San Francisco, California
Visitors to San Fran typically end up leaving their hearts here—and you might as well too. Either way, the city makes for alluring romantic locale. Start by taking a street cable car ride to the crest of Nob Hill and hop out for a late night drink at the “Top of the Mark” within the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. Panoramic views are incomparable. Then take the Powell-Hyde line through colorful Russian Hill, past crooked Lombard Street, to Fisherman’s Wharf. The P-H line dishes out take-your-breath away vistas of Mount Tam, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angle Island, and Alcatraz.

Sedona, Arizona
You don’t need rose-tinted glasses to view your relationship in a favorable light in Sedona. As the sun sets, reflecting off the magnificent red rock formations, it’ll warm your spirit. But just in case, this is the place to get your chakra’s aligned; get your aura photographed; get caught up in a vortex; and get a tarot card reading. Modern love has never been so easy…

Hanalei Bay in Kauai, HI
Puff the Magic Dragon, who frolicked in a land called Hanalei, knew a thing or two about romantic fantasy. In fact, this bay is arguably the most magical in the entire archipelago of Hawaiian islands, which is saying something. The epitome of a picture postcard beach, Hanalei Bay is a luscious perch from which drink a glass of bubbly as the sun sets behind the famed Bali Hai.

Charleston, South Carolina
Horse-drawn carriages have been a fixture in the South’s most historic city—Charleston—for more than 300 years. Live big and enjoy a classically romantic carriage ride through this genteel city at night. The city is magical throughout the year, but if ycan time your visit with the Spoleto Festival, which runs for two weeks from late May to early June. It’s awash in musical concerts, ballet, opera, and theater.

Drive California’s Pacific Coast Highway
The famed PCH, linking mythical coastal towns like Santa Monica, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Half Moon Bay, Marin County, and Mendocino County, is one of America’s most alluring and iconic drives. This curvaceous route hugs the ocean with dramatic twists and turns. Rent the sexiest convertible you can afford and put the pedal to the metal, slowing only when that perfect stretch of deserted beach calls your name. There’s a reason car commercials are filmed here.

Eat at The Point at Saranac Lake, NY
Folks don’t summer on the lake like they used to anymore, but if everyone could visit The Point, that would certainly change. This all-inclusive Adirondack resort harkens back to another era, one of refinement and mountain charms. Rates are carte blanch, offering guests (all of whom count themselves at least temporarily privileged) unfettered access to all facilities and activities, three meals a day, and help-yourself bars. The personalized service is extraordinary.
(www.thepointresort.com; 518.891.5674, 800.255.3530)

The Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe, NM
The lines where the Orient the Old West meld into one another is not imaginary. The intersection was borne of a highly imaginative, sensual, and visionary soul. Certainly, Santa Fe lures travelers by it own singular grace, but others who are anxious to find this deeply mystical and magical oasis are best advised to visit the Inn of the Five Graces. It will transport you into another dimension overnight.
(www.fivegraces.com; 505.992.0957)

Explore Sweetheart Abbey in Galloway, Scotland
Wander the magnificent ruins of this late-13^th-century Cistercian abbey and bell tower and marvel at the everlasting power of love. It was built by the Lady of Galloway to memorialize her husband. You can still see an image of her holding his embalmed heart in a silver and ivory box. So what have you done for your loved one recently?

Visit the Acropolis, Greece
Like first loves and later infatuations, some monuments are simply more monumental than others. But whether you find yourself with either company, there’s nothing like standing atop the ancient, classic Acropolis at dawn or dusk—when the whole world’s a stage. No matter how eager you are to begin your Mediterranean island Odyssey, make time to leave civilization in the dust and enjoy its finest relic, still so relevant.

Sipping Aged Ports at Instituto do Vinho do Porto in Lisbon, Portugal
Aged port is the stuff of the Gods. And there is no better place to sip samples than Lisbon’s Instituto do Vinho do Porto. The dim, club-like lounge sounds formal, but it’s quite the opposite. Take your time tasting 20-year-old ports that you won’t find elsewhere. Then head to the old quarters of the Alfama or Bairro Alto to listen to Fado at an intimate, candlelit restaurant.