Before you begin your romantic California getaway, keep in mind that California is larger than 85 of the smallest nations in the world and for this reason, if no other, you need to think about what you’d like to do on your romantic California getaway before you make your travel reservations! Once you get there you may find that what you hoped to do isn’t feasible because there is just too much distance between places.
Having said that, with a little bit of planning beforehand, you can still cover quite a lot of ground in your romantic California getaway and sample a lot of what the State has to offer both in terms of the diversity of city life in places such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the beauty of the Napa Valley and Yosemite National Park.
Depending on your interests, you could consider making either San Francisco or Los Angeles your main destination and from there take trips to other areas of interest that will let you get the most of your romantic California getaway.
Romantic San Francisco
If you opt for San Francisco, you can experience the many attractions the Golden Gate city has to offer including the magic of the Golden Gate Park, taking a trolley car ride, and if you have your own car (or a rental!) why not take a drive down famous Lombard Street – if you love roller coasters then you’ll love this and it will be something you’ll remember the rest of your life!
Once you can drag yourself away from the city, a short drive will put you in Napa and a whole new world opens to you on your romantic vacation. Known for its wineries, the Napa Valley is a perfect romantic California getaway destination. Two activities here that just squeal with romance are taking a hot air balloon ride, and to ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train. The hot air balloon rides usually start very early in the morning so be prepared to be up and out by dawn – the experience will be worth it! Some of the balloon tour companies offer champagne as part of the package which makes it a special celebration as well as an awesome tour.
Compare different companies and find the one that best suits your requirements – for example, if you want to be the only tourists on the balloon flight (with the pilot of course!) and if so, you will need to make a special arrangement for this. The Napa Valley Wine Train tour takes you through the valley – and if you take the luncheon tour it stops at two wineries along the route.
The train has 9 Pullman coaches that were made between 1915 and 1950 and have been lovingly restored so the romance starts the moment you board and see your surroundings. Noted as one of the 20 best train journeys in the world, the company runs the wine train at various times of day and also holds special interest tours such as a murder mystery dinner throughout the year.
Further east, and about 182 miles from San Francisco is the Yosemite National Park. Opened as the 3rd National Park within the United States, Yosemite is home to some of the most beautiful California scenery. With the Glacier Point where you can feel you are standing at the top of the world, and Tuolumne Meadows at 8,500, Yosemite is a place where you can find stunning vistas, a little seclusion and enjoy the wonders of nature with your partner.
Another great area to check out is Monterey Bay which is located on the coast in northern California, about 110 miles south of San Francisco, a two hour drive or so. Here you can go whale watching, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium or take a stroll along the beautiful coastline.
Alternatively you can use Los Angeles as your base and apart from the theme park and celebrity based attractions, find romance in this movie making capital by visiting the beaches of Santa Monica with its retro seaside amusement park, Malibu with its beautiful sands and ocean fronted restaurants and Naples where you can experience some real romance Italian style in a gondola boat.
There’s so much to pack into a romantic California getaway that you can concentrate your vacation on one part of the state and leave the rest for another visit – with the temperate climate and relaxed pace of life, you’re sure to want to return.
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