Issue Number 1015 | The Honeymoon Phase | Advocate.com The Honeymoon Phase  |  | Advocate.com

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The Honeymoon Phase
Marriage is more than a lifetime commitment -- it's the perfect excuse to take a romantic getaway. Whether you and your betrothed are looking for the hustle of city streets or the privacy of an island cabana, one of these holidays will suit your persuasion.
From The Advocate  September 23, 2008

NAPA VALLEY -- EPICUREAN PARADISE
Calistoga, Calif.’s Solage is Napa Valley’s latest hot spot. With the largest champagne list in the area, the hotel’s restaurant, Solbar, is an ideal place for newlyweds to toast their nuptials. The simple but stylish 89-room resort feels relaxed and sexy, with young guests biking to the pool in bikinis, meandering to the spa in robes, or nibbling on fruit and toast poolside.

Solage | Advocate.com

The free bike rentals make exploring the town -- prized for its healing spa waters -- a breeze. Don’t forget a visit to Copia, the nearby educational center devoted to winemaking and the culinary and visual arts (www.copia.org), where you can check out a myriad of herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens or the revolving cultural exhibits on food lore and history.

MEXICO -- OLD-WORLD LUXURY
The legendary Hacienda de Antonio is lost in time. The verdant 19th-century coffee plantation, featuring a casa grande built of volcanic stone, sits in the shadow of an active volcano in Mexico’s hilly state of Colima. Home to the pristine Parque Nacional Volcán Nevado de Colima, the area remains the favorite summer destination of many Mexicans. Honeymooners will find no shortage of beauty or relaxation opportunities on this 5,000-acre property, which features fountains, pools, shaded orchard trails, tennis, horseback riding, bountiful breakfasts, and warm, impeccable

Hacienda de Antonio | Advocate.com

service. Two-hour guided tours of the rambling grounds give a glimpse of a working coffee plantation. For dinner, stick around the Hacienda for chef David Ferre’s incredible culinary creations derived from the estate’s El Jabali highland ranch, which produces cheeses, yogurts, meats, and organic vegetables using traditional methods. And of course, no meal would be complete without a cup of the estate’s organic shade-grown coffee.

PARIS -- THE URBAN EXPERIENCE
In a city full of romantic hotels, Paris’s enchanting L’Hotel truly stands out. Located on the Left Bank -- less than a 20-minute walk from the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Saint-Sulpice, and Notre Dame Cathedral -- the hotel features 20 unique rooms, each decorated in vivid textiles such as crushed velvet and leopard print. Though there are no Eiffel Tower views, the cellar hides a private two-person pool and steam room, a cozy place to spend some private time together after seeing the sights. Paris’s Michelin-rated restaurants are certainly worth a visit, but the unassuming romance of its smaller cafés and bistros can’t be beat. Get off the predictable path and head to La Butte aux Cailles, a cobblestoned neighborhood in the 13th arrondissement. The French Basque fare and heaping salads at charming Chez Gladine make it a mainstay for area artists.

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