This holiday, we opted to drive cross-country from Los Angeles to Florida, making frequent stops to vacation in some wonderful places. We think these are the best spots, and we’ve categorized the special things about each into a “Best Of” list for each location. Check out our list and then read the full articles for lots of delightful details. Try one or try them all; it’s a grand way to spend a romantic getaway any time of the year:

One of the great things about Las Vegas, is you can do it up expensively or you can do it on the cheap, and either way, have a sensational time. It used to be, people went to Vegas primarily to gamble. Neither Dennis nor I like to gamble, but we always enjoy the unbridled decadence and fun of the city. There are wonderful restaurants, thrilling shows, acres of shopping, exploring the glitzy hotels, and many other exciting opportunities to keep you very busy and very giddy.

About two hours from Las Vegas, Nevada, in the heart of Southern Utah’s red rock country, is the beautiful city of St. George. Surrounded by striking red vermilion cliffs and the blue majesty of The Mormon Range, it has become a burgeoning vacation center with world-class mountain biking trails, designer golf courses and skiing nearby.

Who would ever think of Natchez, Mississippi as a first choice for a romantic vacation? You might not have thought it before, but think it now! This disarmingly charming and beautiful locale overlooking the Mississippi River is miles from a major city, has no major airport and no interstate highways to get you there. But trust us; it’s more than worth your drive, flight or paddle-down-the-river to get there!

Imagine waking up in an enchanted place. You’re on the softest feather bed imaginable, surrounded by exotic treasures from the East, richly-colored throws, Tibetan carved sideboards and a wood-burning kiva fireplace. Outside the window, the snow is falling onto a stone courtyard with hundred-year-old adobe walls. It’s cozy, warm, and almost magical.

When you enter the lobby and walk though this magnificent hotel, it’s unlikely you’ll bump into any of the literary icons that are so much a part of its history. That’s because they’re all dead! But not the Hotel Monteleone. To the contrary, it is alive and burgeoning with a vitality that belies its 100 years of providing first-rate lodging to the masters and misfits that are an integral part of New Orleans history.