If you are a couple who loves the movies, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a great place for a romantic getaway.

Once you walk in the park, you think you are inside a movie studio. The streets are designed to look like a movie set and there are actors riding up and down the streets putting on vaudeville type acts.

For those of you who enjoy old movies, you will enjoy the Great Movie Ride. If you are interested in movie making and how special effects are done there are several choices. The Studio Back lot tour starts with a moviemaking show where the audience gets to be the actors and then you hop on a tram to see how special effects are made. The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is a great show to see how stunts are done and the audience gets a chance to get in this one as well. There are movie sets that you can walk through that change with the current movies. If you are interested, there are spectacular sound effects and car stunt shows for your enjoyment.

If you are a big fan of Disney movies, there are some good options for you as well. There is a nice tribute to Walt Disney and also a show on how to do Disney animation. I thought one of the neat things in the animation exhibit is the booth where you get to match your personality with a famous Disney character. Another cool thing is that Hollywood Studios is filled with your favorite animated characters. Meeting and taking a picture with these characters will make you feel like a kid again which is something that my wife and I really look forward to when we plan our romantic getaways.

If you like amusement parks as well as the movies, there are a bunch of movie themed rides to choose from. Star Tours is a fun motion ride for Star Wars fans. Muppet Vision 3-D is a funny show put on by your favorite Muppets. Toy Story Mania is a fun ride for those who like the old style carnival games. For roller coaster fans, the Rock N Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith is an incredibly fast roller coaster with tremendous acceleration and inversions to the driving beat of your Aerosmith favorites. Finally, the Tower of Terror is a fun an exciting ride for fans of the old Twilight Zone TV show and who like experiencing the sensation of free falling.

Finally, you should plan to visit a couple of the shows to complete your romantic getaway. If you enjoy American Idol, there is a show that allows you to experience what it would be like to be at an Idol show. If possible, you should go to the last show of the day so that you can see the best contestants of the day. The Beauty and the Beast show is an abbreviated version of the movie or Broadway show that occurs several times a day and is very entertaining. You should definitely plan to see Fantasmic during your visit. This is a spectacular fireworks and water show featuring your favorite Disney characters. The show is filled with music from your favorite Disney movies and amazing laser light and hydrotechnic effects. The show occurs only at night and is not shown every night, so make sure that you check the show schedule so that you can plan to visit the park on a night when Fantasmic plays.

If you are a fan of movies, Disney animation, and amusement park rides, you should look to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios for your next romantic getaway.

My wife and I enjoy going to romantic restaurants when we go on vacation. We were recently vacationing in Orlando and decided to return to one of our favorite romantic restaurants, Emeril’s Orlando.

The restaurant is located in City Walk which is on the site of Universal Studios Orlando. City Walk is the area between the Islands of Adventure and the Universal Studios Theme Parks. There are several restaurants, live entertainment venues and a little bit of shopping. We actually parked in the valet parking area and Emeril’s validated for two hours of parking.

My wife and I had previously been to Emeril’s about 5 years ago. We then had sat at the chef’s bar where we watched the chefs cook the food. It was really entertaining and an experience that we haven’t forgotten. It is really interesting to watch world class chefs prepare food and they do talk to you while they are cooking. The food was excellent as well.

We elected this time to have a little bit more of a romantic restaurant experience. Emeril’s is a well decorated white tablecloth restaurant with a very nice ambiance. We went for lunch this time and actually got seated with a view of City Walk. It was a nice day and it was kind of fun to people watch the kids walking into the theme parks.

The cuisine is described as Creole-based and we both love Cajun food so we were looking forward to our meal. If you want the experience of Emeril with a little bit less menu options at a reduced price, you can go for lunch, which is what we did. The service at Emeril’s is outstanding. The wait staff works in teams and they seamlessly picked up the service for one another like they were one person.

Our food was outstanding. They had a nice range of food with definite Creole influences. The gumbo was outstanding and they had a nice variety of salads and appetizers for all tastes. The wait staff did an excellent job of helping us with our selections. The entrees were very tasty, unique, and good sized portions. The dessert menu looked really good but we unfortunately were too full from our two courses to have dessert (maybe next time). We definitely enjoyed our romantic restaurant experience at Emeril’s Orlando.

After you leave Emeril’s you have a few choices within City Walk if you want to continue on your romantic experience. If you are a couple who likes to go to dinner and a movie, they have a state of the art theater. If you like live music, they have several different options as well. If you like to dance, they have a dance club. Basically, the advantage of eating at City Walk is that you have a lot of entertainment options after visiting your favorite romantic restaurants. City Walk does have a variety of other restaurants (most of which are themed) but we thought that Emeril’s was the most romantic restaurant of them.

If you are in the Orlando area, we would strongly recommend going to City Walk and Emeril’s for a romantic restaurant experience with some great entertainment options to continue your evening.

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Disney World has always been one of our favorite places for a romantic getaway. We like how it makes us feel young and keeps our love fresh. Since we always like to travel to zoos for a romantic getaway we were really excited when Disney created Animal Kingdom because it is a combination of the two.

When you first walk into the park, you walk through an area filled with birds and smaller animals. Then you come upon the tree of life which is a site unto itself due to its size and craftsmanship. It is a great place to take pictures in front of. In the base of the tree of life, there is a great little show called It’s Tough to Be a Bug. It is pretty funny and entertaining.

Our favorite ride in the park is the Kilamanjaro Safari which is located in the Africa section of the park. This is a great ride that is a combination of a ride and a zoo. You get in a jeep and travel throughout the African Savannah where you see Giraffes, Antelopes, Rhinos, Hippos, Elephants, and Lions among other things. At the end of the ride, you can take a walk along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail which is a lot more like a zoo and features animals typically found in Africa.

In the Asia section of the park, you can find the Maharajah Jungle Trek which is a lot like the Pangani trail except it features animals found in Asia. Also in Asia, you will find Expedition Everest which is great for you roller coaster lovers. It seems innocuous to start, like you are going on a train ride up the mountain but then it goes a little haywire but it’s a whole lot of fun.

In the DinoLand U.S.A. section of the park, we enjoy the Dinosaur ride which is based on the movie. It is not really a roller coaster in the normal sense but it does have some twists, turns, and drops while you are surrounded by animated dinosaurs.

We also enjoy the shows at Animal Kingdom. There is a Flights of Wonder show near Asia which is a showcase for birds of prey if you like birds. There is a Finding Nemo stage show that is located between Asia and Dinoland. If you are a fan of the movie, you will probably enjoy the show. Our favorite show is the Festival of the Lion King which is located in Camp Minnie Mickey. We have seen the show numerous times and have even seen The Lion King on Broadway and we still truly enjoy this show. It truly is not to be missed.

There aren’t many great places to eat in the park, but a short trip to the Animal Kingdom Lodge gives you some dining options. The lodge itself is decorated beautifully and is complete with its own version of the African Savannah complete with Giraffes, Zebras, and Antelope. We have always wanted to stay here but I will tell you that it is not cheap. As far as food goes, they have a decent cafeteria type restaurant for lunch and the Jiko and Boma restaurants inside the lodge feature African themed cuisine.

Disney World is a great place for a romantic getaway and the Animal Kingdom is a park that you shouldn’t miss spending with that special someone.

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Romantic getaways can sometimes be found in unexpected places, the latest being in central Michigan. My wife and I have visited Frankenmuth several times and really enjoy it. Frankenmuth has some very touristy aspects about it but it also has some elements that make it a great place for a romantic getaway.

Frankenmuth is known as Michigan’s Little Bavaria due to the history of it’s formation as a town over 150 years ago. The architecture looks like something you would see if you were to visit Germany. The Cass River runs through town and even has a riverboat that gives historical tours of Frankenmuth while you enjoy your river cruise. There are carriage rides offered by a couple of different carriage companies that give you tours of the town while riding in a horse drawn carriage. If you enjoy history, there are a couple of options that allow you to learn about the town in a very romantic atmosphere.

If you enjoy shopping, there are several unique options. There are a variety of small shops located downtown which are fun to walk around with together. Frankenmuth is also the home for Bronner’s which is the World’s Largest Christmas Store. If you enjoy Christmas, Bronner’s is a place you shouldn’t miss. My wife and I like to buy ornaments every year and you can even get personalized ones in Bronner’s. If you are looking for some real bargains, there is a great outlet mall in Birch Run about 10 minutes away.

There are some great dining options as well. My wife and I really like Zehnder’s which offers family style dining that is exceptional and will make sure that you won’t leave hungry. They have a great all you can eat fried chicken dinner which also has a wide variety of appetizers and sides. The décor of the restaurant maintains the town’s German theme and the wait staff uniforms are representative of the 1800s. I would highly recommend making a stop at their Marketplace where you can buy some of the items that you sampled during your dinner and check out their wonderful bakery. Although we haven’t experienced it first hand, Zehnder’s also has a hotel with a waterpark and an 18-hole championship golf course.

If you enjoy live entertainment, Frankenmuth is home to several music festivals including country music and a flashback to the 80s among others. They also have beer tasting festivals, a Renaissance festival and a speedway for car racing if you enjoy that. Check the Frankenmuth events website for more details.

As a reflection of the town’s effort to maintain a romantic theme, they even have a wedding chapel for those couples who are really feeling the romance. I hope you consider Frankenmuth as a great place in Michigan for a romantic getaway.

My wife and I can always find romance by the water. Since we live in Michigan now, we are quite far from the ocean. Luckily, Lake Michigan isn’t too far away and one of our favorite towns along Lake Michigan is South Haven.

The beach in South Haven is a great place to share a romantic moment and a great place to relax. Many people are surprised by the beach and size of Lake Michigan. The sand on the beaches along Lake Michigan is beautiful in appearance, is soft to the touch, and is really nice to walk on. The lake water is definitely colder than the Atlantic or Pacific water but it is quite clear for the most part. It can be amazing to stand on the beach and look out into the horizon because you cannot see land anywhere you look and you start to get a feel for the size of Lake Michigan. Sometimes, if the weather is right, you can get waves that are high enough to make you think you are sitting oceanside. It is really peaceful to sit and read a book or people watch while looking over the lake. If you are looking for romance, it is really nice to take a walk through the beautiful sand holding the hand of your sweetheart.

The beach in South Haven is close to downtown and is split into two parts. We prefer the North beach because it is larger and a little quieter. There is a concession stand with snack food and hot dogs and also restrooms within walking distance. My wife always finds lighthouses to be very romantic because they are kind of a window to the past. You can see South Haven’s lighthouse while you sit on the beach which just adds to the scenery. Also, there is a pretty good sized marina with a channel separating the two beaches so you can also watch the boats leave for the lake.

If you are a couple that finds romance on the water, then South Haven marina is the starting point for a variety of cruises of Lake Michigan. The South Haven marina is also the home of the Michigan Maritime Museum for people who enjoy history.

The town in South Haven is a great one for walking around in. There are a lot of little shops and boutiques that are fun to walk in and offering anything from home décor to clothing to antiques. There are also a variety of pretty good restaurants to visit. Our favorite is Clementine’s which has great food and service in a nice atmosphere. We really like the atmosphere in the bar area and we really enjoy the onion rings for an appetizer. They have a lot of variety in their menu and have daily specials. The downside is that they don’t take reservations so it can take a long time to sit down and eat. The good thing is that you can put your name in and if the wait is long, you can walk round the shops and boutiques surrounding the restaurant.

If you want a break from the beach, you can take a walk along the scenic Kal Haven Trail or visit Van Buren State Park. There are several golf courses in the area including HawksHead Links which has been rated 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest and even includes an Inn to stay at on the Golf Course. Speaking of places to stay, South Haven has a great deal of Bed & Breakfasts and Vacation Rentals many of which are within walking distance of town or the beach.

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If you find sitting and walking on the beach with your special someone and are in the Midwest, you should consider South Haven as a place to stop. You can enjoy beautiful sand, scenic views of the lighthouse and Lake Michigan, and an enjoyable town to walk around in when you aren’t sitting on the beach.

My wife and I have always thought camping together was romantic. We have always thought that hiking through trails, eating food made by a charcoal grill or coleman stove, and just being with nature was very enjoyable. We have always been tent campers and it was fun and romantic at first but each time we go now, it gets a little harder to sleep on the ground and especially when we get rained upon. Each time we leave the campground, we talk about what we enjoyed the most on the trip. Recently, we noticed that sitting by a campfire was almost always our highlight. We thought to each other, what if we could bring a little of the campground home with us, especially what we consistently consider the highlight and the most romantic part of the trip. It was then that we decided to make it so that we could have campfires, right in our own back yard.

There are a lot of options to set up a fire pit in your backyard. There are fire pits, fire rings, or fire bowls that you can buy to sit in your yard or on your patio. You could even just find a bunch of rocks and put them in a ring on the ground. We ended up buying a good size fire ring and we formed a layer of bricks around it. It doesn’t matter what you choose, you just need to buy some wood and you are ready for romance right in your own backyard.

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There is something about sitting under the stars in front of a warm fire, to bring out the romance. We like to sit in front of the fire, just talking about wonderful memories we’ve shared, what we want to do for the future, and just really enjoy each other’s company. A campfire is also a fun idea to invite other couples over to have a few drinks and tell stories.

The next time you are looking for a great romantic idea that you can enjoy, week after week, think about making a fire pit and enjoying a campfire in your own backyard!

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One of our most memorable vacations was our honeymoon. We embarked on a 7 night Royal Carribean cruise to the southern Caribbean on the beautiful Monarch of the Seas. The ship is spectacular from its Viking Lounge located hundreds of feet above the ocean where you can experience amazing sunset views while enjoying your cocktails and appetizers. Enjoy five-star dining in one of the two main dining areas designed after Claude Monet or Vincent Van Gogh. For a more casual atmosphere try the Jade Restaurant featuring Asian-fusion. They have great sushi. The Windjammer Café has lighter fare with spectacular views. The burgers and sandwiches are delicious. Room service is also available if you want something truly intimate. There’s nothing more romantic than dinner on your private balcony while listening to the sounds of the ocean and watching the sunset with your loved one. Wherever you choose to dine, it will be an experience you’ll treasure forever.

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There is a never ending list of things to do on the ship. For those of you who enjoy a little adventure try the Rock climbing wall. There is a state of the art fitness center, open-air basketball court, and an open-air track. The ship has two pools and two hot tubs for your enjoyment and of course the staff will be at your beck and call. There’s nothing more relaxing than soaking in the sun next to the pool while listening to island music and enjoying a tropical cocktail. If you feel the need to be pampered even more, just make an appointment at the spa and enjoy one of the luxurious manicures, pedicures or massages. If you love to shop you’ll be in heaven. They have several boutiques to choose from. As an added bonus you have duty free shopping aboard the ship.

Romance is in the air aboard the ship. Take a cooking class together or a wine pairing class and enrich your relationship through learning something new together. Dance lessons are a great way to bond with your loved one while laughing with each other along the way. These are but a few of the possibilities you can explore while aboard the ship.

Parties and themed nights will get you feeling young all over again. Masquerade ball, 50’s and 60’s night, toga party, and pirate themed night are just a few of the themed nights to enjoy dancing, laughing, loving, and eating with your sweetheart. There are themed lounges also and include disco, country, dance, latin, and piano lounges for your enjoyment. Try your luck at the casino. The staff there will be more than happy to teach you how to play the game.

If you like Broadway plays you’ll love there Las Vegas inspired shows and musicals. The comedy acts are hilarious. My husband and I can’t get enough of them. So the next time you are looking for a romantic getaway that features fabulous food and service, a variety of things to do, romantic activities, and world class entertainment, all while visiting exotic ports, please consider a cruise for your next vacation.

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My wife and I have always enjoyed golfing together. Many of you women out there might think that you aren’t good enough for golfing and will only frustrate your husband. Many of you men might think that your wife would have no interest in golfing with you or might think that you might have a golfing experience like the men in the movie “I Love You, Man” (which is a great date night movie) had where the man ended up getting hit by an errant golf ball. You both may be right but my wife and I truly have fun because we enjoy golf as time to spend with each other.

When my wife first starting golfing she got nervous and was afraid that she was holding people up while she was learning. However, we decided that the most important part of playing golf together is that we would have fun and wouldn’t worry so much about everyone else. But to be courteous, we decided to try to play best ball, where I take a shot, and my wife takes a shot, and we pick the best one. We really had a lot of fun playing best ball because we weren’t slowing down anyone’s play, we celebrated our good shots and didn’t worry about the bad ones.

When we first started, we used almost all of my shots but we joked, celebrated her good shots, and just enjoyed the scenery. The more we played, the more my wife enjoyed golf and she actually decided to have golf lessons. She had a few lessons, and every time we went out we used a few more of her shots and we really just enjoyed being outdoors together. Now we play golf together on the weekends and try to play sometimes when we travel together. In fact, one of our favorite vacation spots is to play golf at the very resort in Panama City that I proposed to my wife at (see the Romantic Getaways in Panama City posting below).

Now guys, I am not saying that you can’t go golfing with your buddies because it is a lot of fun and important to do. However, if you get your wife playing with you, and your wife is like mine and still encourages me to play with your friends, it just means more time out on the golf course which is a very good thing. I still get my competitive juices flowing when I golf with my friends but really try to relax and enjoy golf for the wonderful game that it is when I play with my wife.

I know that the golf course may not seem like a good idea for a romantic getaway but we really look for romance in all places. When you think about it and just relax a little, the golf course is a great place for romance. You get to laugh, enjoy beautiful scenery, meet people, exercise, enjoy interesting conversation, and create fond memories together. Furthermore, golf is something that you can do together as you grow older. So even though you might not think that playing golf is romantic, my wife and I would disagree and encourage any of you to give it a try.

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Chicago has a lot to offer the couple looking for a romantic getaway. If you like to shop, there’s the Magnificent Mile has stores and boutiques for every taste. If you like tourist attractions, there are many different options from aquariums to museums to sightseeing trips. If you like to eat out, there is no end of great restaurants, many with a romantic ambiance for that special evening.

Walking up and down the Magnificent Mile can be a lot of fun and interesting. The wide avenues, statues, and the architecture of downtown Chicago remind many people of the streets of Paris. There are a variety of shops for all of your different needs and tastes. In the winter holiday season, the street and the store windows are decorated beautifully and really help get you in the mood. I think it is second to only 5th avenue in Manhattan in places to stroll down with your sweetheart to help get you in the holiday spirit.

There are a great variety of tourist attractions and things to do. If you enjoy going to sporting events (which we do), Chicago has two baseball teams with two very different stadiums. The Cubs play in Wrigley Field which has been a Chicago institution for many years and will give you a feeling that you stepped back in time. The White Sox play in a more modern stadium with the amenities of today if you prefer that experience. Chicago is also the home of the NBA Chicago Bulls, the NHL Chicago Blackhawks, and of course the Chicago Bears so if sports are your thing, you have a lot to choose from.

The museums also provide you with a lot of variety. For art lovers there is the Chicago Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Art. History buffs should not miss the Field Museum of Natural History. If you enjoy learning about how things work and how they were made, you will find the Museum of Science and Industry very interesting. For those of you looking for an out of this world experience, you should visit the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. If you enjoy life “under the sea” the Shedd Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the world.

There are a variety of sightseeing tours, for all tastes. There is a hop-on, hop-off trolley tour, Grey Line narrated tours, several different walking tours, and shoreline sightseeing tours for those of you who love to be on the water (like us!).

Chicago has a lot of great restaurants and some of them are outstanding places to have a nice romantic dinner. There are two options for fondue near downtown Chicago. The first is The Melting Pot which we talked about in an earlier blog and the Chicago restaurant has the normal great food and the romantic atmosphere. The second is Geja’s café which may not have quite the selection that The Melting Pot does but it has live flamenco and classical guitarists. If you would prefer a wonderful view to fondue, The Signature Room located atop the John Hancock building offers contemporary fare and wonderful views of Chicago. Some other great restaurants for romantic dining include Vivere, La Cantina or The Village in the Italian Village Restaurants. There is also Le Colonial for French-Asian dining, If you like some more familiar restaurants with great food, white tablecloths, and wonderful service there is a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or Joe’s Stone Crab. For another twist on dining, Odyssey Cruises offers a wide range of different dining and entertainment options aboard their cruise ships in Lake Michigan.

The next time you are in the Midwest and are looking for a great place for a romantic getaway, I would consider the many options for shopping, attractions, and dining that Chicago has to offer.

My wife and I find romance in many different places. There is a lot to be said for going away to someplace very private and intimate but we also find that places that make you feel young can also be romantic. It is a lot of fun to walk around with your sweetheart and hold hands and experience again the things that you enjoyed when you were young. One of the places that we truly enjoy going to experience this “return to our youth” are zoos or animal parks and we tend to look for those any place that we visit. There probably is no place in the United States that has the quality and variety of animal parks as the San Diego area.

The most well known of the animal parks in the San Diego Area is probably the San Diego Zoo. It has been at the forefront of the zoo experience and breeding capabilities for almost 100 years. There are over 4000 animals at the zoo and the habitats housing these wondrous animals contribute to a very engaging experience. The zoo was the first to use barless, moated enclosures that allow you to view these animals in environments closer to their natural environment. There are animals of all kinds from all over the world including some very rare species. Most people have their favorite animals and you can be assured that your favorite is here somewhere and you will probably find some new interesting ones along the way.

What once started out as a breeding facility for the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park (about 34 miles North of San Diego outside of Escondido) is favored by some people over the Zoo. There are over 3500 animals and 430 species in the park. The interesting thing about this park is its openness. Animals run together in large areas and it is common to see giraffes interacting with zebras and antelopes (don’t worry, they don’t mix “meat-eaters” with “plant eaters” here) much as they would in Africa. There is an open-air tram ride called “Journey to Africa” which brings you a little closer to the animals. If you want to spend a little more, you can take the “Savanna Safari” to take you even closer and to some places the tram doesn’t cover. If you want to get really close, you can go on a Photo Caravan to visit parts of the park that no one else gets to see but you need reservations. There are also several self-guided walking tours in the park that lets you visit various animals in interesting habitats.

For those of you that love marine life, San Diego has a Sea World. The highlight of Sea World is its shows. The have a show featuring Shamu, the Killer Whale, which is enlightening and inspiring. They also have a nighttime version with lights and rock music called Shamu Rocks. My wife and I enjoy the Clyde & Seamore’s Risky Rescue show which features sea lions and otters which is really funny. There is also a Dolphin Discovery show for those of you who love dolphins.   Additionally, there are exhibits featuring beluga whales, polar bears, penguins, sharks, and manatees which allow you to learn about these animals while you watch them up close. There are new shows and exhibits being added all the time so check your program or the website when you go. For those of you who enjoy amusement parks, you can take a break from the animal watching and take your sweetheart on a rollercoaster, down a lazy river, or in a simulated helicopter ride.

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You may be wondering how being in a crowded zoo could be romantic but you can always create your own intimate space wherever you are. I really enjoy “sneaking up” on my sweetheart while she is watching the animals. I come up behind her, put my arms around her, and whisper “I love you” in her ear and give her a kiss on the cheek. She usually returns the favor with a quick kiss. We tend to do this all day and take turns “sneaking up” on one another. At the end of the day, we usually will talk about the enjoyment we had watching the animals and the kids in the parks, but we also talk about who had the best sneaky kiss of the day. Although you may not think of it at first, I encourage you to think of the San Diego Animal Parks or your local zoo for your next romantic getaway.