For Valentines Day, try giving a CA getaway

By CARY ORDWAY

If you’re looking for a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, don’t overlook the gift of travel. The beauty of giving a trip is that you get two chances to make a lasting impression on your Significant Other: 1/ when you give the gift, and 2/ when you use the gift.

You don’t necessarily have to use your Valentine’s lodging on Valentine’s weekend. In fact, you’ll probably get a better choice of accommodations and rates by booking your getaway for a weekend that is less busy. The best places fill up fast for Valentine’s Day – especially this year because it’s falling on a weekend.

Whenever you end up going, it’s important to make the right choice – you want something memorable, not just something you can get a good deal on. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get both. In any event, we’ve hand-picked three experiences that we think would be ideal for a Valentine’s Day gift.

Dana Point is just a 90-minute drive south of Los Angeles, yet seems like a completely different world with its coastline vistas, marina, quiet neighborhoods and plenty of nearby shopping.

Our base of operations was the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa, an impressive resort built on the cliffs overlooking the Dana Point Harbor. All of the services and amenities you would expect were there – a couple of resort-style restaurants, pools, Jacuzzis, tennis, a 2,500-square-foot fitness center and a modern spa offering a host of services including massages, body treatments and salon services.

This 376-room resort had the feel of a comfortable beach hotel you might find in Hawaii. While the beach in this instance is a 15-minute walk, the hotel’s spacious rooms are done in bright, well-coordinated tropical colors. On the walls are five-foot-high paintings of boats and beaches and surfers, all reminding you just where you are. If you’re fortunate