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Best of the West
Find the West's best fall hikes, weekends, rafting trips, beach strolls, romantic cottages, ski resorts, waterfalls, bike rides, and more
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In the West, we’ve got a leg up on romance. For one thing, we’ve got natural beauty galore. But we’re also a breeding ground (forgive us) for free thinkers like University of Washington sociologist and sexologist Pepper Schwartz, author of more than two dozen books on love and sexuality. We asked Schwartz for her pointers on how to craft a romantic escape.
3 GOLDEN RULES OF ROMANCE
Make it beautiful
It’s hard to hold on to negative feelings in front of the grandeur of nature, or in a beautiful room that says, “Aren’t you lucky to be here?” Beauty reduces stress, allowing your brain to produce happy hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin.
Make it new
Adrenaline makes the heart grow fonder, so create interest by changing things up. Choose an activity that requires teamwork, such as a rafting trip or an unfamiliar hike. The act of doing these things together creates a bond and makes the moment feel charged.
Make it interesting
Communication is one of the keys to sexuality, romance, and relationships. See a foreign film, read a book, take a class, go on a road trip. Anything that gives you new material to discuss and ponder together is fair game.
TOP 20 INNS
Korakia Pensione, Palm Springs ($159)
Grab the glass of mint tea that awaits you in your Moroccan- or Mediterranean-style room, then head out through French doors
onto your bougainvillea-edged patio to sip and stare at the San Jacinto Mountains. Later, go for a swim in one of the inn’s two torch-lit pools under clear desert skies, or catch an outdoor movie. From $159, including breakfast; two-night minimum
on weekends.
Make it new:
Take a 2½-hour guided hike to scenic Tahquitz Canyon ($13 entrance fee; 760/416-7044). –Kathleen N. Brenzel
Waters Edge Hotel, Tiburon, CA ($179)
Throw open the bayside door of your tranquil coffee- and cream-colored room to hear the clang-clang of rigging knocking against
masts on boats below. Look across the sparkling bay to San Francisco and think about how nice it is to be here, out of reach,
together. From $179, including continental breakfast.
Make it new:
Arrive by boat instead of driving. A ferry ride from San Francisco drops you a few doors from the hotel. The salty air on deck lets you know you’re really getting away ($9.50 one-way; blueandgoldfleet.com). –Lisa Trottier
Todos Santos Inn, Baja, Mexico ($125)
Hidden away in a quiet village near Cabo San Lucas is this enchanted brick-and-adobe hacienda. Disappear into one of its
antique canopy beds, or head to a nearby beach. From $125 U.S., including breakfast. –David Lansing
Figueroa Hotel, Los Angeles $148
Humphrey Bogart would fit right in at this cinematic Moroccan oasis in the middle of downtown's flurry. From $148.
Make it interesting:
Catch a concert at the L.A. Live entertainment complex before you head back to North Africa. –MacKenzie Geidt
