Tucked in Nantucket: Hole up with your sweetheart in the classic Americana inn The Wauwinet.

By Erik Torkells

Valentine’s Day is approaching, which means hotels are announcing themed packages. These packages are increasingly about sexiness more than romance, however, with extras like complimentary copies of the Kama Sutra and what used to be called “marital aids.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) But you don’t have to be Carrie Bradshaw to know that sex and romance are hardly the same thing, and Valentine’s Day is about romance. We’re not talking about heart-shaped candy boxes and flowers, but the feeling that tends to happen early in a relationship, when it’s as if you’re the only two people in the world. How do you re-create that?

By isolating yourselves. But you don’t have to literally be alone in the world. You just have to be more isolated than usual:

• Retreat to an island: The Wauwinet on Nantucket and Friday Harbor House in the San Juans will do nicely. Ideally, you’d take a boat to whichever island you go to, because causeways generally aren’t as romantic.

• Stay above it all: The Mandarin Oriental properties in San Francisco or New York are both way up in skyscrapers.

• Go to the middle of nowhere: Cibolo Creek Ranch is on 30,000 acres in West Texas.

• Venture somewhere foreign: Even though people in Iceland speak English, you’ll still feel like you’re somewhere strange and different; Hotel 101 in Reykjavik is recommended. Or there’s always Quebec, Martinique, Mexico, the Azores…

You may have noticed that these are all luxury properties. Money can’t buy love, but it can definitely make a down payment on romance.

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Skip the chocolates -- sprinkle spontaneity into your Valentine's Day celebration with a Disney vacation.

By Jill E. Cooper

Ah, love.  Some say “it makes the world go round,” while others insist that it is “what makes the ride worthwhile.”  In either case, Valentine’s Day gives us the chance to celebrate those who bring love into our lives.  If you and your loved one are fortunate enough to spend Valentine’s Day this year at Walt Disney World, you’ll find a full range of ways to make your day extra sweet.

Consider making your way to Downtown Disney, where at Goofy’s Candy Company you can custom-design an inexpensive treat for your sweetheart.  Start with your choice of caramel apple, pretzel rods, marshmallow, gingerbread cookie, fudge cookie, or Mickey-shaped rice krispy treat and then drench your selection with your choice of white, dark, or milk chocolate.  Roll that masterpiece in one or more of your sweetheart’s favorite toppings (crushed Butterfingers anyone?) and then drizzle another layer of chocolate on top of that.  With all those choices, no two treats are alike.  Who wouldn’t want such a thoughtful and decadent Valentine surprise?

If something more exotic strikes your sweetheart’s fancy, treat him or her to one of the alluring creations found in the Epcot World Showcase pavilions.  A perennial favorite in my family is the Kaki Gori shaved ice in Japan.  Revel in a cozy moment on a bench along World Showcase Lagoon while enjoying your tangerine, melon, or strawberry ice.  And there’s more to share: buttery caramel popcorn, chocolate and caramel-dipped strawberries, or rocky road apples at Karamell Küche in the Germany Pavilion.  Save the best for last –  dreamy layered Napoleon pastries served at the France Pavilion’s Boulangerie Patisserie.

If you decide to splash out at Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, call the chefs at the private dining line.  As part of the romance package, have rooms delivered to your suite from one of the  resort’s six restaurants or better yet,  sail on the Grand One Yacht as it departs the resort’s dock for a magical fireworks cruise on the Seven Seas Lagoon. And the memory of sipping champagne and nibbling on strawberries during fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle will last longer than a dozen long-stems.

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Jill E. Cooper has been an aficionado of the Disney theme parks since age seven.  One of her fondest dreams came true when she was invited to join the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in 2011.  She and her small family have recently added Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney vacations to their portfolio of magical Disney travel experiences.

Save money and time with the new Hotels by Orbitz app for iPhone, which speeds you through hotel booking in just 3 taps.

By Valerie Moloney

iPhone devotees swear by its magical powers. Don’t know a song? Download an app. Refrigerator empty? Order groceries on your phone. And now, thanks to Orbitz, here’s one more convenience for booking hotels on the go: the new Hotels by Orbitz app for iPhone.

Launched today, the free app focuses solely on hotel bookings — even for same-day travel.

The app boasts all the same benefits of desktop booking, plus sleek features such as swipeable photos, a built-in map tool, a hotel locator driven by the phone’s GPS and a sort-and-filter function to view properties by star rating, traveler type and more.

Among its biggest advantages: saving time and money on travel. Book your stay in three taps. The phone can automatically pull hotels near your location, pull recent searches saved from an app and prefill any saved and contact info to fly you through the booking process. Also access Mobile Steals, exclusive savings of up to 50 percent on hotels worldwide.

Download the app now, and learn more about our full suite of mobile products on Orbitz.

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Reading room: the Taschen Library at the Trump Soho Hotel in New York City.

By Mark Chesnut

Sure, ebooks have made it easier for travelers to bring all the reading material they need when on the road. But a growing number of luxury hotels have introduced their own stylish collection of coffee table books and even business books — so whether you’re planning a Mexico vacation or hopping among New York hotels, you can find a worthy alternative to that well-traveled iPad.

In the Big Apple, the Trump Soho New York is home to the Taschen Library, a contemporary yet cozy lounge stocked with giant coffee table books from Taschen, the famed publisher of photography, design and pop culture tomes. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, meanwhile, has a partnership with bespoke publisher Thornwillow Press, and has introduced books by historian Lesley M. M. Blume and cocktail specialist Jeff Pogash at The St. Regis New York and St. Regis Washington D.C.

Art, design, architecture and fashion are among the topics addressed in the luxuriant works in stock at Hotel Brick, a boutique property in Mexico City that features books by Assouline Publishing. That same publisher is providing content at the St. Regis Florence in Italy, where the lobby bar is laden with coffee table books.

Cambodia-bound travelers looking for something different should consider the aptly named Lebiz Hotel + Library in Phnom Penh, where guests can make use of a multimedia library built into the hotel lobby, complete with business journals and artsy works. As with the other hotels that now stock their own decidedly cool libraries, you won’t go hungry or thirsty while enjoying the collection; drinks and appetizers are served. It just might be reason enough to stop staring at that computer screen.

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Mark Chesnut is an editor, writer and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He wishes airplanes had libraries, too.

Jackpot: Las Vegas McCarran International Airport has free WiFi (if you can pull yourself away from the slots).

By Mark Chesnut

You’ve got a layover that’s just long enough to check e-mail on something larger than your cell phone, but you have no VIP club membership handy and you don’t feel like paying as much as $20 to access Wi-Fi for just an hour or two. What to do?

In a handful of airports, you can get connected for free. I call these “angel airports” for providing a valuable, much-appreciated — and free — amenity, which makes it easier to stay productive while away from home. Airports with free Wi-Fi include Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando International, Portland, Ore., Rochester, N.Y., Seattle and Tampa. Even the small-but-modern airport in Managua, Nicaragua, offers free Wi-Fi. Airport websites usually mention if they have free Wi-Fi, although it may be hidden so deeply inside the site that you may not see it.

Still, a lot of airports don’t give it away for free. Travelers then are left with a few different options for getting online at the cheapest possible price (or, if they’re lucky, for free). Among the strategies:

• Sit near the entrance to an airline VIP club, with the hope of using the club’s free Wi-Fi (if it’s not password-protected).
• Find a Starbucks that’s large enough to have its own free Wi-Fi. Stake a place in or near the lobby of an on-site airport hotel, where Wi-Fi may be offered.
• Bite the bullet and either pay for temporary access via a service like Boingo, or a day pass to an airline club (which at least will also include some free refreshments and a quiet ambiance).

When presented with a choice of connecting in an airport that does have free Wi-Fi versus one that doesn’t, the lure of a connection that’s totally gratis may be strong enough to change travel plans at the time of booking. After all, do we really exist if we’re not visible online at every waking hour?

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Mark Chesnut is a freelance writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He checks his e-mail way too often.

The party before the party: The week leading up to the greatest football matchup lights up Indianapolis. Credit: bnpositive.

By Amy Carey

About 10,000 visitors are expected to flood Indianapolis on Feb. 5, which seems manageable considering the millions who will be tuned to their TVs around the world for – what else? – football (and commercials, of course). It’s not too late to book an Indianapolis hotel or scope out the highlights in the week leading up to the high-demand event.

The Village
What is a sports event without major performers? Long before Madonna vogues her way back into the half-time show, hit the Village on Jan. 27 for live music on two stages: the Pepsi Stage at Meridian and Georgia Streets and the Verizon Stage at Pennsylvania and Georgia Streets. The spectacles are free to the public.

Among the other must-dos:

• Emmy-award winning Zuri Hall will serve as on-stage emcee in the Village as well as host for “Village TV,” while comedian and ambassador Mike Epps will also make special appearances throughout the week.
• “Fire and Ice” Lounges will provide food and beverage sales in several locations through the  Village.
• Super Dash pits two human-powered wheels — one dedicated to each fan base of the competing  teams – against each other. Each day, the top 100-yard dash winners will be revealed. And on game day, the division that generated the most energy will be crowned champion.
• Kinect NFL PLAY 60 FanDome provides an immersive 360 degree inflated dome with full-body gaming on Kinect for Xbox 360. Kinect responds to body movement with controller-free gaming.
• Starving? Purchase Papa John’s from a mobile kitchen near the Verizon Stage on Pennsylvania Street.
• Catch the ESPN Broadcast Studio on Pan Am Plaza.
• The Ice Gurus Randy Finch and Derek Maxfield from the Food Network’s show “Ice Brigade” will entertain with live ice sculpting performances
• While pre-sale for ZipLine tickets has ended, walk-up sales for $10 per ride will be available daily for visitors to enjoy the 96’ tall, 800’ long ride down Capitol Avenue through the Village. Tickets must be purchased at the time of the ride, while spots last.
• Tailgate Town and Touchdown Alley will provide a fun football atmosphere as you enjoy the Village.

The Huddle at Circle Centre
This key venue near the Village offers a place to booze, eat and shop before the event. Check these out while you’re there:

• Chef’s Table
• End Zone Beer Garden
• Warming area with limited seating
• NFL Ticket Exchange
• LIDS Locker Room @ Circle Centre – 23,000 square feet of retail space with a wide assortment of merchandise
• Entertainment
• LIVE WISH-TV broadcasts from the 24-Hour News 8 Huddle at Circle Centre studio
• Clear Channel Communications’ nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Show will do live morning broadcasts from The Huddle Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3. Limited space available. Check www.BobandTom.com for show details.

Show that you’re 21 or over with valid ID and pay a small cover charge for access to The Huddle After Hours Club, which will be open during the celebration leading up to the Big Game. Located at 130 South Meridian St. (formerly the men’s department at Nordstrom), the lounge flirts with top shelf cocktails, an exclusive VIP area and entertainment.

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The famous International Orange color of the Golden Gate Bridge contrasts well against a bright blue sky. Credit: Blane Bachelor.

By Blane Bachelor

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the globe’s most iconic landmarks. With its majestic architecture, bold orange-red color and breathtaking backdrop of mountains and sea, the Golden Gate, as the bridge commonly referred to, is also – not surprisingly — the world’s most-photographed bridge. But with just a little insight and planning, it’s possible for even the most novice shutterbugs to take spectacular, and unique, shots of the bridge for some brag-worthy souvenirs. I’m no Ansel Adams, but here are a few tips I’ve uncovered since moving to San Francisco this July on getting some great Golden Gate bridge pics.

Get away from the crowds. This May, the Golden Gate Bridge will mark its 75^th anniversary, which means there will be even more visitors than usual throughout 2012 (“usual” is approximately 10 million tourists per year, according to bridge authorities). But taking the time to walk about 15 minutes away from the masses — down the footpath that leads to nearby Crissy Field, or to Baker Beach on the west side of the bridge (more on that below) — makes for markedly better shots, with less chance of unknowing passersby marring an otherwise winning photo. Another point to keep in mind: the higher the path climbs toward the bridge, the closer the viewing areas, which usually translates to better images, so keep that in mind before staging any big group photos.

Be ready for good weather. The record-breaking dry (and sunny) days of San Francisco’s (non)winter months so far are all but over. So if the bonus of some additional winter sun happens to unfold during your San Francisco vacation, take advantage of it: The light saturates the bridge’s world-famous International Orange color with a darker shade of red, which pops oh-so-nicely in photos, especially against a blue sky.

Check out Fort Point. This circa-1850 military fort at the western foot of the bridge is largely unknown on the tourist circuit, is free and offers excellent, often unimpeded views of the bridge stretching overhead. Fort Point is a respectable walk from often-visited tourist areas along Crissy Field (at least a 20-30 minute walk, depending on location) but it’s well worth it.

Go west. As in, take a hike down the footpaths west of the tollbooths (renovations and upgrades are taking place, but most paths are currently open) down to Baker Beach. Along the winding path down to the beach, there are many fewer tourists as well as striking images of the waves striking against the sand in the foreground, and the bridge looming in the background as the focal point. Shots from the western side of the bridge are much less common than on the eastern side, too.

Get on a boat. Taking a trip on San Francisco’s extensive ferry system (among the main ferry companies: the Golden Gate Ferry and the Blue & Gold Fleet) is not only a great way to get a waterfront perspective of the San Francisco Bay, it also offers a chance to get some spectacular bridge shots. Book a trip during the day, when light is better, be sure to use a fast enough shutter speed to account for the movement of the boat, and snap away for some dramatic overhead shots.

Ask for help. Amateur and professional photographers can be found snapping shots of the bridge almost around the clock: at dusk with tripods, on the beach in the fog, on endlessly sunny days. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation – they’re usually friendly and willing to share their own personal tips on how to get a great shot of this magnificent subject.

Don’t forget about a view from the hotel. With the right lens and light, plus a good eye, why not make a souvenir-worthy snap of the bridge from the balcony or even through the guest room window at any number of San Francisco hotels? The nautical-themed Argonaut Hotel makes up for its touristy location in Pier 39 by boasting great views of San Francisco Bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. Other San Francisco hotels that have better-than-average bridge views: the Mandarin Oriental and the luxurious Fairmont San Francisco — the Nob Hill grand dame that was the San Francisco home base for the most recent season of The Bachelor. Just be sure to specify a bridge view when booking; rooms may cost extra.

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Though she sees it on a much more regular basis than she used to, San Francisco-based writer and author Blane Bachelor never gets tired of looking at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Run for your life (and some cash): The Punta Cana half-marathon is slotted for April 1 at the Punta Cana Resort & Club.

By Jennifer Olvera

Mid-winter where it’s familiar and mid-winter in Punta Cana? That may be mean different things entirely. And while it’s not like anyone needs arm-twisting to plan a Dominican Republic stay this time of year, the upcoming Punta Cana half-marathon and 10K might provide boost you need to make it through the snowy months that follow. Besides, it’s a solid excuse to lounge post-run at Punta Cana hotels.

Registration for the event is now open, and festivities take place bright and early — think 6 a.m. — at the Punta Cana Resort & Club on April 1. Naturally, it’s no ordinary run: it’ll journey along scenic paths, intersect tropical landscapes and fringe turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Sound like a lot of hard work? Maybe it is, but there’s other fun to be had as well — namely a pasta party, during which participants can carb up before the big event. Afterward, a hard-earned, celebratory festival with live music will take place on Playa Blanca.

Awards will be given to males and females in eight age brackets, starting with 16-24. Those who fall into the 60-plus category, need not fear: custom-engraved metals will be awarded three-deep in that division, too. What’s more, cash-winnings are at stake. The first place male and female in the half-marathon each win $500; 10K prize money follows suit.

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Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based author, editor and food enthusiast, who travels often – usually in search of her next great meal.

History in the making: Circa 1886 restaurant, at the Wentworth Mansion in Charleston.

By Mark Chesnut

The cities of Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia are tourism magnets, thanks to their Southern hospitality and beautifully maintained historic attractions. But they can also be great places to hold a business meeting, as many of their most attractive landmarks are also available for private events. And that includes hotels in both cities, where Southern charm and stunning settings combine to create unique venues for a variety of gatherings.

Charleston hotels
The Wentworth Mansion, built in the 1880s as a private residence, is today a magnificently restored 21-room hotel where guests just might feel like they’ve stepped back in time. A small boardroom and lovely restaurant, set in the former carriage house, provide memorable spaces for group events, as does the Grand Mansion Suite, which can host 20 people for private receptions. In Charleston, even the mid-priced hotels are historic — including the Hampton Inn Charleston-Historic District, which is set in a former railroad warehouse, and the Embassy Suites Charleston, housed in a castle-like former military college.

Savannah hotels
The chic Mansion on Forsyth Park combines historic 19th-century architecture with trendy décor; guests can make use of a ballroom that has 15-foot ceilings and a marble garden courtyard that’s perfect for private events. Or check into the Planters Inn, a 60-room, 200-year-old boutique hotel on historic Reynolds Square, or the lovely Hamilton Turner Inn, a former private home that dates to 1873.

Wherever guests stay in the historic districts of these two southern gems, they’re never more than a short walk — or a horse-drawn carriage ride — from other noteworthy event venues, including museums, markets and restaurants.

Mark Chesnut is a freelance writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He became addicted to shrimp and grits in Charleston.

The Winter Beer Carnival is a beer lover's paradise with more than 100 brews to sample.

By Erin Behan

It’s winter, you’re in Atlanta, and you like beer? You’re in luck.  The third annual Winter Beer Carnival proffers up more than 100 different beers and—when you need a break from beer—carnival games. All of this can be sampled for $40 with advance tickets or $50 day-of on Feb. 11 at midtown’s Atlantic Station.

Of course winter brews such as Peak Organic Winter Session Ale and Samuel Smith Winter Welcome will be highlighted, alongside Atlanta favorites Red Brick and Sweetwater, plus a whole bunch of rarely seen pours–and if you’re drinking them in short sleeves and flip-flops like at last year’s fete, all the better to enjoy a balmy February day and be happy you’re not in Wisconsin.

There are several ticketing options beyond general admission, which allows entry at 3 p.m., including VIP with an earlier 2 p.m. entry and access to a VIP area with premium beers, special seating and restrooms. Designated drivers can also get in on the action (this is Atlanta, after all, where the car is king and cabs are scarce) for $20 advance and $30 day of with entry at 3 p.m.

Better yet, skip the D.D. or cranky cabbies and head straight for the Atlanta hotel Twelve Atlantic Station, within stumbling distance of the Winter Beer Carnival.

Food vendors are yet to be announced, but there will be some grub to soak up all those suds.

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Erin Behan is a freelance writer and editor out of Brooklyn, N.Y., who counts good food, intoxicating drink and adventurous travel among her favorite things.