BACK TO BASICS Tucked away on a beautiful tree-lined road outside Elm Mott in north central Texas is Homestead Heritage, a pristine little village of sorts where the residents are dedicated to preserving traditional crafts and living off the land. You can sample the fruits of their labors at the delicatessen, which offers lunch items like tossed green salads and great sandwiches on homemade bread (we liked the turkey and Swiss on wheat). You’ll want to stroll the grounds afterward to walk off that scoop of ice cream (or was it a slice of apple pie?). On your trek, stop by the herb garden, the blacksmith shop, and the potter’s house. And definitely don’t miss the barn, which was built by Dutch settlers in New Jersey in 1800 and moved to its current home in 1996. Inside you’ll find everything from handcrafted tables and quilts to wrought-iron pulls and specialty jams for sale. You might even be inspired to take one of the many courses offered at Homestead Heritage: growing culinary herbs, canning and preserving, baking bread, cheesemaking, raising chickens, beekeeping, weaving on a treadle loom, blacksmithing, and woodworking. Even if you never practice these skills, it’s fun to know how. (For more information, go to homesteadheritage.com.)
