Romance in the Air

Calling all romantics! Yes, you! Did you know it’s less than a month to Valentine’s Day?!

Yep. It’s that time of year when, to paraphrase Alfred, Lord Tennyson, a romantic’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Or jewelry. Or flowers...or chocolate!

Yes, definitely chocolate.

But what if you want to do something different? Something beyond the “same old same old?” How about a romantic getaway for two?

Not sure of where to go? Let the travel experts help!

To be fair, you might not jump to “romance” when you hear “US News & World Report,” but this respected magazine ranks everything - including travel destinations!

Using a system based on their editors’ opinions and experiences, along with those of actual visitors to the destinations, characteristics such as “sights, culture, people, food, shopping, family, nightlife, adventure, romance, value and accessibility,” are scored, averaged between the editors and travelers, then weighted, based on factors participants said were most important to them.

All in all, the system works, and offers a refreshing take on some tried and true destinations. So let’s see what those “fools for love” had to say about the subject, shall we?

BEST ROMANTIC GETAWAYS IN THE USA

• Kauai, Hawaii

• Napa Valley, California

• Lanai, Hawaii

• Sedona, Arizona

• Charleston, South Carolina

BEST INEXPENSIVE ROMANTIC GETAWAYS

• Sedona, Arizona

• Portland, Maine

• Savannah, Georgia

• Cannon Beach, Oregon

• Sonoma, California

BEST HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS

• St. Lucia

• Hawaii - The Big Island

• Bora Bora, French Polynesia

• Maldives

• Bordeaux, France

Frankly, I can’t quibble with any of these, particularly Sedona. Aren’t we lucky to have a highly ranked romantic destination in our own backyard? And I have lots of other cities I’d add for honeymooners, Prague, London, and Dublin are but a few.