Boston as seen from the Georges Island, one of the Boston Harbor Islands

Most Romantic Places in the USA

With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought I’d ask my fellow travel bloggers for their nominations for the most romantic place they’ve seen during their trips around the world.

I’ve received so many replies, I’ve decided to split the submissions into groups.

Below are the nominations for the most romantic places in the USA, starting with mine. If you haven’t been there yet, I hope you’ll get to see all of them some day.

(Posts on romantic places in other locations coming up soon.)

Boston Harbor Islands

Boston from the public ferry running between Boston Long Wharf North and the Boston Harbor Islands
Boston from the public ferry running between Boston Long Wharf North and the Boston Harbor Islands

Boston, Massachusetts, with its Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston Public Garden, Boston Common, the Emerald Necklace, and the Charles River is full of beautiful romantic spots, but the one I like the most is the Georges Island, one of Boston Harbor Islands, which offers great views of Boston right across the harbor.

The featured photo at the beginning of the post is a view from the island. Right above you see a photo from the public ferry that runs between Boston and the Islands.

Jolanta from Casual Travelers

Hawai’i

Beach in Kauai, Hawaii by Carole T Meyers
Beach in Kauai, Hawaii by Carole T Meyers

At the top of the “romantic places” list for me is a beach.  I spied this couple taking advantage of a foggy late afternoon from the window of my room at the Hanalei Colony Resort on Kauai in Hawaii.  I was on this visit solo, and envied their shared enjoyment of the moment.  Fragrant flowers and soft surf sounds are divine here, and this modest resort is at the top of my “been there, done that, want to do it again” list.  Next time I’ll have my husband with me and we’ll allow plenty of time to drink Blue Hawaiians and wiggle our toes in the sand.

Carole from Berkeley and Beyond

New York City

Just Married! The Roaming Renegades in New York City
Just Married! The Roaming Renegades in New York City

For us the most romantic place in the world has to be New York City! After all it was the place we chose to get married in! For us the city just has a buzz about it like nowhere else, it has an energy that is contagious and fill us with joy! New York feels like a place of opportunity, like at any given moment anything could happen..and it often does! It instantly swept me off my feet the first time I visited back in 2008 on a university trip. I felt so taken back by the place that I knew I had to visit and I knew I had to take my fiancé there with me to experience this amazing place for himself. We finally got to visit together in 2011 and it was then that we truly left our hearts forever in New York, and pledged that this would be the place we got married! In 2013 that dream of a New York wedding became a reality, our day was a fun filled adventure around the streets of the city that never sleeps!

Nic and Paul from The Roaming Renegades

Monterey Bay, California

Carmel Scenic Road in Monterey Bay, California by Megan
Carmel Scenic Road in Monterey Bay, California by Megan

My favorite romantic getaway is down to the Monterey Bay area on the Northern California Coast. It’s hard for me to pick between the coast and wine country as the most romantic spot and here you find both. You can stay in cute little cottages in Carmel. Take strolls along scenic drive in Carmel or along Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove.

Head just a little bit inland and you’ll find beautiful vineyards in both Carmel Valley and Soledad. These spots are more laid back than Napa or Sonoma. but just as romantic and making very good wines.

On top of that, you’ll find romantic spots to eat. Make a reservation at Fandango’s and sit by the fireplace in this cute restaurant. Or if you’re looking for a view grab a cozy chair by the window at Taste of Monterey and watch the sun go down over good wine and appetizers.

And don’t skip a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. What’s more romantic that watching two otters floating and holding hands.

Megan from Traveling Nine to Fiver

San Francisco, California

San Francisco by Noel from Travel Photo DIscovery
San Francisco by Noel from Travel Photo DIscovery

You can easily keep yourself entertained with all the wonderful attractions, cool San Francisco landmarks and places worth visiting around the city. But if you are tired of the typical crowds of tourists in busy Fisherman’s Wharf or Union Square, why not try something different and truly unique for the city and maybe something only the locals do, wouldn’t that me more fun and adventurous?

Noel from Travel Photo Discovery

Franklin, Tennessee

Downtown Franklin Tennessee, by VisitFranklin.com
Downtown Franklin Tennessee, by VisitFranklin.com

Franklin, Tennessee just 20 miles south of Nashville, offers the quintessential “small town romance” setting. It’s been named America’s “Best Southern Town” by Garden & Gun Magazine, largely because of its “Great American Main Street” lined with small shops, restaurants and Bed & Breakfast’s that are perfect for a romantic stroll, meal or weekend away.

In addition for Valentines the town will be having a five-day event called Love, Americana Style where almost all the shops and restaurants along our Main Street (and all over town) will be offering specials to go along with daily themes.

(This nomination was submitted not by a blogger but by Matt from VisitFranklin.com. I’ve accepted it because I did not receive from any travel bloggers nominations for that part of the country, which is a real shame, because there’s plenty to see there as well.)

Washington, DC

cherry blossoms with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, by FuninFairfaxVA
cherry blossoms with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, photo credit Charles from McCool Travel

Washington DC may be best known as a city of politics, especially during election season, but it can also be one of the most romantic places in the world, filled with gorgeous monuments where you can soak up nature and history. Perhaps nowhere is more romantic than the Tidal Basin on a spring day when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. The air is soft and warm; the blossoms crowd the shore and fill every view; the marble of Jefferson’s Memorial provides a bright, white counterpoint; and the water gently mirrors the beauty.

The price of all that loveliness is crowds—locals and visitors from around the world make a pilgrimage to see the famous blossoms. But the dedicated romantic soul knows a few secrets for visiting when the crowds are light. Arrive very early, especially on a Sunday when commuters won’t clog the roads, and watch the sunrise slowly illuminate the scene. Or arrive late in the day when the busses are gone and photographers line one shore to capture the perfect light from the setting sun. Even more fun, be early in line at the paddleboat rentals. Your little boat will give you a lovely view from the water, as you paddle away from the busy shore. A paddleboat on the Tidal Basin surrounded by cherry blossoms and memorials to our nation’s history; wouldn’t that be a memorable spot for a proposal?

Julie from FuninFairfaxVA.com

The above is, of course, just a brief list. There are plenty of gorgeous and romantic places in the USA. Feel free to add to the list below, in the comments.

Invitation to the #WeekendWanderlust Link Up

#WeekendWanderlust, hosted by Chris & Heather from A Brit and a Southerner, Jessi & Tara from Outbound Adventurer, Ashley from A Southern Gypsy, Justin and Lauren from Justin Plus Lauren, and yours truly, is a collaborative effort to share travel blog posts, and to discuss all travel-related things.

The hosts organize each week a link up through which travel bloggers from around the world can promote their posts, in exchange for a promise to give some attention to other travel bloggers. (One of the rules for linking up is to comment on three linked up posts.)

If the link up is still open, feel free to add a link to one of your posts below, then comment on at least three other linked up posts.

If you leave a comment on this post, I will reciprocate with a comment as soon as I can!

Also, don’t forget to join the #WeekendWanderlust chat on Twitter, every Thursday, at 9pm EST. See the list of upcoming topics on Travelogx.

#WeekendWanderlust link up logo


8 thoughts on “Most Romantic Places in the USA”

  1. Terrific list of romantic places in the U.S. I’d have to add our home town of Chicago. There are so many great cultural things to do & see like the wonderful Art Institute of Chicago, the Lyric Opera, Symphony Orchestra and all the romatic restaurants. Heck, just walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline is romantic with the right person next to you!
    Sue Reddel recently posted…5 Star Luxury At the Hotel Napoleon ParisMy Profile

  2. My husband and I have been everywhere except for Franklin, Tennessee! There are many more romantic places in America…Big Sur, Key West, Grand Tetons, etc. Thanks for allowing us to remember all the romantic places we had visited!

  3. I’m quite surprised to see that most of your recommendations are places which are well populated if not crowded. For me a romantic place is rather lonely for two people at the most. Maybe it’s the second person who makes it romantic and not the place anyway 😉 #WeekendWanderlust

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