Looking to indulge your inner Julia Child? Maybe you just want to eat Julia Child-caliber food and not actually make it? Whether it’s sweet, creamy, or really fresh off the farm, here’s a package for every palate.

Time to Make the Chocolate. If you’re looking to roll up your sleeves and dig in, you have to sign up for Chocolatier for a Day, a special chocolate-making experience offered at the Stone Hill Inn in Stowe, Vermont, through Laughing Moon Chocolates. In 2.5-hours you’ll emerge a virtual sous-chef, skilled in tempering chocolate, hand-dipping sweets and creating yummy truffle centers using semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream and butter. You’ll also hit the chocolate loot. “People walk out with shopping bags full of their creations” says innkeeper, Amy Jordan. “And, of course, a new skill.”

Who Moved My Sheep? Food enthusiasts seeking an even more rustic, hands-on, experience should consider becoming an Artisan Cheesemaker for a Day. Also at Stone Hill through the Bonnieview Sheep Dairy. The full day, down-home, experience gives guests the chance to meet the animals and make a batch of sheep’s cheese while learning about the aging process from a native Vermonter (whose land has been in the family since 1890). The best part? The wheel of cheese you helped to make will be shipped to you after its ripened so you can brag about all your hard work. But beware, there’s a lot of effort and patience involved. “It’s not a retail store,” laughs Amy. “You’ll be experiencing the real Vermont!”

If you’d rather your foods have a “Made in Vermont” label than actually make them in Vermont, then check out the water and wine canoe trip and other vacations for foodies the inn offers. Make sure they give you “Everyday Bites,” a list of local restaurants, farmer’s markets, breweries, mills, and stores with excellent cuisine and unusual culinary finds.

Taste Test. The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson, Texas, has whipped up a creative way to give guests a special dining experience on Sunday nights when not too many local restaurants are open—they turn their kitchen into one giant experiment. For a small fee, if the guests can’t go to a restaurant, the restaurant comes to them, well, sort of. “Sunday nights we prepare food and test it out with the guests. These are brand new recipes or recipes we’ve been preparing but we’ve changed something,” explains innkeeper, Stephanie Lester. At the Sunday Night Test Kitchens guests are then supposed to give raw feedback on whether they like their two-or-three-course meals; they’re encouraged to be as specific as possible with suggestions. It’s the guest input that helps set the menus for the inn. At many gatherings a townsperson will be invited to come and mingle and add some local flavor; recently a steamboat captain came to dinner. Among the favorite recipes to make it past the group is a hand-me-down from Stephanie’s husband’s grandmother. Tom Lester remembers his grandmother’s cooking with a dash of nostalgia. Mama Ronchi, as she was called, came to the U.S. in the 1920s via Ellis Island from Italy and was rumored to be a seamstress for the mob who used to make a killer scrambled egg breakfast. One day the Lester’s found her recipe on an index card and tested it on a Sunday crowd. Today Mama Ronchi’s Mafia Scramble is a hit.

Something’s Fishy. Oh, the pros make it look so easy. Chop, chop, and done. There’s a lot more to making sushi than you might think but don’t worry, the culinary school at the Lavender Inn in Ojai, California has you covered.  Mid-September Chef David Cagnacci will show you how to select the right fish, use the right prepping and sanitation techniques and create your very own sushi meal, complete with rice preparation and knife skills. When you’re done, you’ll not only have a sushi feast but new skills and several ideas on how to give it a restaurant-style look. “They learn, they eat, and they have fun while they’re doing it,” says innkeeper, Beth Keenen. Other classes at the inn Made in Ohio, where the olives, lemons, avocados, and other ingredients used are made in Ohio; salsas and marinades, and many others.

Visit BnBFinder’s bed & breakfast specials pages to find something different by interest, state, or country and then go and wake up someplace special.

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Remember Anne (with an “e”) Shirley? L.M. Montgomery’s famously spirited red-haired orphan, Anne of Green Gables, continues to draw enormous crowds to her beloved Prince Edward Island. Longtime fans will be happy to know, they’re just in time to catch the final weeks of the Charlottetown Festival. And even happier to know Anne of Green Gables – The Musical is running special promotions that your innkeeper can tell you about!  So, no need to feel in “the depths of despair,” over the August 28th end-date. There are various, breathtaking inns, with plenty of room for you too to hang your straw hat.

The Fairholm Inn, a 5-star, national historic site, that underwent a careful restoration from its original 1838 splendor now boasts spacious rooms with detailed architecture, beautifully inlaid hardwood floors, stained glass, and a sun room. It also has a special Anne of Green Gables package, which includes a two night stay, full breakfast, two tickets to see Anne of Green Gables, the Musical at the Confederation Centre, two passes to the Anne of Green Gables Historic Site in Cavendish, a complimentary bottle of wine, and a $65 voucher to a local restaurant; packages start at $570, plus tax, for double-occupancy.

Elmwood Heritage Inn boasts that they were the first 5-Star bed and breakfast to welcome guests onto Prince Edward Island. The warm and welcoming inn is nestled on a secluded acre and offers a spectacular breakfast, usually served by candlelight in its main reception hall in the 24-foot dining room. Originally built in 1889, the home was in direct route from Cavendish, where author L.M. Montgomery grew up, to Charlottetown back around the time she penned Anne. “In its day, the house was very prominent because the premier of the province lived here and it fits the description of the house Montgomery refers to as Beechwood,” explains innkeeper, Carol Macdonald. “The house certainly fits the description of where Anne’s (bosom) friend, Diana Barry’s rich aunt, Josephine, lived. But there is no documentation,” she reminds. Still, the idea of it all fascinates guests, especially those in town for literary workshops at the L.M. Montgomery Institute. “They usually know more about it than we do!”

Garden View B&B is a cozy, three-bedroom inn with impressive award-winning country-style gardens and century-old linden and chestnut trees. A hearty breakfast is served daily in a dining room overlooking a perennial garden or on a spacious outdoor deck. This inn, like the others, is about a 20-minute walk to the Confederation Centre of the Arts, where the Anne of Green Gables – The Musical is playing. It is also close to restaurants, boutiques, and Victoria Park — a boardwalk by the sea.

Charlottetown is just a 30-minute drive from Cavendish, where the Anne of Green Gables Historic Site is situated, along with the Haunted Woods, Balsam Hollow trails, and the Lake of Shining Waters. Remember, if you miss the yearly festival, Prince Edward Island, still has plenty of Anne and Montgomery sights to see and a plethora of charming little inns waiting with open doors.

For more information and other bed and breakfasts or inns in Charlottetown, Cavendish, or Prince Edward Island visit BnBFinder.com.

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We’ve biked and we’ve hiked. We’ve walked and we’ve shopped (until we dropped and drooped!), and we’ve sat tank-topped and flip-flopped in sunny outdoor cafés for as long as we could possibly stand it. But let’s face it, the heat (read: blistering, burning, boiling, sweltering, scorching, soggy and oppressive) has gotten the best of many of us in many parts of the country this summer! “I need air conditioning!” is likely one thing you’ve trumpeted more than just a few sweaty palm-full of times lately; along with “I need water!” So let’s go get both- and fast!

The magnificent Inn at Harbor Hill Marina located in beautiful Niantic, near Mystic Connecticut, is nestled on a hilltop in Niantic’s marina district overlooking the marina docks and offers beautiful air-conditioned (yes!) waterfront accommodations. They proudly offer genuine hospitality, superior service, and true comfort, all in a beautiful setting ~ on the water! For adventure seekers or beach lovers, the inn offers complimentary use of kayaks and beach passes. For extra pampering (and air-conditioning!) ask about their “It’s All About You!” Spa Package, which includes a scrumptious breakfast and a one hour couples massage.

Or head to Vernon NJ, and enjoy the comfortable accommodations of the Alpine Haus Bed and Breakfast located directly next door to Mountain Creek Waterpark which offers over 2 dozen rides, slides and pools, on over 39 acres. Ask the innkeepers about their Waterpark Special Package through Labor Day weekend. Then, after a day of cooling fun, the patio on the ground level or covered porch on the second floor are perfect places to relax, read a book, or sip a glass of wine while watching the sun set.

August has just begun friends, and no matter where you might be there is still more fun in the sun and water to be had! Get some ideas for your August getaway by checking out the Sizzling Summer Specials and Spa packages on BnBFinder.com.

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