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.

If you like to walk along the beach with a view of the mountains, drink fine wine, shop, and walk along streets with intriguing architecture you may want to consider Santa Barbara for your next romantic getaway.

Santa Barbara is only a couple hours drive from Los Angeles but it might feel like worlds away. The attitude is very laid back and courteous which is ideal for a romantic getaway. The beaches are a focal point, but the shops and art galleries that are found throughout downtown are equally as visited. For all of these reasons, Santa Barbara is often called The American Riviera.

The architecture is Spanish-Mediterranean and there is even a self-guided walking tour called the Red Tile Walking Tour of which you can pickup maps at the visitor’s center. Some of the highlights of the tour include the Santa Barbara Courthouse, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. The main street through downtown is State Street and has a variety of shops and boutiques and even has a shuttle if you get tired of walking.

My wife and I always find that for romantic moments, you just can’t beat a walk on the beach. Santa Barbara has some beautiful beaches for all tastes and moods. If recreational activities and people watching is your cup of tea, East Beach is probably your best bet. If you enjoy watching surfers and watching boats going in and out of the harbor, Ledbetter Beach is ideal. But if you are looking for a little more seclusion, Hendry’s Beach may be just right for you. All of these beaches have beautiful gold-sand beaches lined with palm trees and adequate surf. As a side note, those of you who love art and the water, you may really enjoy the Arts and Crafts Show that takes place every Sunday along the Santa Barbara waterfront. Finally, the sunsets in Santa Barbara are breathtaking and many locals and visitors gather on the waterfront every day to watch the sun go down.

Santa Barbara also has a lot of options for those of you wanting to look for those romantic moments on the ocean. There are whale watching tours that take place from December to March (your best bet to see whales on land would be from Shoreline Park) and there are a variety of other boat tours including some to the Channel Islands and others of the shoreline. If you are looking for a little more romance and seclusion, you can rent sailboats or take a cruise on a 50-foot Catamaran called the Double Dolphin.

If you and your sweetheart are wine lovers, Santa Barbara is the place for you. There are a lot of great vineyards in the area and a variety of ways to see them. There are bus tours, bicycling tours, private tours, and also self-guided ones. The wineries provide beautiful scenery and tasting of a wide variety of wines. The Santa Barbara wine country was actually a large part of the 2004 Oscar winning film Sideways and you can even pick up maps of the actual filming locations.

There are numerous fine romantic restaurants in Santa Barbara which combine ambiance, wonderful food and service, and world class wine lists to make for a very special evening. Some of these romantic restaurants include Bouchon, Aldo’s Italian Restaurant, Seagrass, and Blue Agave. There is also a Melting Pot and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse if you are looking for some familiar romantic restaurants.

There are several romantic lodging options in Santa Barbara whether you want to stay by the beach or closer to downtown. The nice thing is that whichever you choose, the downtown and the beaches are just a relaxing stroll away. For those of you looking for a romantic retreat where money is no object, you may try the Four Seasons Resort if you want to be closer to the beach or The Canary Hotel or Simpson House Inn if you want to be closer to downtown. Some other lodging options close to the beach that aren’t as pricy include the Casa Del Mar Inn, Franciscan Inn, and Hotel Oceana.

For couples looking for a romantic getaway to a beautiful oceanfront town with a relaxed atmosphere and a wide variety of choices for lodging, dining and activities, Santa Barbara may be just the place for you.

Insiders’ Guide to Santa Barbara, 4th: Including Channel Islands National Park (Insiders’ Guide Series)

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My wife and I have always enjoyed traveling to National Parks for vacations. We find that being so close to nature can be very romantic. There is nothing quite like taking in a scenic view together and just being in the moment. The first National Park that we ever vacationed to together was the Everglades National Park and it still brings wonderful memories to us today.

The Everglades National Park has two main entrances, one close to Naples and the other closer to Miami. We visited the eastern portion of the park that was closer to Miami and that will be the basis for this blog. If you are interested in other portions of the park, you will want to visit the Everglades National Park website. The best time of year to visit is from November to April to avoid the mosquitoes that overwhelm the park in Summer.

To get to the eastern portion of the park, you can fly into Miami or Fort Lauderdale. You will travel to Homestead or Florida City which is just outside the park entrance. There are many mom & pop and chain hotels in these two cities if you are interested in staying close to but not inside the park.

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Once you enter the park, we would suggest that you visit the Royal Palm visitor center. At the Royal Palm, you can access the Anhinga Trail boardwalk which is a must to get a good feeling for one of the types of ecosystems in the Everglades. You will also be very likely to see many different types of wildlife including birds as well as alligators congregating in watering holes along the boardwalk. Adjacent to the boardwalk, is the Gumbo Limbo trail which allows you to experience a stroll through a hardwood hammock.

The main park road from the park entrance to the Flamingo Visitor Center travels through eight distinct ecosystems. Some of the highlights of the drive include a dwarf cypress forest and multiple ponds filled with wading birds. There are multiple trails and boardwalks which allow you to visit these areas of the park where you can get out of the car and maybe share a romantic view in a secluded area with that special someone.

We stayed at the campground near the Flamingo Visitor Center which many campsites have views of the bay. My wife and I still fondly remember our campsite where we were able to setup a couple of chairs and watch the sunrise over the bay. After the sun came up, we then enjoyed eating breakfast while watching the many birds flying over the water. There are many hiking and nature trails for you and your sweetheart to find some scenic views and some quiet, romantic moments. At the end of the day, we enjoyed going for a moonlit walk along the bay and then enjoyed cuddling next to each other in our sleeping bags while looking up at the starry sky.

One of the highlights of our trip to the Everglades was a guided sunset cruise that we took from the Flamingo area. The sunset views over the bay were beautiful and we really enjoyed seeing all of the varied species of birds while learning a little about the wildlife and ecosystems found in the Everglades. It was very peaceful, romantic, and relaxing and is something that we would highly recommend doing.

The other highlight of our trip was when we rented a canoe in Flamingo. I had canoed several times before but my wife had never been in one. They gave us a quick instruction and we pushed off in the canoe. We passed alligators, birds, fish, and turtles along the way. We traveled under mangrove trees and saw various ecosystems during our trip. We were alone most of the time and just found ourselves enjoying the sounds and sights that nature provided us.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Everglades and hope that some of you couples who find being at one with nature romantic, consider traveling to the Everglades National Park.