By the evening’s end, the white barn glowed with reflected light off the windows, the world now dark outside. The room filled with clinking glasses and good conversation. That moment, the meal shared, was one worth experiencing with all five senses, worth far more than just the pretty sight it created.

From frosty wind-bent winter trees to fiery fall foliage to frothy wildflowers in the springtime, it’s no wonder that the woods and waters of the Whites have long been an escape for urbanites and artists, a world away from the crowded seacoast just miles down the road.