Some adventurers climb mountains or snap selfies in front of as many national monuments as possible, but those who consider food the grand adventure might want to consider these destinations as culinary getaways.
Savannah
Don't be fooled by Savannah's genteel Southern grace and aristocratic grandeur; this is a city that knows how to party. For a week in November, Savannah brings together the best in celebrity chefs, wine, spirits and, of course, over-the-top food experiences at the Savannah Food & Wine Festival (912-232-1223, savannahfoodandwinefestival.com, @SAVFoodWineFest).
Festivities get off to a rousing start with the Bethesda Farm to Table Dinner, featuring Georgia-grown flavors from local chefs.
It's difficult to conceive of a truly Southern culinary experience without a little pig in the mix, and Le Grand Cochon offers up pork galore with its heritage hog-roasting event on the riverfront. The chefs will include Billy Allin of Cakes & Ale in Decatur.
If you want to learn from the best, consider the Master Class Series at the Mansion, and take in one of several cooking demonstrations at the festival.
Combine your love of food and a keen interest in history with the Candlelight Home Tour followed by the Old World Wine and Dine Experience. And, since you're in Savannah, the Riverboat Wine and Dinner Cruise is a natural.
There are many other events planned, and tickets are available for individual events as well as combinations. Savannah Food & Wine Festival runs Nov. 10-16.
Baton Rouge
There's nothing like a bountiful farmers market to give you an intimate peek into the heart of a region. In Baton Rouge, Red Stick Farmers Market (redstickfarmersmarket.org/main, @visitbatonrouge) stretches out downtown each Saturday morning, offering a taste of local and seasonal goods backed up by live music and cooking demonstrations.
Sure, you can snag wild seafood and local produce, but don’t be surprised if you also come away with fresh boudin, crawfish boil pie, Berkshire pork, strawberry wine, free-range duck eggs, award-winning artisan goat cheeses and a little tub of garlicky tzatziki.
As a bonus, on the first Saturday of each month (except January and May), the Baton Rouge Arts Market (8 a.m.-noon. 5th and Main streets. breada.org) sets up shop next to Red Stick. As you wander through the market, you might come across one-of-a-kind wooden spoons and utensils by local artist Christopher Fry, as well as hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, hand-bound books, blown glass, soaps and hand-painted silk. There also are plenty of free art activities available for kids.
Florida
Maybe a vacation planned around crassostrea virginica (the Eastern oyster) isn't for everyone, but nowhere are they more revered and consumed than on Florida's Forgotten Coast (apalachicolabay.org, @ApalachicolaFL), situated between Mexico Beach to the west and St. Marks to the east, in view of Apalachicola Bay.
For more than 100 years, this is where 90 percent of Florida’s oysters have been harvested, using traditional tonging methods.
While you’ll find a string of honky-tonks and restaurants along the Gulf Coast, just about all of them share a common bond: oysters. You can find them gilded with caviar and sour cream, kicked up with a splash of habanero-laced vinaigrette, baked with cheese and collards, and, best of all, naked — seasoned only with the pristine flavors of the bay.
In the historic maritime town of Apalachicola, which boasts more than 900 historic homes, building and sites, the oyster is feted twice annually.
The 10th annual Downtown Oyster Roast on Oct. 31 takes place along the Apalachicola River, where locals and visitors feast on oysters, local shrimp, crabs, and live blues under the stars.
And, each January, the annual Oyster Cook-Off gets underway to benefit the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department. The two-day event offers a silent auction, live music, dancing and, naturally, more oysters.
Memphis
If it’s May in Memphis, you can bet there’s smoke in the air and tons of pig on the charcoal.
Memphis' World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (Tom Lee Park, Riverside Drive between Beale Street and Georgia Avenue. memphisinmay.org, @memphisinmay) draws hundreds of serious competitors from all over the globe who lug whole hogs and state-of-the-art smokers to a park overlooking the Mississippi River, with the hopes of snagging a hefty monetary prize and, more importantly, the coveted title of grand champion.
Drawing estimated crowds of 100,000, the contest offers visitors opportunities to taste plenty of barbecue — but from vendors, not contestants. In 2012, the event was ramped up with the Kingsford Tour of Champions Judging, which gives novices a shot at judging world-class competitive barbecue teams.
Tickets for the three-day event in mid-May are available through ticketmaster.com and at the gate.
Asheville, N.C.
Killer fall foliage, rousing music, a lively art scene and the grandiose Biltmore House come to mind when you think of Asheville, but with more than 50 different local beers poured daily, you could consider this popular mountain getaway a brewtopia (exploreasheville.com/beer, @VisitAsheville).
Craft breweries are opening up in Asheville’s South Slope, a former area of vacant buildings now transformed into the unofficial beer district. But you can find craft breweries scattered all around town — earning Asheville the moniker Beer City USA.
Asheville offers brewery tours along with beer-themed celebrations throughout the year, including Asheville Beer Week (ashevillebeerweek.com, @AVLBeerWeek), the Winter Warmer (ashevillebeerfest.com), Brewgrass (brewgrassfestival.com) and the Best Firkin Beer Festival (bestfirkinbeerfestival.com).
For die-hard beer geeks, Wicked Weed Brewing (91 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. 828-575-9599, wickedweedbrewing.com, @wickedweedbeer), offers a gastropub that turns out a wide variety of ales that include hop-forward IPAs, Belgian styles and barrel-aged sours.
Oh, and forget fretting over that beer belly; beer and fitness aficionados can take in the Bend and Brew Tour (828-782-8687, yogatours.net). It's just as it sounds: yoga at a local brewery followed by a beer tasting. Namaste and bottoms up.
Twenty minutes west of Asheville, in Mills River, a "temple to craft beer," better known as California giant Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (100 Sierra Nevada Way. 828-681-5300, sierranevada.com, @SierraNevada), is ready to delight visitors with a 350,000-barrel, copper-clad brewhouse opening this month on a nearly 200-acre site. The environmentally friendly brewery will offer tours, a restaurant and a music venue in addition to its vast array of popular beers.
If you crave yet more beer after you've exhausted Asheville's breweries, don't despair. The short jaunt to Sylva, N.C., will net you some beautifully crafted beers. At Heinzelmännchen Brewery (545 Mill St. 828-631-4466, yourgnometownbrewery.com, @Heinzelmännchen), named for gnome-like critters found in the Black Forrest, German-born brewmaster Dieter Kuhn and his wife, Sheryl Rudd, concoct German altbier beer made with fresh hops and no preservatives.
Down the street from Heinzelmännchen, you'll find Innovation Brewing (414 W. Main St. 828-586-9678, innovation-brewing.com, @InnovationBrew), where experimenting with novel brews is a daily affair, and occasionally you'll get to enjoy your beer with live music.
Tennessee
Blackberry Farm (1471 W. Millers Cove Road, Walland, Tenn. 865-380-2260, blackberryfarm.com, @Blackberryfrm), a sumptuous estate resting amid 4,200 rolling acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, offers far more than a luxurious getaway. This grand resort has a rich culinary history that goes beyond its highly touted restaurant, an 18th century Amish bank barn aptly named the Barn. For the past two decades, Blackberry Farm has offered on-site epicurean events that have included legendary names like Alain Ducasse, Thomas Keller and Patricia Wells.
Visitors can find an event, class, workshop or discussion to fill just about any culinary desire and interest. Some might opt for the Wine Geek Weekend, or a hands-on charcuterie workshop. For a little adventure, there's Wine on the Fly, a three-day fly-fishing and wine event that includes "stream-inspired" menus from chef Joseph Lenn. The Farm boasts its own boutique brewery and each summer guests can take part in the Mountain Mash beer and food event. And, of course, there are the daily cooking classes with the Farm's array of artisans and chefs.
Blackberry Farm isn’t just a pretty name. It’s also a functioning farm that produces many of the ingredients used in the restaurant’s dishes and cooking classes.
Birmingham
It's said that the happiest pigeons in America hang out on a cobblestone street in downtown Birmingham, home of Peanut Depot (2016 Morris Ave. 205-251-3314, peanutdepot.com), where peanuts still are roasted as they were more than 100 years ago, in roasters that are even older.
The huge gas-powered roasters that transform a plain peanut into a warm and earthy nugget with an irresistible perfume draw visitors into the shop for a glimpse of the past.
There are quite a few people curious about the old-fashioned production of these peanuts, so Peanut Depot offers tours on weekdays. Large groups, eight or more, should make an appointment. Otherwise, feel free to wander in and ask for a look around. The 20- to 30-minute tour is free, and you’ll come away with a fair amount of Peanut Depot history, information on peanuts in general, and an up-close look at how these historic machines operate.
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