Ideas For Romantic Getaways

TMP 69
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Meggan: Hey everyone and welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast. We're so happy that you're here. So Jenn and I thought it would be a great idea. You know, we're going into February. Some of us, not all of us and and that's cool too. But some of us start to ponder Valentine's Day. And again, some want to avoid it, but in case you don't, we thought we could spend some time on an episode talking about some romantic destinations around the world you might want to plan to visit, whether it's February or literally any time of year.

So, Jenn, in your opinion, like for you, what makes a place romantic?

Jenn: So for me, it's not just like a beautiful place like beautiful scenery. It's more like the whole atmosphere. And to me, like romantic doesn't have to mean like luxury five star hotels and couples massages. Right?

Meggan: It can, but it doesn't have to be.

Jenn: It doesn't have to be. It's not exclusive to that.

Meggan: No.

Jenn: I personally find that cities with a few exceptions, aren't as romantic as like a smaller, quainter, quieter place.

Meggan: Mm-hmm.

Jenn: in my opinion. But really one of the things I love most about travel is that my husband and I get time together to kind of reconnect and explore something new and try new things. And I think that kind of makes the romance for me.

Meggan: I have to say, like I'm very much in agreement and I think when traveling I find romance in like different situations or different moments. So when we see something beautiful, like it honestly could be like a variety of things. Like sunset is sounds so corny, but sometimes sunsets are just like, Awe inspiring or like a beautiful town square or even just finishing the day and like, you know, going to sleep, but like talking about the things that we did that day and like reminiscing about that. Like those are the moments that I feel like love and kind of want to remember, I'm not sure if you've ever watched the Office, but there was something on the office where they would like take like pictures in their minds so they would actually do this . So Peter and I actually do that every once in a while so that we can try to like remember the moment, but I'm really not into huge, like, big gestures. They're fine, but I'm. , I, I find so much more in the small moments, if that makes sense.

Jenn: Yeah, for sure.

Meggan: Yeah, right. And like everything in life, like, it's different for everybody and that's what makes the world go round. So that's why I think you and I have kind of compiled a good list of like a variety of places that people could travel to find what romantic is for them.

So I think we should start like we're starting with a bang, like the .

Jenn: Yeah. We gotta start with the city of love, obviously.

Meggan: I know. So Paris? No, I know We've discussed Paris a few times on the podcast, including a beginner's. Guide to Paris back in August of 2022. So go check that out if it interests you, but we thought we'd be a great place to start.

So Paris, like Jenn mentioned, it's known as, as a few things, including the city of love, city of Lights. It's also of course, fashion capital. But Paris's Beauty kind of comes from its history. I find it's architecture, the twinkling night lights of the Eiffel Tower and even amazing dining experiences. It is one of those places where I think romance could be found lingering over like a late meal.

Jenn: Mm-hmm. .

Meggan: And there are boutique of course in quaint hotels, which again, compared to bigger chains, I also find, you know, I feel like so much more cozy and, and those feelings in smaller places.

But of course there are grand expensive hotels to sort of meet whatever romance needs or whatever romance means for you. So really with Paris, honestly. So whether it's sort of strolling through a museum, if that's your idea of romance, a coffee and an eclair, a high-end restaurant, you really can find it all there.

It's a city, literally known for its romantic nature. So did you find it romantic when you were there? Would you say?

Jenn: Yeah, I besides the fact that it was the end of October, it was a little bit like dreary,

Meggan: right. . Yes.

Jenn: Right. But yeah, I think it, it is, you know, just wandering the cobblestone streets and kinda. it's, it is, it's kind of a great place to kind of be in love and go in your honeymoon. .

Meggan: I agree. Now, what do you got up for us next? Because I also think this could be a great place for a honeymoon.

Jenn: I think it could, we're gonna talk about Hawaii. Mm-hmm. Anyone else watching the white Lotus ?

Meggan: Yeah. Yes. I finished both seasons.

Jenn: Okay. We just finished season one last night, so yeah, I haven't been to Hawaii, but everyone tells me how amazing it is and it, it does look very romantic. So obviously beaches, beautiful hotels, hikes, delicious food, like really. What more can you ask for. Hawaii's on my list, it's so much to consider that when I think about going there, I get overwhelmed.

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: So obviously there are different islands and each island has different things to do and it really depends on what you're looking for and what type of vacation you really wanna have. So I looked into it. I'm going to give you a super quick rundown of a few of the islands. So

Meggan: Lets.

Jenn: Oahu has the more night lifey restaurants, bigger city vibes, but it also has historical and cultural sites as well. Maui is a popular honeymoon destination but it's also great for adventure seekers, so if you're adventure seeker on your honeymoon, perfect. Hawaii's big island is diverse and offers a lot of like world class resorts, but you can also see volcanoes and go Birdwalk bird watching and hiking. And then Kauai is for the nature and beach lovers, plenty of hiking, stunning beaches and sunset. So really, how can you choose

Meggan: or how can you go wrong? Either?

Jenn: I, you can't go wrong. I think , but you're always gonna be thinking about "what about this island?" But I, I can't mention Hawaii without mentioning the over tourism issues.

And we have a whole episode on this, but they've been experiencing a lot of over tourism in the last two years, so visit responsibly. Visit in the off season if you can support the local businesses and don't be a jerk.

Meggan: Exactly. That should be like everyone's motto in life. .

Jenn: Don't be a jerk. I think we should.

Meggan: Don't be a jerk. Get it on your t-shirt. . I, I've never been to Hawaii either and all of that sounds amazing, but yes, definitely do it responsibly. Another really sort of, , you know, place when I think of, and I can't, I don't think we could leave it off the list is Greece. And when I think of Greece although I know there are so many islands big and small, so much diversity there and so much to offer.

The picture that comes to my head is blue water. White rooftops and buildings that overlook the ocean and that is Santorini. I pictured the beautiful sunsets, the winding narrow roads and the food, my god, the food Mediterranean food. I don't know about you, Jenn. It's like in my top three cuisines.

Jenn: Yeah. , yes. .

Meggan: Oh my God. And even we, one of our listeners Anitra she even commented, I think on another post we had on her social media and said that the food and Greece is the best she's ever had in her life. And it almost just, it made me like, want to go so much more. Yeah. And so when I picture myself, of course, I'm eating the food obviously. And I'm overlooking like the vision that is Santorini and I just think it would be incredible. Now because it is so beautiful, I have to of course say that also means it's popular. I don't just think it's beautiful. Everyone does , . So you do have to prepare yourself that it'll be you and a whole heck of a lot of other people, which can kind of take away from the romance at times when it's like so many people, but life is what you make it, I honestly believe. And there are beaches and wineries and hiking options and like anywhere in Greece, there's like so much history everywhere. So it's a big destination for honeymoons and really for a good reason.

But it does have something for every type of traveler. And I think if you wanna go to Greece, you could just make it one of your stops that so that you could experience other smaller, less crowded islands. But it's such a classic that could add that sort of romantic aspect to your trip in general.

Jenn: Mm-hmm. definitely. All right. I didn't get to go to Greece and I also didn't get to go to Italy in 2020 when my, my trip was canceled. So let's talk about Italy. Specifically the Amalfi Coast. So I dream about it. I can't wait to get there someday. So the Amalfi Coast is a 50 ish kilometer stretch of coastline. It's a designated world heritage site, so you can just imagine sipping on lemoncello after delicious dinner overlooking the sea. Meggan, have you noticed that food has come up in every one of our places ?

Meggan: Yes. Because I would also have to say Italian food.

Jenn: Yes.

Meggan: Probably also in my top three. Yeah. We've like, like we're neck and neck with the food and of course we love food here at the podcast.

Jenn: We do love it. All right, so there are many towns that make up the Amalfi Coast. You need at least a week, probably more to really explore it. But there's lots of places. So . You have to visit the terrace, city of Positano. Relax on the Marina Grande Beach. Hike the path of the gods. Sounds amazing. Mm-hmm. . Take a boat tour. Explore the historic town of Revelo and check out Capri where the rich and famous anchor their super yachts along its shores. Of course, eat all of the gelato, sip all of the local wine, have, eat all the pasta,

Meggan: eat all of the pasta, all of it. Oh, see, now I'm hungry and I've just eaten . That sounds dreamy. I definitely wanna get to Italy. My friends were just there last year for their big trip and the food looked incredible, but the scenery second to none. I can't wait to go someday.

Jenn: Yes. All right. . Now where?

Meggan: Well, let's bring it home for a little bit, you know, just for a bit. And Jenn, I'm sure they're this, you're the same. I don't wanna assume, but I likely feel that we're both, of course, ocean Babies grew up next to the Great Atlantic. But I find, and I don't know if you're the same, but I find because of that mountains are so fascinating to me.

Jenn: Mm-hmm.

Meggan: and so incredibly beautiful. So therefore, we wanted to ensure we included our very own Canadian Rockies on the list of romantic spots. Now the Rockies of course do include and go over two provinces, so British Columbia and Alberta. I've only seen them while being in Alberta. Jenn, what about you?

Jenn: Same. Yeah, yeah. I I was 13. We went to um, alberta and we kind of did a family road trip, so not really romantic, but that's fine. But at least fine. I remember like literally just sitting in the backseat of the car, like staring out the window. I had my Walkman on, you know, my CDs and just like staring out the window at the mountains being like, holy moly, these are beautiful.

Meggan: Oh yeah.

Jenn: I wanted to move to Lake Louise. I was like convinced that that's where I was gonna live.

Meggan: That's where you were meant to be.

Jenn: Yeah, I didn't do it. Spoiler alert.

Meggan: No , no, obviously. But the diversity of the Rockies really and the surrounding landscapes really are made for like romantic moments, especially if you enjoy, of course, being out in nature.

And really being in awe of your surroundings. It's one of my favorite things. And there's a certain magic in the air in the Rocky. So whether you're visiting Banff or Jasper or Lake Louise, like you mentioned, or you're out on your own taking like just a hike in nature, let's say in the Yoho National Park as an example you can find just what you need there.

Like it's those moments where you can have like you and your partner and it can be lovely. And I think. I do wanna mention something that could be very unromantic though. Make sure you're safe because , there are wild animals there big ones and scary ones. So really be prepared. Romance is not being attacked by an animal.

Jenn: Correct, yeah, .

Meggan: And of course there are some major amazing lodges and hotels and inns to stay in, incredible dining choices and really just so much fresh air. So I think that, you know, going on the Canadian Rockies, is a great option and even if you wanted to take a train through them, there's a really, really great traveler train with the open glass ceiling as well. It could be also equally as romantic as sort of being out in the nature as traveling through it. So that's another idea in terms of the Rockies as well.

Jenn: Yeah, that train is on my bucket list. Yes, for sure..

Meggan: Where to next Jenn?

Jenn: let's hop back over to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. So it could be because my best friend got married here, but the Isle of Skye was is magical. Like I've never been anywhere like it. So Skye is the largest and northern most of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It has amazing scenery. I can't, I can't describe the scenery to you. I'll post pictures on our Instagram, but it is amazing. Quaint shops, lovely local people, and they kind of all together make Skye really magical.

It is an island, but it is connected to the mainland via there's a lot of ferries that go different places from Scotland to the island. And then there's also a bridge so it is accessible to drive onto the island. We stayed in Portree. It was a perfect home base. We had the best views from our BnB like

Meggan: I remember,

Jenn: oh my God, it was so beautiful. I wanted to just like sit on the deck and read the whole time, but also I wanted to be out there exploring and ,

Meggan: it's a conundrum.

Jenn: It was. So there are plenty of hikes, both like beginner to challenging that offer amazing views. So of course there's Fairy Pools, Old Man of Storr, Neist Point Neist, or Not sure point Lighthouse and more. And then there's also Dunvegan Castle, which has been the ancestral home of the chief of Clan McLeod for 800 years.

Meggan: Wow.

Jenn: But also part of the castle was like as old as, as my house. Like there was similarities between the moldings. Yeah. And like an addition on the castle. And I was like, wow, this is really weird.

Meggan: That is very strange.

Jenn: Like standing in a bedroom, like this room could be in our house, like . It's very weird.

Meggan: You live in a castle, apparently.

Jenn: Oh. And they have absolutely stunning gardens to walk through as well, so. Yeah. Also a few amazing restaurants in Portree and pubs where you can kind of cozy up and chat about your day.

I wanna go back someday there's so many things that we didn't get to explore there, but Isle of Skye - Magic.

Meggan: amazing. It does sound so dreamy. And I remember, I remember the pictures of your view and I think this one, we were away as well. I'm sure we were somewhere beautiful too. But I was like, Peter, oh my goodness. Look at this view. , I, it looked, it looked incredible.

Jenn: It was, and usually when we stay somewhere, we'd choose somewhere pretty. Much in the center of town, just for ease of like walking. And this BnB was not in the center of town. It was kind of a pain in the butt, you know, driving on a one lane windy road up in a plus, you're, I mean, I guess you're not really driving on the other side if it's a one lane road, but you're on the other side of the car, you know what I mean?

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: So it wasn't, that part was a bit of a pain, but the views were worth it, so I cannot

Meggan: Oh yeah. , I could totally see that. . Let's bring it to the USA for a minute. We've not really talked about America, so when I was doing a little bit of research, you know, just sort of seeing what was out there in terms of considered romantic spots around the world, the Berkshires popped up. Now have you, I don't know a lot about this area. Have you heard of the Berkshires?

Jenn: I've like, heard the term, but I literally have known nothing about it.

Meggan: Yeah, No, me either. So I did some research and wow, like I do think it's now on my list. So our lists are going to never be seen the end of , like it's impossible at this point.

So the Berkshires are actually some of the world's oldest mountains dating back 500 million years. And they're located in the rural region of western Massachusetts, dotted with villages and towns. See that description alone? Right up my alley.

Jenn: Yeah. .

Meggan: I'm already in. Mountains and small towns like, sign me up. You just need to dingle that in front of me. I'm like, I'll go there, . So in this region there's a big emphasis on farm to table dining. There's of course many outdoor activities, which includes amazing fall foliage viewing. And I do find that like kind of romantic. So we have beautiful fall foliage here. So we don't actually need to travel usually too far, but if you happen to be in the area, it's a great time.

There's several mountainous hikes with incredible views as you can imagine. Great skiing in the winter. Cozy Hotels and Inns. And you can actually visit the former home of Hermann Melville, who wrote Moby Dick.

There are art institutes really catering to sort of like, you know, culture, but also nature. So there's something for everyone and it could be an amazing place to sort of reconnect also with the simpler things in life along with one another. So I think it's just one of those places that sounds really serene to me. I don't know, I can't really describe it, but like small villages in the mountains with farm to table dining. Okay.

Jenn: Yeah, like it sounds so relaxing. I know it sounds like a place you wanna like turn off your cell phone and just literally just enjoy what is in front of you, which we should probably all do more often, but,

Meggan: oh, a hundred percent. I completely agree.

Jenn: Lovely.

Meggan: Now to finish things off, where are you gonna take us?

Jenn: I'm gonna take us to Disney.

Meggan: No you're not.

Jenn: I'm just kidding.

I'm not gonna say Disney's romantic cause it's not, although it has delicious restaurants. Anyway, we,

Meggan: I digress, .

Jenn: We're gonna talk about Trout Point Lodge right here in Nova Scotia. So if you live here and you're looking for a romantic getaway, or if you're looking to visit Novas Scotia and you're looking for a romantic and honestly a bit unique experience in Nova Scotia, I don't think there's anywhere like this anywhere else in the province.

So Trout Point Lodge looks absolutely amazing. They are only open mid-May through early November, so Valentine's stays off the table, but that's okay. They offer five-star luxury accommodation, set in the beautiful Tobeatic wilderness. It is kind of the middle of nowhere, to be honest. ,

Meggan: yes.

Jenn: Three hours from Halifax, 40 minutes from Yarmouth. It's about an hour and a half from me here in Liverpool. But you can experience guided stargazing in some of North America's darkest skies. So can you imagine the stars that you would see?

Meggan: I can't. That would be incredible.

Jenn: Apparently sometimes they see the Northern Lights there as well, so. I know, like that's really cool. Experience a forest bathing, which is a Japanese self-care technique. You do not have to take off your clothes.

Meggan: Okay. It's bathing really indicates you do to me, but that's fine.

Jenn: It's okay. You basically spend time with the, in the woods and it's not hiking, like you're not hurrying to a destination.

It's a really just like taking in. The woods surrounding.

Meggan: So bathing in nature kind of thing.

Jenn: Bathing in nature. Yes. , no, you know, water required. , they have a riverside wood-fired hot tub, an outdoor barrel sauna, gourmet dining. The menus look delicious and so much more. And for extra, extra romance, they have a romance package that includes luxurious breakfast each day, a romantic picnic with a bottle of French champagne two nights of their Signature Gourmet four course dinners and teatime cakes and pastries. It looks so amazing there.

Meggan: That sounds incredible. I am sure. If I could say the price tag maybe a little much. Is it, have you, did you, yeah. Did you do some research on that?

Jenn: I did the, the , it's expensive. . But I mean, I would, I would like to experience it myself to see if it was worth it, and so would I,

Meggan: and like you can't take it with you is my motto these days. So I think it would be, and to be able, honestly, and, and in all seriousness to experience something like that right here in Nova Scotia Yeah. Would be incredible. And I think, you know, even if you. . Even if the price tag is big and you can afford it and you're not taking away from other things in your life, I think that could be an incredibly amazing getaway.

Jenn: Yeah. And I mean, you're not gonna have, if you live here in Nova Scotia, you're not gonna have the expense of a plane ticket.

Meggan: Right.

Jenn: And that sort of thing. And so, I mean, it sounds amazing. I might just have to check this place out for myself one day.

Meggan: Yeah, I think I'd like to give that a go as well.

Jenn: All. All right. Well that's it. That's all we have for this week. I hope you're feeling inspired to explore a place near or I got my love sweater on for those watching us on YouTube, you can support us on Buy me a Coffee. You'll get access to fun bloopers, and you'll probably also. You know, early details on exciting announcements there too. So it's, it's a good place to hang out. You can also find us on our website, travel mug podcast.com, on our social media, Facebook and Instagram at Travel Mug Podcast.

And we would love it. Get it, Meggan get it.

Meggan: I do. I do. .

Jenn: If you would leave us an Apple podcast or Spotify review, that would be amazing. And if you share the show with a travel loving pal, and we will chat with you again soon. Bye.

Meggan: Bye everyone.