Choose your own romantic adventure

On that first date, when you bonded over barbecue, the sauce drips on her chin only made her look cuter. You knew it was love when you learned John Donne was his favorite poet, too. What hooked you on the slopes was how she made black diamond runs look easy.

These are the romantic moments you'll always remember. Isn't it time to make more?

One of the best ways to remember why you and your mate chose each other in the first place is by enjoying an adventure around your shared interests. Meet on common ground, then head out to discover new terrain.

From wine tasting to cozy ski weekends, we've got ideas for you.

Skiers' paradise

Bretton Woods, N.H.

With both gentle-pitch, beginners' trails and expert-level, tree-speckled ridges, Bretton Woods offers skiing to suit all tastes. A family-friendly spot, Bretton Woods provides a good option for parents looking to squeeze a little romance into a vacation for everyone.

Tiffany glass, Italian plasterwork and a wraparound verandah make the Omni Mount Washington Resort an elegant après-ski option. Kids' club activities and babysitting let parents claim a little grown-up time for a Friday or Saturday night ski, a dip in the pool or Jacuzzi or a duet massage. An Ooh Là Là Romance Package add-on includes a special turndown service with robes, music and lighting; sparkling wine; and French macaroons. Other romantic adventures such as a sleigh ride or dog sledding can also be arranged.

Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Once considered an expert-only ski area, the Teton Mountains now offer beginner-friendly trails as well as other winter activities such as snowmobiling and sleigh rides through local elk herds.

If a mammoth resort isn't your scene, consider the more intimate, family-run Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa. The staff's goal is "understated luxury," and with in-room fireplaces, a cozy library with oversize leather chairs, an outdoor Jacuzzi with fire pits, a well-tended bar, an on-site restaurant and an in-house spa, the lodge can meet all your romantic requirements. Should you want a change of scenery, Jackson Hole's shops, restaurants and bars are mere steps away.

Literature lovers

Concord, Mass.

For a rich literary getaway, head to Concord, Mass., where the country's earliest prose writers, poets and patriots made their mark. Between fields where Minutemen once defended the nation stand the former homes of some of America's most famous writers, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, all open to the public and most within walking distance.

Visit the graves of these esteemed writers at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery before stopping at the Concord Museum to view Emerson's study and Thoreau's flute as well as Revolutionary War artifacts, including Paul Revere's lantern. After a long day on your feet, retire to the Hawthorne Inn's Emerson Room to enjoy the relaxed elegance of a four-poster bed, in-room fireplace and bubble-jet tub.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Literary legends have called Brooklyn home since Walt Whitman sang his borough's praises. The former homes of nearly a dozen famous writers are all within walking distance in Brooklyn Heights. While the residences aren't open to the public, a self-guided tour can take you to places where works such as Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," W.H. Auden's poem "New Year Letter" and Thomas Wolfe's "Of Time and the River" were penned. Other writers' homes include those of Henry Miller, Norman Mailer, H.P. Lovecraft and Truman Capote.

After all that walking and ogling, head to the River Café for first-class waterfront dining. Bring a copy of Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" to read aloud while admiring the Brooklyn Bridge and imagining the borough as it was in his day.

Oenophile bliss

Sonoma County wine country, California

What better way to reconnect than while driving through Sonoma wine country, stopping to taste the terroir at wineries along the way? Visit Copain for the views and the pinot, Arista for the Japanese gardens and Lambert Bridge for intimate barrel-room tastings. Then settle in at the Farmhouse Inn in the heart of the Russian River Valley.

The inn's "barn rooms," situated in a grove of mature trees, are designed to blur the boundaries between outside and in. The "heritage rooms," meanwhile, range from huge luxury suites to compact queen-size spaces the innkeepers call "our little jewel box rooms." Be sure to check out the Sonoma Bath Bar with complementary seasonal scrubs, salts and soaps, and consider adding on the inn's special romance package, which includes chilled champagne, candles, cut flowers and an intimate couple's massage.

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, Va.

Virginia is for lovers -- wine lovers included. Discover small colonial towns, walk along the shoreline and drop by George Washington's birthplace in Westmoreland County between tastings at 13 wineries along the Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail. Local wineries feature Cabernet Franc, chardonnay, Vidal Blanc and Chambourcin wines, and among the most romantic are Dog and Oyster, Good Luck Cellars and Athena.

Stay at the Tides Inn in Irvington, where lush gardens, waterfront views, a full-service spa, a golf course and a marina with a sailing school offer plenty of post-tasting relaxation. For even more amorousness, choose a Suite Romance Getaway package, featuring an intimate three-course dinner, a 60-minute couple's spa treatment and a Carter's Creek Cove cruise for two.