Napa Valley: Relaxed Romance

When couples plan romantic vacations, they often picture trips to exotic foreign locations like France, Italy, or Spain, or heading for tropical beaches in the Bahamas or Mexico. However, the biggest problem with heading for any of these major locations for a romantic getaway is that they're usually densely populated by other couples on vacation, along with vacationing families, groups of friends, and singles cruising for a date. Overall, the romance of the trip gets booted out the window by the sheer volume of people, especially when you and your partner want to get away from everything and just spend time with each other in quiet privacy.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then perhaps you should consider planning your honeymoon with your better half to Napa Valley in California. This valley is best known among wine connoisseurs for producing sweet, smooth vintages. Right alongside the wine industry that the valley is famous for, however, Napa Valley also boasts quite a few secluded places where a couple can simply lose themselves for days on end.

Some of the hotels and resorts down in Napa Valley were originally designed for overstressed businessmen who were looking for places where they could lay undisturbed while they lay back and relaxed completely. However, the various hotel and resort owners quickly saw the potential of their various facilities to accommodate couples that wanted intimate privacy. Sporting massage parlors, spas, steam and infrared saunas, and suites with their own Jacuzzis, the hotels in Napa Valley are designed for comfort and relaxation.

Taking this idea a step up, the lodgings in Napa Valley now include not only hotels, but also cabins that people can rent for guaranteed seclusion. The overall atmosphere of the valley is one of peace and quiet, with warm sunshine, cool breezes, and plenty of gardens and vineyards all over. The fragrance of the grapes from the vineyards and the various flowers are almost perpetually carried on the breezes, keeping the entire valley pleasantly scented.

Aside from the places to stay, there are many restaurants and bars scattered across the valley with wide arrays of international food and beverage offerings. For obvious reasons, the local vintages figure prominently in most of these establishments, and newcomers can treat themselves to a drink fresh off the presses at anytime. Additionally, some of the local cafes use mostly imported beans, so coffee enthusiasts can expect to run into a surprising variety of blends, like sweet-smooth Hawaiian Kona coffee or the rather violent Italian roast coffee from Naples. With good food, coffee, and wine adding to the relaxed layout of the place, Napa Valley is perfect for couples that want to unwind.

Activities in the Valley are also different from the norm, which makes it even better for couples that want quality time together. For everyday activities, there are bicycle and jogging tracks, public parks, gardens, and of course, the grape vineyards themselves. Given that red wine figures quite prominently in a lot of romantic liaisons, the local beverages will add a special touch to every dinner you and your partner have while taking time off from the world in Napa Valley. Speaking of wine, because of the main industry of the valley there are also wine tasting trips and tours through the various wine presses. To keep moderately inebriated vacationers from getting into trouble, most hotels also offer shuttle services for people going on wine tasting tours.

There are also chartered hot air balloon rides for those who love heights, offering a great view of the entire valley when you're in the air. Quite a few imaginative couples have actually gotten married in a one of these hot air balloon trips. Another attraction of Napa Valley is it's county train, whose tracks cut across the entire valley. The train is designed in a vintage fashion, with luxurious cabins and an onboard restaurant and bar. Then there is also a very calm river that cuts across most of the valley, with cruises for those who want to spend time with each other on a boat out on the water.

Taking a quiet, pleasant approach to life, Napa Valley is a perfect place for a romantic honeymoon for couples whose idea of quality time is spending it almost exclusively with each other, instead of jostling through crowds of other vacation goers.