Culinary Resort Nestled in Verdant Countryside

Nestled between the cool waters of Lake Champlain and the foothills of the Green Mountains, The Essex Resort & Spa's grounds sprawl over 18 acres of green space. The AAA Four Diamond resort's culinary school teaches guests to craft French haute cuisine and exquisite appetizers, and the on-site spa soothes fingers cramped after days of rolling sushi.

After dropping their bags at the feet of the king, queen, or two full beds in a cozy Traditional room, guests can head downstairs to jump into a 25-yard lap pool or slide into an oversize outdoor hot tub at Spa at the Essex. The relaxation megaplex teems with steam rooms and saunas, and offers a multitude of massages, facials, and couples treatments for additional cost.

After a relaxing sojourn at the spa, steam-cleaned Groupon holders can edify themselves and dinner guests by applying their $100 voucher toward one of the Essex's low-pressure cooking classes, in which seasoned chefs lead green cooks in hands-on culinary coursework. Dexterous digits learn to disassemble and reassemble sushi and dumplings ($110 class fee) with military precision, or prepare French haute cuisine ($149 class fee) with classic elegance. Cook Academy employs local Vermont ingredients whenever possible.

The Essex’s eminent chefs showcase their own cooking abilities at two on-site restaurants. Dinners at Amuse begin with a complimentary themed trio of liquid, foam, and solid sustenance, preparing guests for an inventive meal that springs from either a prix fixe chef’s table experience or from the mercurial seasonal menu. Amuse makes the most of the resort’s gardens and local growers. Guests seated at the chef’s table can take in the sights and sounds of a working top-notch kitchen as their suppers are simmered and stirred in front of them. The culinary luminaries at The Tavern bake their CVs into upscale pub fare such as duck confit potato skins in a red-onion marmalade.

Lake Champlain: Kayaking, Swimming, and Beaches

Guests who exit The Essex's gravitational field can take a 15-minute drive to Lake Champlain, then rent kayaks and boats to cross its freshwater expanse. Those unsatisfied by nautical exploration can hike or bike up Green Mountain foothills, racing the peregrine falcons that perch on surrounding crags. Nearby Burlington hosts hoppy breweries and the boutique shops of the Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian mall.

The Links at Lang Farm's championship executive-length golf course provide ample 18-hole entertainment for all champion executives in the region, and the Essex's tennis lessons can rebuild shoddy backhands on six Har-Tru clay courts. Those staying the weekend can gather ‘round a classic Vermont bonfire on Saturday night, swapping stories, s’mores, and social-security numbers with fellow vacationers.