Five Romantic Places that Have Stolen My Heart

As I write this article, it's Valentine's Day and everybody's got romance on the brain. My dear husband, Bill, has to go away on business tonight, so I'll be spending this heart-filled holiday on my own. Even though my husband has to be gone on Valentine's Day, I can still remember some wonderfully romantic times we've had on trips. Although we've entered our ninth year of marriage, it wasn't until the last few years that we've had the time and the money to be able to travel.

We've made a priority of taking trips together and hope to see more of the world as the years go by. I think that's part of the reason we get along so well and a major component of keeping our romance alive. So, without further ado, here are the top five romantic places we've been to and the reasons why we love them as much as they remind us of our love for each other.

5. Rockbridge County, Virginia (and the surrounding areas of Lexington, Natural Bridge, Goshen Pass, and Buena Vista)

Lexington, Virginia will always have a special place in my heart because it's the origin of so many good things in my life. Both my mother's and my father's families are from Rockbridge County in Virginia, so I've spent a significant part of my life visiting Lexington and the surrounding communities, especially nearby Natural Bridge.

My husband Bill and I fell in love in Rockbridge County back in 2001. It was Labor Day weekend, and I was in graduate school in Columbia, South Carolina. Bill had just started a job at the Pentagon. Our relationship at that point had mostly taken place online. I told Bill that I was thinking of going to Natural Bridge for Labor Day weekend to see my then 95 year old grandmother and some of my aunts and uncles. He said he would like to get out of the Washington, DC area and maybe go camping. I suddenly got the bright idea to invite him to Natural Bridge.

Bill was a little hesitant at first, but I talked him into it. He booked a weekend at the Howard Johnson's motel in Lexington. We met up and spent a magical weekend in Rockbridge County. We swam at Goshen Pass, a beautiful rocky gorge near Lexington. We went out to dinner in the quaint city of Lexington and I showed him the campuses of Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University. My uncle scored us some tickets to the Natural Bridge and the Caverns. In the beautiful natural setting of the Blue Ridge mountains and under the very approving watch of my extended family, Bill and I felt our relationship deepen into true romance. I distinctly remember my grandmother telling me how much she liked Bill and how she hoped I would marry him.

The following week, 9/11 happened. Bill was working in the Pentagon that day in the wedge that got hit by an American Airlines jet. All day, I wondered if Bill was alive or dead. At about 9:00pm on September 11, 2001, he finally surfaced on Yahoo! Messenger to tell me that he had indeed survived and was unharmed. It wasn't long after that that we got engaged. We married at Virginia Military Institute's Jackson Memorial Hall in Lexington on November 16, 2002 and honeymooned at the Hummingbird Inn in Goshen.

4. Asheville, North Carolina

The first time I visited beautiful Asheville, North Carolina was in the fall of 2000. A friend of mine was getting married and had asked me to sing at her wedding. I drove to Asheville from Columbia, South Carolina and ended up being the sole musician at the wedding, which took place on a beautiful, crisp, fall day.

Ten years later, Bill and I were looking for a place to celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary. I remembered Asheville and the beautiful area surrounding it, did some checking for romantic B&Bs, and quickly found out that Asheville is chock full of quaint places to stay as well as romantic places to visit. Asheville is, after all, the home of the grand and glorious Biltmore Estate, America's largest private home. Asheville is also home to some excellent romantic restaurants and quirky artists, as well as stunning natural scenery.

Bill and I spent three wonderful nights in Asheville, staying at the historic Beaufort House Victorian Inn, a beautiful bed and breakfast that was once home to actor Charlton Heston. We had a marvelous time and I even caught Bill looking at the real estate ads. I have a feeling Asheville might just have made the short list of places for us to eventually retire.

3. Paris, France

Bill and I were fortunate enough to live in Germany for two years, thanks to the U.S. Army. While we were in Europe, we traveled extensively to many places, some obscure and some quite famous. The one place I was determined to visit while we lived in Europe was Paris. I had visited Paris once before, back in September 1997; but that was with my older sister, right after I finished a two year assignment in the Peace Corps. It was hardly a romantic trip.

Bill, on the other hand, had never been to Paris. While we were in France, I noticed that he had become quite the Francophile. He loved the food and the wine, as well as the picturesque landscapes. I decided we just had to visit Paris before we came back to America, so I made arrangements for us to travel there over Memorial Day weekend in 2009. We flew from Stuttgart, Germany on a very lightly populated Air France aircraft, where we were given complimentary French wine for our one hour flight.

Once we got into the city, Bill and I spent four glorious days walking around the City of Light, gazing at the city's beautiful gardens and landmarks. We stayed at Hotel Le Six, a charming boutique hotel in the Montparnasse area of the city, and dined at some quaint, but excellent restaurants. It was in Paris that I saw my husband's love for France come alive and I knew we'd come back again and again. While we didn't bother standing in line to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, we did manage to take a lovely river boat cruise down the Seine and marvel at the beauty of France's capital city.

2. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain is yet another city I saw for the first time in 1997, when I was young, broke, and traveling with friends. One of the most memorable places I visited during that trip was La Sagrada Familia, an amazing, publicly funded cathedral that was created by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. At the time of my visit in 1997, I was too poor and too impatient to stand in line to see the inside of the uncompleted cathedral.

Years later, I was showing Bill some of the pictures I took during my trip through Europe. I showed him the shot I got of the oldest part of La Sagrada Familia, the Nativity Facade to the East. Bill had never heard of La Sagrada Familia before and was mesmerized by the amazingly intricate design. I told him that one day we would have to travel to Barcelona so he could see the cathedral for himself.

We got our chance to go to Barcelona in April 2009, when Bill got a few days off of work. We decided to try Germanwings blind booking deal, having successfully traveled to London the same way a few months earlier. We submitted our request for a surprise flight and were delighted when we got tickets to Barcelona. Bill and I flew there for a long weekend, staying at the amazing Hotel Miramar in the Montjuic area of the city.

While we were in Barcelona, we strolled along the romantic Las Ramblas, dined at an amazing restaurant called Cinc Sentits, and yes, we also visited La Sagrada Familia, an architectural wonder that brought tears of awe to my husband's eyes.

1. SeaDream I

Okay, so the SeaDream I is not a city or a country... It's still probably the most romantic place I've been to that keeps calling me back for another visit. Luckily, I have a cruise booked for our ninth wedding anniversary in November. Bill and I will be boarding the SeaDream I for a seven day cruise from Antigua to Barbados. Having already sailed the SeaDream I back in April of 2010, we already know what a heavenly treat we're in for.

The SeaDream I is one of two mega yachts owned by SeaDream Yacht Club, an all inclusive luxury cruise line. SeaDream I's sister yacht, SeaDream II, is almost identical. Both yachts carry no more than 112 guests at a time. Guests are cared for my 95 dedicated staff members who do their best to cater to passenger's greatest whims.

Bill and I were truly bowled over by our first SeaDream cruise. We met some wonderful people, enjoyed many glasses of chilled champagne, dined on exquisite culinary creations, and delighted in the warm breezes and the deep blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Though on our first cruise, we didn't get the chance to try the Balinese beds, which can be made up with Belgian linens so couples can sleep under the stars, we do have plans to try them on our next cruise. Perhaps we'll even get the captain to officiate as we renew our wedding vows. If all goes according to plan, we should be spending our ninth anniversary in romantic St. Lucia. On the other hand, renewing our vows on such a romantic, luxurious ship might even be a bit superfluous.

Besides offering romantic cruises for honeymooners and vacationers, SeaDream also does weddings. For a taste of just how romantic a wedding on SeaDream can be, click here.

So there you have it...

My list of top five romantic places is always evolving, but as of today, these five romantic places have a very special place in my heart. I hope all my readers have many romantic travels.

Sources

www.seadream.com

YouTube.com, JoeSimonProductions