The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa in Asheville, NC

If you’re trying to plan a romantic getaway, but need help coming up with just the right way to show your sweetie how much you care, The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa might be just what you need. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, it’s a perfect destination just about any time of year, and being nestled in the mountains you have the chance for some beautiful views.

The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa offers a variety of packages and specials to help you plan just the getaway you have in mind. Looking for romance? Choose from one of six different packages designed to help you get things cooking, with spa treatments, gourmet meals, fabulous views, and other special treats. Plan a girls’ getaway or a golf weekend with one of their seven rejuvenation packages. Stressed? Maybe you should stick to the spa-related packages. The hotel also has packages available for a number of events and holidays.

The surrounding mountains

Obviously, the spa here is a big deal, and it should be — it was ranked #13 Worldwide by Travel & Leisure “World’s Best Hotel Spas” 2008! We’re not talking about a hot tub and a couple of massage tables. Rather, picture over 40,000 square feet of space devoted to the spa, and 15,000 of those are dedicated to amenities you can take advantage of before and after your treatment, such as mineral pools with underwater music, waterfall pools, and a eucalyptus-infused steam room, so you can truly have an entire day of pampering, all with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in sight.

Since 1913, The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa has been an important hotel, and is now considered one of the more famous hotels in the South. It started out as a resort dedicated to its guests comfort, and continues to do so, offering a state-of-the-art sports complex, complete with classes, equipment, even trainers for the fitness-minded.

The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa offers something for everyone, whether your goal is to relax, reconnect, or reenergize. Depending on room choice and time of year, you can expect rates to be anywhere from the mid-$100s up to $700 or $800 for swankier digs. Got a date in mind? Check the rates for your desired reservation here.

Photo credit: The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Any town with the name “Eureka” in intrigues me. And, as luck would have it, Eureka Springs, Arkansas looks pretty cute. I’m a sucker for all things Victorian (I’m plotting out my Victorian mansion with a wraparound porch I will own in twenty years – I even found the one I want in Alabama). Eureka Springs is a small town with Victorian buildings, tree-lined streets and an excellent, thriving arts scene. American Style Magazine recently named the town one of the nation’s Top 25 Small Arts Communities – right up my alley.

Eureka strikes me as one of those towns that would be really fun to plan a short romantic getaway. There are plenty of fun restaurants, galleries and nightlife options to explore, and since the town is in the middle of the Ozarks, there’s great hiking, too. There are quite a few Eureka Springs hotels to choose from, and for me, bed and breakfasts seem like a good option. How about something like the 1881 Crescent Cottage Inn? It’s a gorgeous Queen Anne Victorian and was home to Arkansas’s first post-Civil War governor. There are only four room, and there’s a “Murder Mystery” package which sounds fun!

I would imagine that Eureka Springs would be a good place to take the family, as well. The town is cute, and the family can go kayaking, hiking and hole up in cozy cabins. Something like Ozark Cabins could be a lot of fun with the family. There’s a river on one side and a lake on the other, so if you’re family loves fishing and boating, you’re set!

Ozark Mountains and Eureka Springs

Photos Credits: drGBBB, Clinton Steed

New Hope Pennsylvania

Is New Hope, Pennsylvania in your travel plans in the near future? New Hope is a small town located on the Delaware River. The town has a good nightlife scene and, during the day, there are many anqtique shops, botiques, restaurants and cafes to explore. One of New Hope’s claims to fame is its Bucks County Playhouse, where many Broadway shows were once tested out. Pretty cool!

In terms of New Hope Hotels, you’ll find a collection of hotels, motels, cabins and bed & breakfasts. I’m a big fan of bed & breakfasts, and Cordials looks great. There are only six rooms, and each of them has a balcony or deck The complementary breakfast sounds yummy! It’s very close to town, too.

And what about Porches Bed & Breakfast? This hotel is slightly larger, with ten rooms, and it faces the Delaware Canal. It looks so serene and peaceful, and all those porches beckon guests to sit outside and watch passers by. There’s even a library, and you can watch the barges and ships go by.

Now, if you really want to splurge, maybe for a romantic weekend, The Inn at Bowman’s Hill could be perfect. This hotel has been rated as a 4-diamond by AAA, and it looks like a sprawling mansion. However, there are only five suites and bedrooms on the 5-acre grounds, so you get privacy as well as luxury. A beautiful pool, lush green grounds and impeccable service make this a popular hotel for honeymoons. You’ll have to pay around $400 per night, but if you’re looking for a lovely escape, this could be it.

Porches Bed & Breakfast

Photo Credits: Joe Schlabotnik, Porches Bed & Breakfast website

Gatlinburg Tennessee

One of the reasons I adore traveling is because it allows me to learn so many new things about the places I visit and the people I meet. I’m constantly reading new travel articles about a wide variety of destinations, and my list of places to go is starting to look as long as my Costco receipts.

How many of you are familiar with Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Before I randomly came across an article about it recently, I knew next to nothing! Gatlinburg is apparently a fairly small town of just under 4,000 people, but it’s a very popular resort town. It’s right on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The town also has a Space Needle which looks very similar to the one in Seattle! As soon as I heard learned about that and the fact that it’s a popular resort town I immediately though “ooh, I wonder what sort of hotels they have there…”

The Mountain Loft looks like a great resort. It’s over 2200 feet above sea level, so it has great views. It’s only five miles from Smoky Mountain National Park and it has jacuzzi tubs, a spa, a sauna and indoor and outdoor pools. It seems to be a great home base from which to explore the area.

I would personally be more interested in staying in a cabin, though – you’re in the Smoky Mountains, after all! Something along the lines of Hearland Cabins seems so much fun to me. I haven’t stayed in a cabin since college, and it was such a great time. When it’s snowy outside, you can stay inside next to the fireplace and drink hot cocoa. Happy sighs. It’s time to get a group of people together and head to Tennesseee!

Ripleys Aquarium Gatlinburg

Photo Credits: James. Thompson, Brent and MariLynn