LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK

Romance factor: Sure, we don't get "snow days" anymore, like when we were kids. But there's something romantic about lazing the day away, tottering about in the fresh fluff, and drinking hot cocoa (preferably brandy-spiked) afterward. So challenge your "lovah" to a snowball fight in upstate New York's Adirondacks. We suggest a hearty dose of sledding, but we won't think less of you if you choose to make snow angels instead.

Love nest: The Whiteface Lodge is a winter wonderland for grown-ups. Outside, there's a skating rink and a bonfire for making s'mores. Inside, public spaces and guest rooms alike have fireplaces, and the hotel is filled with the heady scent of burning embers. Things get steamy in Jacuzzi tubs with views of the surrounding mountains.

Fuel for the fire: When your cheeks are pink from the cold, warm up with a pint in the antique-filled Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Company on Lake Placid's Main Street. The pub brews a range of ales and lagers on the premises, and the comforting menu includes French onion soup, thick-cut roast beef sandwiches, and baked local apples.

Whiteface Lodge
Tel: 800 903 4045 (toll-free)
Tel: 518 523 0500
One-bedroom suites from $455

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