Savor the Tastes of Local Culture in Retirement

Don Kagey, 59, and his wife, Julie, 60, of Okemos, Mich., consider their bicycle trip through Sicily this past spring as the best vacation of their lives. "Having a deep food experience is very important to us," says Julie. Her family comes from Sicily, so the Kageys signed up for a tour led by celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Traci Des Jardins.

"While we were riding our bikes, the chefs kept a watchful eye out for wildflowers, fruits and edible vegetation, such as wild mushrooms, to forage along the roadways and put on our dinner plates that night," says Don. The couple also watched local farmers turn goat milk into ricotta cheese, sampled sandwiches