Keepsake marriage certificate

Romantic escapes short but sweet

Where's the best place in North America for a Valentine weekend getaway? None other than the romance experts at Harlequin (as in the romance novels) have chimed in with their suggestions.

These include the romantic refuge of Ikal del Mar in Xcalacoco, Mexico (www.ikaldemar.com); the rustic (but with fine linens) Amangani Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo. (www.jackson-hole-luxury-real- estate.com); and the Robert Redford-owned Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah (www.sundanceresort.com).

Closer to home are The Pitcher Inn in Warren, Vt. (www.pitcherinn.com), with wood-burning fireplaces and Jacuzzis in nearly every room; and The Point Resort in Saranac, N.Y. (www.thepointresort.com), originally built for the Rockefeller family.

Also making the list are the swank Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, in Dana Point, Calif. (www.ritzcarlton.com), the Grand Wailea Resort (www.grandwailea.com), a beachfront paradise in Maui; the fancy Bellagio in Las Vegas; the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, Calif., where Frank Capra wrote the script for "It Happened One Night" (www.laquintaresort.com); and the ocean- and forest-surrounded Wickaninnish Inn in British Columbia, Canada (www.wickinn.com).

QUICKY MARRIAGE NEW ENGLAND-STYLE: If you're popping the question on V-Day and are looking for an intimate way to get hitched, consider the Wedding for Two package at The Rosewood Country Inn, a romantic bed and breakfast in Bradford, N.H.

The package, priced at $350 plus the cost of accommodations (which range from $179 to $279 per night), includes your choice of a private indoor (by candlelight) or outdoor (in a Victorian gazebo) ceremony conducted by a justice of the peace. You also get a wedding cake for two, a bottle of French champagne, keepsake crystal champagne flutes, a tray of hors d'oeuvres and chocolate-covered strawberries.

The inn also can host a reception, for an additional charge, for up to 85 guests. If you want to spring for florists, photographers, caterers or a horse-drawn carriage ride, the folks at the inn can arrange that too.

To get married in New Hampshire, you need an ID (a driver's license, passport or birth certificate) and $45. There is a three- day waiting period for the license. If this is not your first marriage, you'll also need a certified divorce decree. No blood tests are required.

The inn has 11 suites, decked out in antiques, and recommends for honeymooners the Dreamcatcher Suite, which has a cathedral ceiling, a rustic fireplace and that all-important Jacuzzi for two.

For reservations, call 800-938-5273 or go to www.rosewoodcountryinn.com.

WINING AND DINING: Get romantic close to home at a small luxury hotel. Throw in a fine meal and you are sure to impress.

At XV Beacon, you can enjoy a five-course tasting menu at The Federalist, with champagne ($130 per person), and then rest your head in a luxurious studio ($495 for two) where you'll find a bouquet of fresh flowers and more champagne. The overnight package includes continental breakfast in bed. Call 617-670-1500 or go to www.xvbeacon.com.

Or head up to Kennebunkport, Maine, where the romantic White Barn Inn is serving up a two-night Romantic Getaway (from $884 for two) that includes a fireplace suite or cottage, a bottle of champagne, chocolate-dipped strawberries and a four-course Valentine's menu at the inn's award-winning restaurant. You also get continental breakfast and afternoon tea daily. Call 207-967-2321 or go to www.whitebarninn.com.

BIG APPLE RENDEZVOUS: Snuggle on a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park and kiss on top of the Empire State Building. Both the ride and admission to the observation area are included in the Comet & Cupid Package, available through March at the Radisson Lexington Hotel in Manhattan.

Priced at $599, the two-night package includes deluxe accommodations with a king-size bed, daily American breakfast, champagne, tickets to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a New York City Gray Line Bus Tour.

Call 800-448-4471 or go to www.radissonnewyork.com.

CHANGE YOUR MAN: Doesn't every woman secretly want to change her man? No need to try to get him on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" when you can buy him a gift certificate for a Metro Man package, available at Loews Hotels properties in New York, Beverly Hills, Calif., Santa Monica, Calif., and Miami.

The one-night package (priced from $525 to $850 depending on the hotel) is designed to give your guy a tuneup on fashion, cooking, etiquette and grooming, and includes consultation with experts. A two- night package adds back waxing and other treatments.

Find more at www.loewshotels.com or call 800-23-LOEWS (800-235- 6397).

PUPPY LOVE: Take your love interest to Mohegan Sun on Feb. 14 to be put in the mood by romantic crooner Paul Anka, performing at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Tickets, on sale now, are 55 and $70.

Make a weekend of it with a stay in the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel and Spa.

For reservations, call 888-777-7922 or go to www.mohegansun.com.