Eight trails that give a taste of the Chesapeake

From Virginia to New York, the Chesapeake region is full of delicious food and drinks. Since summer is a popular time for vacationing, you might find yourself driving around the region. As you’re planning your summer fun, why not combine the two—food and travel—and try a few new places? Better yet, plan a whole day of culinary adventures by following along a food trail. We’ve compiled a list of eight regional favorites to get you started.

Food

1. Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail

As you’re traveling through Maryland this hot summer, be sure to plan some of your route along Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail. Featuring nine of Maryland’s ice cream favorites, the trail is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike. Don’t forget to get your passport stamped at each stop! You can submit your filled-out passport for a chance to be named Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail Blazer.

2. Virginia Oyster Trail

Choose your own adventure on the Virginia Oyster Trail. Check out the trail’s many local restaurants serving Virginia oysters as well as oyster farms that offer tours. Want to delve deeper into Virginian culture? The website also lists art venues, artisan stops and cultural opportunities along the way.

3. Sweet Treats & Salty Eats Tour

Get a taste of York County, Pennsylvania, by following along the Sweet Treats and Salty Eats Tour. Start off the day with the scents of fresh-brewed coffee and handmade soap at New Grounds Roasting Company and Sunrise Soap Co. Then begin mixing and matching sweet and salty activities. Tour two different potato chip facilities, taste ice cream on the Turkey Hill Experience, learn the twists and turns of pretzel making at Revonah Pretzels and stop into the century-old Central House Market for some sweets.

4. Blue Ridge Fruit Loop

After filling up on junk food, you might want to visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge Fruit Loop to add some fruit to your diet. The loop’s 11 farms offer a wide variety of fruits, from apples and berries to plums and jellies, and you can either buy pre-picked fruit or pick it yourself. Keep an eye on their website for upcoming events, as well as recommendations for nearby hiking paths.

5. Corning Chocolate Trail

Satisfy your sweet tooth in Corning, New York, with an afternoon of chocolate tasting. With almost 40 spots to choose from, the trail features a chocolate treat for everyone, including homemade chocolates, art glass chocolates, dark chocolate balsamic vinegar and even carob-coated treats for your four-legged friends.

Drink

6. Cooperstown Beverage Trail

Running over the course of 37 miles in Otsego County, New York, the Cooperstown Beverage Trail features eight different stops including breweries, wineries, an orchard and a distillery. Visit the baseball-themed Cooperstown Distillery and take a tour of Brewery Ommegang, or work on a masterpiece at Bear Pond Winery’s Paint-N-Sip night after a tasting at Pail Shop Vineyards—these are just a few of the ways to enjoy the Cooperstown Beverage Trail.

7. Central PA Tasting Trail

The Central PA Tasting Trail highlights 12 of the region’s best spots for wine, beer and spirits. Attend a tasting, or sit in the restaurant and enjoy a drink with a meal. With most stops located off of I-99 and US-322, the facilities are easy to reach by locals, visitors and travelers passing through.

8. Patuxent Wine Trail

Taste the best of what Maryland’s Western Shore wineries have to offer on the Patuxent Wine Trail. Featuring ten wineries, the trail offers tastings from Annapolis to Leonardtown. Many of the wineries also offer tours and have spots for picnicking. Looking for a wine trail closer to home? Maryland Wine Association has mapped out six other trails to try.

Do you have a favorite food or beverage trail? Tell us about it in the comments!