Unconventional Romantic Adventures at Huntington Beach

It happens every year around this time. That itch to get out of town with your honey, to escape the drudgery of work, to find a place where you can both relax and reconnect.

Not everyone can take off a week and head off to the Hawaiian Islands for a romantic getaway. Surprise your loved one by arranging a quick hiatus at Huntington Beach, where you can not only experience tropical bliss, but immerse yourself in nostalgic surf culture, cruise the shores on a tandem bike, catch slippery fish with your bare hands or snuggle around a bonfire on the beach. All without leaving the mainland.

So why does romance rule at Huntington Beach? Here are some pretty good reasons:

• Take to the wide open beaches for romantic strolls just across the street from two four-diamond resorts. Stay to watch a brilliant Pacific sunset from the bluffs with a bottle of wine. Roast marshmallows and make s'mores around a toasty bonfire on the sandy beach all the fixin's including bundles of firewood are available at the resorts, beach concessions or local grocery stores.

• Build the castle of your dreams out of sand. There's even the occasional sand castle contest for friendly competition.

• Cater to the male sensibilities by appealing to the romance of surfing. Rent a traditional 'woodie' surf wagon and get chauffeured to dinner; clink wine glasses while watching the surfers from one of the restaurants on the pier.

• Learn to give -- and receive -- a relaxing massage at the Pacific Waters Spa at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach. The Romantic Rituals Partner Massage is an innovative treatment which helps strengthen the bond between couple while teaching professional massage techniques to use at home.

• Lounge among graceful arches and open air courtyards with outdoor fireplaces and bubbling fountains at the Hyatt, which features as lagoon-style swimming pool surrounded by lush landscaping and private grottos with steaming Jacuzzis nestled in tropical scenery.

• What's more romantic than a pier that stretches out to sea? Huntington Beach has the longest municipal pier in California, and it's dotted with small shops where you can buy a kite, an old-fashioned milk shake or a his-and-her Surf City t-shirt.

• Cruise Huntington Harbor with its multi-million-dollar homes: rent an electric boat or kayak at concessions along the beach for a do-it-yourself cruise, or book a romantic gondola ride for two in Newport Harbor.

• It might not sound romantic, but on certain evenings from March to August, you can try to catch a silver, slippery fish called a grunion that jumps out of the water to spawn. Sound easy? Hold on, by law you can only use your bare hands to scoop them up. (Remember the lobster cooking scene in Annie Hall  with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton--how romantic was that?)

• If you're looking for the utmost in privacy and comfort, the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort offers towers level rooms with access to a private lounge that serves complimentary breakfast, afternoon snacks with soft drinks and evening hors d'oeuvres.

• Like many Hawaii resorts, those in Huntington Beach give you the best of both worlds -- the pampering of an oceanfront pool with fountains, waterfalls and the sound of the surf nearby. If that brings thoughts of a trip to Hawaii after all, check out the surf shops on Main Street for an authentic Hawaiian shirt or have dinner at Duke's, named for the Hawaiian surfing legend.

• Take a day trip to Long Beach to visit the original Queen Mary, permanently docked there since the 1970s, and see for yourself why it was considered the most romantic ocean liner of all. And if you want to try a cruise yourself, Carnival Cruise Lines opened a permanent cruise port last year adjacent to the Queen Mary. That makes it easy to spend a few days kicking back in Huntington Beach, visit the Queen Mary and end up on a weekend cruise to Baja, Mexico with Carnival before heading home.

For more ideas about what to do on a romantic getaway to Huntington Beach, visit our website at www.hbvisit.com.