Thinking about escaping to New England sometime soon? Whether you’re looking to watch the leaves change or going to experience a white winter, consider making the trip a treat for your taste buds as well. Select Registry, an association of nearly 100 inns in New England, features Fun for Foodies getaways at several of their properties, with year-round and seasonal offerings.
For an authentic Maine, foodie adventure, the Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport offers a Lobster Lover’s Package (available until Columbus Day). For $119 per couple, cruise Maine’s rocky coastline aboard the Rugosa lobster boat and experience a lobster-harvesting demonstration. Finish the day with a complementary dinner for two at Mabel’s Lobster Claw.
Photo Courtesy of Captain Lord Mansion
In Camden, Maine, head to the Harstone Inn for an autumn harvest treat: mushroom hunting. Hike through the woods with the hotel’s mushroom expert and collect a variety of fabulous fungi, including porcini, morels and more. The cost is $75 for the first person and $15 for each additional person.
In Hancock, N.H., the Hancock Inn offers a variety of cooking classes for its guests. During the fall, gather apples at nearby McLeod’s Apple Orchard and return to the hotel to learn to make applesauce, dessert or cider to bring home with you. You buy the apples at the orchard and the hotel provides the kitchen time and materials for only $10.
Vacationers heading to the Berkshires should consider a stay at the Birchwood Inn in Lenox, Mass., where you can check out the best of the area’s thriving wine industry. Enjoy a private evening of tasting with a premiere wine merchant as well as local breads, cheeses and other Berkshire specialties, starting at $150 for a tasting for two.
Vermont and maple syrup are synonymous; if you’re thinking about heading to the Green Mountain State, consider checking out the Stone Hill Inn’s Maple Surgarhouse Visit. While sugaring season happens in early spring, the sugarhouse is open year-round for tours for $38 per person or couple. Don’t have a sweet tooth? Until mid-October, the hotel also offers an Artisan Cheesemaker for a Day package, where you can experience a full day of cheese making at Bonnieview Sheep Dairy for $245 per couple.
Photo Courtesy of Stone Hill Inn
Thinking of a Thanksgiving getaway? The Historic Jacob Hill Inn in Providence, R.I., will offer guests a complimentary turkey and wine dinner, complete with all the trimmings. Rates are based on a 3-night stay and depend on accommodations, starting at $507.
In addition to these packages, each inn offers several other culinary options to suit your specific tastes, as well as Everyday Bites, a guide to local foodie-favorite spots, ranging from farmers’ markets to brewery tours, which require no reservations. If the options look too delicious to choose just one, Select Registry offers a Fun for Foodies Trail Map where you receive a stamp on your trail map for each Fun for Foodies stay. After three stamps, you’ll receive a free insulated wine tote from Select Registry, and after six stays, Select Registry will give you a $150 gift certificate that can be used at any of their nearly 100 locations.
