farm! Fresh eggs, apples, tomatoes, honey and more! Great location for going to both pikes peak and backbone state parks, which we hiked both! Great place to rest after the hikes. Sweet family, thank you for the stay.
very relaxing and in the country. The high point was the rooster crow at 5:07 A.M. Mmmm!
This site was the last one in our three week journey to Yellowstone Park and back to Chicago. They were so kind and thoughtful as the travel that day turned out to be longer than we estimated. The farm was not very big, but the rolling hills reminded me of my own grandfather's farm and many of my journeys as a boy to go fetch the cows from the river flats. The thing that was different is the this jazzy couple had many more four legged friends that we had as a family. A great place to stay with a wonderful couple.
JazzyJim was awesome! So helpful to keep us on track to find them. Then, we arrived and were met with open arms. They told us of some fun things to do and see in the area. We were given a tour of their amazing place and also gave us a lovely basket of their own homemade goodies.. They provided a perfect spot for our rig, very level. They offered 15A electric and water. If we’re ever nearby, we will ask to stay again!
This was a great place to stay. The hosts were kind, friendly and flexible. Their location was beautiful and quiet. We loved having the animals (dogs, cats goats, etc.) and we even got to see some unique birds. The area is lovely and we really enjoyed spook cave, Motor mill site and the botanical gardens in Dubuque area are amazing. I would recommend this area and specifically this spot to stay to anyone.
Can’t say enough about how lovely these hosts are - Kind, generous people who love their land and animals. They are fantastic hosts - the location is peaceful, beautiful and full of their hard work and love. You feel the positive energy all around you! We will (for sure) be back to see the progress on their dream of self sufficient living :)
Very nice family. Location away from the city about 20 mins. Level site. Chickens, rabbits, goats, cats, cows, garden. Near the Turkey River. Hope to come back.
Beautiful rural setting in the rolling hills of eastern Iowa. Our host were so very accommodating and generous. We really appreciated the gift basket with goodies from their farm and garden.
This has been the highlight of my summer of travels. It was So peaceful that the only noise at night was the hoot of an owl in the tree outside my RV. Upon arrival Christina gifted us with bounty from her garden, delicious pumpkin butter, and a bouquet of flowers! A five star hotel would not be as generous. My terrier, Daisy, was enthralled by all the animals and came nose to nose with her first rabbit. Alas, I didn’t have my camera ready. I worried about ‘two miles on a gravel road’ but found the road well maintained and the drive over hills and through forest glens to be enchanting. The Hazel Road Hideaway is well worth the trip and I suggest staying more than one night.
Super great host's from the time we got there till we left we were treated like part of the family . We treated with a welcome basket of home grown veggies and fresh egg and more witch all came from their quiet little farm
Recommended a great place for lunch in the quiet town of Dyersville where we were going to see the movie site for the movie Field of Dreams with great directions to get there. Spent the last night of our stay on the patio sharing stories around a fire had a wonderful time. If we make it back to Iowa we will stay again. Thanks again The Castle's
I was met by the host upon arrival. I quickly settled in for the night. I had to leave early the next morning and did not get to interact much with the host. A different day and a different time, I would love to tour their farm and see all their farm animals. The hostess was out of town but was in communication with me throughout.
We were just passing through and needed a place to stay but this family made us wish we could stay much longer. Our granddaughter loved the farm animals and the welcome basket was just over the top. Thank you so much for your hospitality.
Wow.... away from it all and a chance to play catch-up with trip planning and bill paying before I hit the road again. I was welcomed with a basket of fresh grown veggies and freshly laid eggs. I so enjoyed meeting the whole menagerie. Best part was the glass of wine and snacks my host and I shared on the patio. Looking forward to staying in touch and sharing our road adventures... you go gurl!
Hostess was extremely helpful and welcoming! Especially enjoyed the fresh eggs she shared with us. Locations is a little out of the way, but the area is beautiful. Would definitely stay here again. Thank you for your hospitality 😀
A very nice farm and friendly dogs. Fantastic people and very quiet sleep. Highly recommend.
We had an absolutely wonderful stay! Our original plan was to stay just one night, but after exchanging a few pre-trip messages, we decided to add another night..and we are so glad we did.
The moment we arrived, we felt like family. Out hosts greeted us with beautiful basket of items from their farm. Molly, their big Irish Wolfhound, is so just as described...a big ol love bug! We had 2 dogs with us. Oz, 2yr Aussie and Snickers, 14yr old (blind) Jack Russell. They all played together like they knew each other for years. Oz learned that some cats will stand their ground and should be left alone LMAO. Snickers loved standing near the fence and little goats came to greet her every time.
Camping: There were several places we could have parked and another 1-2 rigs could have easily fit. The only thing to plan when you arrive if you are pulling a trailer/5th, is how you will turn around. Since no other rigs there the day we left, we had plenty of space.
Amenities: We were about to hook up to water to top off our tank. We loved not having to travel with fresh water, knowing we had some waiting for us. There was also a 15/20A outlet to plug in. That definitely helped our decision to stay the extra day. Wifi was available, but we never needed. We did use the dump station at the city park that was only a few miles away.
Location: It is a great location that is extremely quiet and we maybe 2-3 cars each day. There is about 1.5miles of gravel, but it was in smooth and not an issue. You are about 10miles from nearest gas...not far, but not close. Bring in any supplies you might need if planning to stay onsight for the duration. That being said, we were a short drive to Guttenburg to the South/East and Prarrie du Chein to the North/East.
So, we give the host, location and experience 5 stars!
What a great place to stay. Our hostess was so friendly and helpful. She gave my granddaughter a tour of the farm and provided access to water. The fresh eggs, radishes and jam/honey was so very thoughtful. It was so quiet at night, and the views were lovely. We only stayed one night, but I would love to return and spend time exploring the Great River Road sites. Highly recommend!
So sorry are plans did not work out. You were so kind in helping us. Hope to try again at later date
Fantastic Hosts! Both very helpful with local places to check out. We spent two nights on a hill at a beautiful farm close to everything. Picturesque scenery, local small historic towns all along the Mississippi River. The weather turned out great so we could explore all the places our hosts suggested. We had an enjoyable stay and would definitely stay here again someday.
A very warm welcome in an enchanting and peaceful environment. We had a lot of fun feeding the goats and rubbing their animals.
Thank you for everythings!!