What you get when you mix a Travel Blogger with a winery destination

Travel Trend: day/weekend trips

Since we opened Nearwood Winery & Vineyards in August of 2018 at our Hwy 14 property, five individual travel bloggers have visited us at different times: Heidi, Becky, Libby, Sarah, and Sage. We are expecting Kay, a video-blogger, this month. Mike and I enjoy everyone that visits the winery, but especially appreciate writers that specialize in promoting travel. 

The travel industry has been hit hard by COVID this year and those in the tourism business are seeking different avenues to discover untapped getaways. 

This year, our winery has experienced an influx of many more sojourners than last year vacationing in RVs and vans traveling cross-country. They need an overnight place and have discovered many campgrounds are closed or have limited services. Campers love to park in our scenic area between the woods and vineyard, as well as food, wine, and a dedicated bathroom with showers that we offer. Couples taking day or weekend trips by automobile mark us as a destination point along a route that is typically within a few hundred miles from their home. Rural places or less populated venues are more appealing for social distancing. Perhaps this represents a trend that travel bloggers have pinpointed, want to investigate and write about.

​This symbiotic relationship works because bloggers are looking for destinations to explore and we as a small business are looking for not only their communication skills, but their channels of outreach on social media, traditional or online publications and other resources. The blogger that has reached an influencer status is especially valued. We are grateful to all of them for building awareness about our little corner of heaven in Knoxville, Iowa.

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