Traveling as a Curious Foodie: 4 Types of Cooking Vacations in New England

One of the greatest joys of traveling (although there are many) involves diving into new tastes and treats. Many destinations in New England take it one step further with hands-on culinary classes, tours, and tastings that are engaging beyond the tastebuds. From seeing how milk is made into cheese on a charming Vermont farm, to guided oyster walks on the coast of Massachusetts, cooking vacations for foodies are ripe for the picking in every corner of New England.

                                                            More Foodie Adventures

4 Types of Cooking Vacations to Enjoy in New England

1. Learn Impressive Culinary Tricks

It’s great to sit down for delicious meal at a local restaurant, but what’s even better is coming home with the ability to prepare that dish again and again (and impress your friends and family while you’re at it).

Go back to the basics with seasonally-inspired cuisine at The Inn at Weathersfield, Bay Leaf Cottages, or Sage Inn. If you’re looking for some fundamentals to take back home, attend the cooking schools at Belfast Breeze Inn, The Essex Resort & Spa, and Stonewall Cooking School near Beachmere Inn to learn tips of the trade. For something a little more out-of-the-box, you can enroll in pickling and chutney-making classes at Basin Harbor, or make your sweet tooth sing with cotton candy and ice-cream making at Sebasco Harbor Resort.

2. Get a Taste for the Best in Brew

Craft beer connoisseurs, you have a place in New England, too (or perhaps a bunch of places). Guests at The Norwich Inn in Vermont will receive a discount on their room rate when they take a class at King Arthur Flour, a nearby brick & mortar outpost. The town of Vergennes has the most breweries per capita in Vermont, with multiple distilleries, cideries, and vineyards all within 15-20 minutes of Basin Harbor. Across the Connecticut River, Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, NH offers proximity to three breweries, a winery, and a meadery. 

3. Get Off the Grid and Into the Farm

Itching to get away from the city? You can embrace the farmer’s world and see how pure Vermont maple syrup is made at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Or, witness some maple sugaring action at Christmas Farm Inn & Spa, which partners with a nearby sugar house during March Maple Madness weekend. Guests at the Liberty Hill Farm Inn in Rochester, VT can try their hand at milking a cow, feeding bottles to baby calves, and seeing how milk is made into cheese at the Cabot Creamery. Farmer’s market fans can also head up to the West Hill House B&B and stroll through one of the town’s annual produce festivals, celebrating everything from blueberries to pumpkins.

4. Dive Into a Seafaring Excursion

If you’re a seafood fanatic, New England offers many immersive experiences in the nautical realm. The Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster, MA offers guided oyster walks, where guests can learn all about the local oyster farms before heading back to the resort’s beach restaurant. You can also enjoy an oyster excursion in Plymouth at the Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills. Over in Maine, the Brunswick Hotel & Tavern partners with a nearby campground located on a tidal flat that’ll allow guests to head off on their very own clam-digging excursion, while Kennebunkport’s Captain Lord Mansion lets you head out on lobster boat excursions. At Nonantum Resort, you can schedule a private fishing charter with Captain Bruce of National Geographic to catch your own striper — and have it personally prepared back at the resort!

With a number of cooking vacations to consider in New England, it’s safe to say your travel experience will be one that’s as delicious as it is enlightening. Try one (or five!) of these getaways in New England to spice up your next vacation.

You might also like ...