If you've already been to most major theme parks, and the kids are all grown up, it's time to choose a vacation that you and a spouse, relative, or friend can both enjoy and learn from. Cooking vacations are a great way to break up the monotony of travel choices, and they are fast becoming a trendy way to see the country. Although few travel agencies book cooking vacations, you can easily develop your own.

Many cities across the United States host a distinct variety of local dishes, and often you can find destinations that let everyone in on the action. For example, if you've never been to Texas and you love a great steak, then you're in for a treat. Choosing Texas as a destination for a cooking vacation is a great idea. In Dallas and Austin alike there are a number of steak restaurants that allow you to select and purchase a cut of beef from a cooler in the front of the establishment, and then saunter over to the communal fire pit where you choose your sauce or marinade, and you fire up a prime piece of Texas pride. Cooking vacations in Texas allow you to prepare your steak just as you like it, and also provide a fun opportunity to make new friends and take lots of pictures over that big old grill!

If you're more interested in a trip that introduces you to new ideas in the kitchen, try taking a cooking vacation to a culinary institute. Many of the country's top colleges devoted to training new chefs also offer weekend cooking vacations during which you stay on the beautiful campus, dine each night in the school's four-star restaurant, and spend your days in seminars where you learn culinary tricks from the best.

Cooking vacations are a great alternative to traditional travel plans, and they can be repeated often yet never get tired or repetitive.