We are planning a romantic vacation without our kids. We have visited the San Diego area, Laguna Beach, and the carmel area. But there are several areas we have not seen to compare. We want someplace very romantic where we can have morning/evening walks along the beach and quaint shops & restaurants. We will only have a few days so need someplace that has a major airport within an hour drive or so. Any suggestions would help. Thanks, Lynn B

You know, LynnB, that sounds like a job for either La Jolla (which is technically San Diego, but...) or Santa Barbara!!

Have you tried Cambria? Moonstone Beach is beautiful and the shops there are very nice. As far as it being near a major airport, I'm not too sure about that. Maybe San Luis Obsipo?

Avalon.

As soon as I read the title of your post, I thought "Laguna Beach." But since you've already been there, I think Santa Barbara fits the bill perfectly. It's full of cute shops and restaurants, with lots of places to walk. And it's definitely romantic and relaxing. If you want a cute little inn, try Montecito Inn (Montecito is right next to Santa Barabara and just lovely!). If you want to be in middle of the action, try the Hotel Santa Barbara on State Street. Or, you can go with total luxury and stay at the Bacara Resort & Spa.

Santa Barabara has a small airport. You can fly into it from L.A. pretty quickly. Or, a drive up the coast from LAX with a rental car is an hour to an hour + a half, depending on traffic.

Have fun!

How about San Francisco or, better yet, quaint Sausalito? What would really fit your description, except the airport close by is the Northern California Coast Coast... the Harbor House in Elk is the ultimate in romantic and beautiful!

What about heading north to Mendocino? You'd recognize it from "Murder She Wrote". It's a charming small town with beautiful views and lots of great B and B's and restaurants.

Morro Bay would something to consider.

The Sea Ranch Lodge, which is right on the cliffs in Sea Ranch. It is about a 3-hour drive from San Francisco along cliff-hugging winding roads next to the sea. Gorgeous views from the rooms, very good restaurant, great walking/hiking along the cliffs or inland. They have hot tubs, pool and tennis. Very romantic. You can get access to local golf courses. On the drive up you could stop at Redwood National Forest, and on the way back can go inland through the wine country of Sonoma. The only thing it does not have is a town with quaint shops, although you can find some of that nearby.

Check their website at searanchlodge.com

Another vote for Santa Barbara. The beach will be warmer than the northern or central CA beaches, and has some nice shopping. It's also very romantic and chic There's a small airport you could fly in/out of.

Seascape Resort, just south of Santa Cruz. Only an hour from the San Jose airport. A 5-star resort right on the beach, with restaurants and shops nearby. Each "room" is actually a suite, complete with fireplace. You can order "beach fires to go", and the staff will take you down to the beach in a golf cart, build you a beach fire, and supply you with everything you need to make s'mores! So fun. There are swimming pools as well, and everything is first rate. The beach is fabulous for those long walks. There is a spa right across the street where you can get spa treatments, or you can order massages in your suite. This would be my pick!

I'd definitely consider Mendocino. Absolutely beautiful area and talk about romantic! We drove north from SF two months ago and spent two days in Russian River Valley then another two days in Mendocino. It was the most memorable road trip we've ever taken.

You said you've been to San Diego--how about the L'Auberge resort in Del Mar (45 mins. north of SD)?