Top Ten Romantic Hideaways

Skinny skiing, the best way to take on Door County's flat-country. (Corbis)

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Cappadocia, Turkey
Deep in the heart of the Anatolian plateau, 450 miles from Istanbul and lorded over by two towering extinct volcanoes, lies a sweeping, otherworldly, and sere (but oddly fertile) moonscape called Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish). Eroded over thousands of millennia into curious and surreal rock formations, these Badlands, replete with ancient subterranean cities, draw a mighty crowd, especially into the Cappadocian Valley around Ürgüp and Göreme. But, in this vast open arena, you can still build a full itinerary around little-visited and alternative rock-cut attractions. And the best way to cover the ground between them—and gain some time-for-two peace and serenity—is by bicycle or horse, both easily organized through pansions and hotels in the tourist hubs. The empty, wind-shushed space between Nevşehir and Niğde delivers up Kayamaklı and Derinkuyu, the area's most impressive troglodyte cities, while on the ride to Güzelyurt detour through the exquisite ten-mile-long, church-packed Ilhara Valley—a mason's delight shoehorned into a narrow gorge.

Door County, Wisconsin
The thumb of Wisconsin's mitt, leaning out into Lake Michigan, Door County is a land for all seasons, chock full of attractions that fill a fine list of "more thans": more lighthouses than any other American county (ten, many more than a century old); more miles of scenic shoreline than any other U.S. county (250 of them). Five state parks, a dozen county parks and conservation areas, and a rich Native American and nautical heritage await the driven folk who make an effort to get to this hidden corner of America, some 230 miles north of Chicago. During its long winters, Door County is especially well suited to snow sports (snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing). Embark on a long run along the 30-mile Ahnapee Trail or through Ellison Bluff Park. When you're done, snuggle up with your snow companion in front of a crackling B&B fire, and let its fickle orange glow melt through your bones.