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Make one of these five fantastic farms your next travel destination.

Overview

Fringe just oozes character. From the moment I walked past the racks of vintage clothing and battered cowboy boots outside the shop, I knew I had to go inside. The interior is like a hip warehouse of sorts—a large but cozy space full of vintage furniture, clothing, art, and lots of unclassifiable goodies. The owner also carries carefully selected body products such as Kai fragrances. The shop is best known for its vintage signs, many of which have been carefully restored and are alone worth a look. Fringe is located on a fun section of 21st Street at the south end of Midtown Sacramento. Next door is the lovely It’s All Yoga studio and a large antiques store. Around one corner is Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies and around the other is the Vietnamese Buddhist restaurant Andy Nguyen’s (all vegan).

As “killer bees” (or, more accurately, “Africanized honeybees”) continue to make a home in North America, most news stories about them are scary... ...but in Bisbee, you can taste their sweet side. You may have seen the man behind this diminutive store, local master beekeeper Reed Booth, on television. He’s “the killer bee guy.” And here on this Victorian mining town’s Main Street, you can sample the sticky results of his semi-dangerous labor: honeys, honey butters, whole seed honey mustards. They’re almost worth the drive down to Bisbee...but you can also buy them online. And sometimes, if you time it just right, you’ll find yourself strolling in the snow. Bisbee is over a mile high up in the Mule Mountains.

The chicken coop is nearly as popular as the spa at this family-friendly resort in the foothills of California’s Santa Lucia Mountains. Guests are invited to visit the coop to learn about the resident Rhode Island Red and Barred Plymouth Rock chickens, whose eggs are found on the breakfast table each morning, along with produce grown in the two-acre garden. During weekly tours, resident farmer Mark Marino explains the basics of composting and prepping an organic vegetable bed, and the ranch’s beekeeper helps guests suit up to meet the 60,000 resident Italian honeybees. From $335. This appeared in the May 2015 issue.

Instead of purchasing some Big Island Bees Honey up the road at a coffee farm, I decided to make the trip directly to Big Island Bees. It was late in the afternoon and Kevin was the only staff person around when I encountered the extremely well decorated museum and shop. I was instantly enamoured with Kevin’s excitement for his work as part of a team who has curated all sorts of information about Bees in Hawaii. This little shop should not be missed to learn a little history of the hives, take in the curious honey comb art, and taste plenty of sweet honey samples. Open from 10am to 4pm, there is no charge to visit the museum. A free Beekeeping Tour happens Monday-Friday at 10am and 1pm and should be arranged in advanced via the farm’s website.

Tucked into the hilly northwestern corner of Jordan, Umm Qais (or ancient Gadara) commands grand views of the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights from the edge of its plateau. It was here that Jesus is said to have performed the miracle of casting demons out of men and into pigs. The town has existed since the Hellenistic period, but is best known for its Roman ruins, which once sat along a prosperous trade route. Many ancient streets and buildings are still intact, as are several Ottoman-era stone houses, which remained occupied all the way until the 1980s. Grandest of all the ruins is the black basalt theater, located along the wide Decumanus Maximus that still holds its original paving stones. Visitors should also be sure to check out the small museum in what was once the home of the Ottoman governor, as well as the celebrated restaurant in the old Ottoman school. In recent years, Umm Qais has become a pioneer of community tourism in Jordan, and it’s even possible to take cooking classes, nature walks, or tours with a local beekeeper after enjoying the ancient ruins.

Why we love it: A secluded safari camp offering Old World luxury and connections to the local community

The Highlights:
- An ideal location for witnessing the Big Five and Kenya’s famous wildebeest migrations
- Classic safari style that recalls Out of Africa
- Access to bush walks, hot air balloon safaris, community excursions, and other unique activities

The Review:
Romantic and luxurious, this tented camp transports guests to the Kenyan safaris of the 1920s and 30s. On the edge of the gorgeous Masai Mara, the secluded property was completely renovated in 2018 and now comprises two camps, each with nine tented suites featuring polished wooden floors, en-suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers, and copper bathtubs with views of the night sky. Classically elegant, the tents also come with private wooden verandas overlooking the vast, game-filled plains; personal butlers who attend to every whim; and thoughtful details like handcrafted artifacts, map-inspired wallpaper, yoga mats, and a butler hatch for delivering morning coffee or tea.

Elsewhere on site are two swimming pools; a common sitting area outfitted with leather Chesterfield sofas and fine antiques; a state-of-the-art gym with views of the Mara; a massage room; a gift shop stocked with local handicrafts; and a stylish bar for Kenyan coffee and top-shelf gin. Of course, guests are really here to see the Mara’s magnificent wildlife, and while they can spot several animals on site, they also enjoy twice-daily game drives, as well as night excursions and bush walks (permitted because the lodge is on a private concession). Additionally, guests have access to breakfast and sundowners in the bush, Maasai talks and fireside dances (much of the staff is from the local Maasai tribe), the educational WILDChild program for kids, and visits to nearby schools or villages for an authentic look at life in the African bush.

Set on 4,200 secluded acres of hillocks, ponds, and gardens at the foot of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, this award-winning resort, a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux brand, is awash in genteel luxury, from its splendid spa to its exquisitely appointed rooms, suites, and cottages. But make no mistake, the family-owned property takes the “farm” in its name to heart: Its James Beard Award–winning restaurant, The Barn, as well as the more informal Dogwood restaurant, were early leaders in the farm-to-table movement, welcoming guests who come to pay homage to the inn’s self-described foothills cuisine.

In addition to several gardeners, the farm employs its own butcher, cheese maker, and beekeeper, along with a preservationist who makes pickles, jams, and jellies. The staff raise their own sheep, pigs, and chickens, and forage the land for mushrooms, berries, ramps, wild crab apples, and muscadines—which you’ll share at the table with other guests (all meals are included in your stay). Thankfully, a roster of on-site activities—including cycling, wakeboarding, archery, paddleboarding, hiking, fly-fishing, swimming, tennis, and golf—allow you to indulge without feeling guilty.

On this week’s episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, writer Peggy Orenstein drinks brandy on a mountaintop, eats her weight in potatoes and cheese—and faces down her inner overachiever.

Slow food is taken to new heights at this family-run taverna in the White Mountains of western Crete. Stelios Trilyrakis is a one-man band—farmer, shepherd, butcher, beekeeper, vintner, chef, and waiter. Guests are welcomed into the kitchen to see what’s cooking in the clay pots and blackened pans that simmer over an open fire. There’s nothing as mundane as a menu: Daily dishes depend on what’s growing in the backyard. If you’re lucky, you’ll find slow-roasted goat, stuffed cabbage leaves, and bitter greens folded into phyllo pastry. Go at lunch to enjoy the winding journey through a gorge along a narrow road occasionally blocked by sheep.