With the economy as such where spending money on a big trip isn’t exactly realistic, it’s time to get creative and reinvent the weekend getaway. Just because you can’t fly to Paris doesn’t mean you can’t be romantic and take a drive to that little French town two hours from the city and make a weekend of it, strolling through Main st.? Go on a a weekend getaway with your love, preferably somewhere neither of you have ever been, whether it’s a cabin, a new city or some beach town, pack up some unmentionables (don’t forget candles!) and take a drive to a nearby destination and play tourist. It will make you feel like newlyweds! Once My boyfriend and I missed a flight and had to wait the entire day for the next plane out. We made the most of our day by visiting tourist sights we never really get to enjoy, getting pampered at the spa, trying new restaurants according to the theme of the weekend, and we ended up having one of the best times ever!

Planning a get-away to a hot destination these cold seasons? As if thawing your bones wasn’t enough incentive, SheKnows gives you some passionate reasons to escape to the islands with your man.

A private getaway without the kids

Spontaneous, incredible, passionate sex. You remember that, don’t you? If your memory is a little foggy from working too hard or taking care of the kids, maybe it’s time for a sensual vacation.Where you go on vacation isn’t as important as choosing an atmosphere that puts you and your partner in the mood for love. Some may find it seductive to strip off their clothes and mingle at a nude beach, while others crave the intimacy of a cabin hideaway where they can skinny dip in a nearby stream and make love in a bed of wildflowers. Still others may find that a bottle of champagne and the comforts of a luxury hotel put them in the mindset for a steamy encounter.

“I believe that sensual vacations can happen anywhere,” says Leslie Karsner, founder of RomanceInstitute.com and author of The Long Distance Romance Guide (see Resources section below). “The key is to be in a place where you truly spend time together connecting.”

Karsner says that participating in athletic activities, such as scuba diving or skiing, helps to get the adrenaline flowing, which, she says, “makes for great sexual encounters.”

“Go dancing,” she continues. “Try something new together…or one of you can teach the other something in which you’re the pro. In any case, be sure to include laughter.”

Be daring

“Creating adventure in your sex life keeps it alive,” says Karsner. She says that to experience a sensual vacation you should be willing to “be racy, be silly, be risky.”

“Think of the things that used to be such incredible turn-ons and infuse them back into your current sex life,” Karsner advises. She says that she often counsels couples to make love in a place where they’ve never made love before in order to create a more sensual experience.

One couple followed her advice by making love in the workout room of a high-rise hotel. “The lights were dim and were shining off the silver weight machines. There was steam rising from the hot tub and right there in an enclave they made love. It was further intensified by their reflection in the mirror. My clients were thrilled with their risky ways and giggled all the way up in the elevator,” says Karsner. Read the rest.