Romantic Couple Getaways--Just In Time For Valentine's Day | Parenting

Was the last time you got away from home for a night with your husband for the trip to the hospital to give birth your beloved child?? Then you are too deeply entrenched in the romantically-challenged zone of parenthood!!

Call up the grandparents, the sitter, swap a sleep-over of the kids with another couple also itching to get away, whatever it takes, just do it. GO!  Your kids will thank you later when they are well-adjusted grownups and you are still happily married (increasing the odds they’ll want to come visit the two of you more frequently then, too).

Here’s two of my favorite places to romance your spouse this February…

WINE COUNTRY, CALIFORNIA—
What’s not to love about winery tours, incredible restaurants, decadent spa treatments, and luxurious hotels?? It’s Napa’s signature offerings that make romance here so effortless.  Perhaps with the pop of a cork or two, you can temporarily forget the piles of laundry and other domestic overload that awaits your return, and sleep like a baby yourself. A 90-minute drive from San Francisco, a stay in Napa and Sonoma is particularly beautiful in February and March, when grape vines bloom with bright yellow mustard.  Here are the best places to enjoy the scenery and each other:

RECOMMENDED ROMANTIC ACCOMODATIONS:  The award-winning Meadowood Resort in St. Helena takes romance seriously…where else can you, via your cell phone, call ahead of your estimated arrival time, to have a bubble bath accented by votive candles awaiting  you upon check-in? Meadowood also offers personalized calligraphy love notes placed in your room with a variety of verses to choose from or create your own custom message.  Guest Services can assist guests in creating a memorable second proposal/renewing of vows during your visit to the hotel. The dining staff prepares  gourmet picnic baskets for two that you can take on your winery tours (must be requested in advance).  And let’s not forget about spa and golf on site.

Couples have the option to try most of the treatments on the spa menu in the Health Spa’s Couples Room or have a Pure Relaxation or Therapeautic Deep Tissue massage in the privacy of their guest room. If you’re looking for something more active, a croquet lesson with the Croquet Pro is a new fun adventure or get serious about your golf swing with a lesson in Meadowood’s new Gold Performance Studio—the Studio offers the latest in TrackMan technology  and they are the only facility in California to have both TrackMan Range and TrackMan Pro, allowing an easy identification of any adjustments to make with your swing and improve your game.  When you are making your room reservation, be sure to request one of their Treeline Cottage guest rooms. With spacious, open floor plans, they offer distinct sleeping and sitting areas with a view of the fireplace from the California king bed. Located high on a hillside, these rooms offer a luxuriously quiet, romantic setting.

The Westin Verasa Napa is ideal for the city couple who are devout foodies. Here you are within close walking distance of the downtown riverfront area of Napa with numerous boutiques and eateries. Just next door is the Oxbow Public Market, where specialty food purveyors  sell their Artisanal local foods and wines. And when it comes time for having one of the most memorable romantic meals of your life, you need look no further than the Westin’s acclaimed La Toque restaurant from Chef Ken Frank .
A recipient of a coveted Michelin Star, the menu evolves constantly to show off each season’s finest ingredients. A Chef’s Tasting Menu and Vegetable Tasting Menu are presented in a fixed format of five courses. La Toque is renowned for their extravagant truffle menus featuring such items as Black Truffle Crème Brulee, and Ravioli “Sunny Side Up” with a Long Meadow Ranch Pullet Egg and Black Truffle Butter.  
If you don’t think this is enough truffle action for you, you can also book the Westin’s “Embrace Romance” package featuring a Napa Valley sparkling wine and handmade truffles for two in your room and breakfast for two in your room.  You’ve never truly slumbered until you have experienced the trademark Westin Heavenly Bed.
The one-bedroom suites at the Westin are equipped with a private kitchenette where you can snack and savor the gourmet ingredients you purchase from Oxbow Market. When it’s time to work off all of that wonderful food you’ve indulged in, just head downstairs to  the outdoor heated  saltwater pool or the bocce ball courts.
 

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA--
Historic Charleston attracts lovers from all over the world to its cobblestone streets with carriage rides,  waterfront parks,  romantic walks through local gardens and plantations, and horseback rides on the beach.

RECOMMENDED ROMANTIC ACCOMODATIONS—
The Kiawah Island Golf Resort  is a 30 minute drive from Charleston’s airport. Many couples who’ve never so much as putted a ball, come here for the romance and beauty of the 10 miles of ocean-front property.  If you dream of beachside walks at sunset, this is the place for you.  A number of romantic packages are available with experiences such as couples’ massage, breakfast in bed, rose petal turndown on evening of arrival, bicycle rental, etc. The property is also a favorite place for couples wanting to renew their vows.
Two oceanfront fine-dining restaurants are at the resort and 24-hour room service if available.
 

The Inn at Middleton Place
The Inn was honored with a place on National Geographic Magazine’s “Stay List”, a list that celebrates 150 hotels that are among the best at blending location-inspired architecture, ambience, and amenities, eco-stewardship and an ethic of giving back to the community. View photos of the hotel here:

The beautiful guest rooms with floor to ceiling windows feature views of the river, wood-burning fireplaces, hardwood floors, and giant soaking tubs in the bathroom.
Your stay includes a complimentary breakfast of assorted fresh fruits, pastries and cereals and a manager’s reception in the evening where you are treated to the Inn’s house wines, beers and appetizers.

General Admission to the Middleton Place National Historic Landmark and the House Museum are included for every guest of the Inn at Middleton Place.
Along with admission to the house and gardens, one may also choose to enjoy garden overview tours, the Plantation Stableyards and African-American focused tours (all free to guests of the Inn), or carriage tours for a modest, additional fee.
The Equestrian Center offers several opportunities for the horse enthusiast. Couples can enjoy trails of both wooded and open terrain, plus three riding rings. Trail rides and lessons for adults of all skill levels are available. Please call (843) 556-8137 or email middleton.stables@hotmail.com.