If you couldn’t get your act together in time to create something lavish for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, fear not. Here’s how to handle it: Postpone the holiday till you can focus proper attention on your beloved. Remember, your partner is in love with you, not the calendar. Think creatively.

Do this. Write out a card, preferably handmade on a nice piece of paper—maybe a collage if you’re crafty—that simply says, ‘I love you. To celebrate our relationship, mark your calendar for ___.’ Then pick a date to do something together. You’ll not only gain time, you’ll avoid the frenzy a prescribed holiday brings and prove yourself an independent thinker.

Now, what exactly to do? I suggest something simple and within your means, something that requires little planning. Celebrating love means focusing your attention on your partner. For that you need a good backdrop, maybe a long walk down a gorgeous stretch of beach, a one-night midweek getaway to a romantic inn, or a great meal at an out-of-the-way roadhouse.

To get you started, here are my top picks for easy getaways near home. The secret is to find seclusion. Go somewhere—anywhere—where there are no distractions. That includes television.

1.) Book a midweek stay at a nearby inn. Take one vacation day and split it into two: Leave work at noon and return to your desk the next day at noon. My favorite out-of-the-way places within an hour (or so) of San Francisco:

• Pescadero Creekside Barn on the San Mateo Coast.
• A woodsy retreat in West Marin.
• A night in the story-book village of Occidental.
• A food- and wine-tasting overnight in Healdsburg.
• A couples’ spa retreat in Calistoga.
• A waterside cottage at Nick’s Cove on Tomales Bay.

2.) Take a Saturday day trip down Hwy 1 along the San Mateo Coast. It’s close to home, an easy drive, and spectacularly beautiful—especially now that spring’s first flowers are budding. Lunch in Pescadero, load up the car with jams and sweets from Swanton Berry Farm, then wander out Pigeon Point on your way back. Best of all, the drive together will afford you time to catch up and laugh together while listening to your favorite CDs.

3.) Spend time together outdoors away from the sound of internal combustion engines. Hold hands as you walk through grassy fields whooshing in the breeze, or giggle as you spaz out together in a kayak.

• Trek out Tomales Point, at Point Reyes, through herds of roaming elk on high bluffs above the crashing surf.
• Kayak Tomales Bay and scope the sky for rare migratory birds (bring binocs).
• Cozy beneath a blanket and whale-watch at Pigeon Point Lighthouse on the San Mateo Coast.
• Hike beside seasonal waterfalls on the skirts of Mount Tam, in West Marin.

4.) Take a food-inspired road trip. Explore the back roads of Marin and Sonoma, then feast on a meal together. This requires a good map: Pick up a copy of the Benchmark California Atlas (call Get Lost Books or REI), which shows every single road in California, along with the topography. Some of my favorite road-and-food combos:

• Marshall-Petaluma Rd, with a seaside meal of oysters and champagne at Nick’s Cove, in Marshall. For more on Nick’s, read my Tomales Bay getaway guide.
• Coleman Valley Rd, through West County Sonoma, with lunch or dinner at the Seaweed Cafe. Read the Bodega Bay guide—and watch the video.
• Lucas Valley Rd to Nicasio Valley Rd to Point Reyes Station, where you can pack a picnic at Cowgirl Creamery and take it Point Reyes. For more, read the West Marin guide.
• Hwy 1 to Pescadero, with a detour along Stage Rd, followed by an Americana-country dinner at Duarte’s. Check out my San Mateo Coast guide.

5.) Stay home and do something you never have time to do together. Like cooking an extravagant meal using all those New York Times recipes you’ve been saving up. Or sipping champagne in the hot tub you never use. Or simply taking a walk to the top of Twin Peaks—an ideal place to make out. (As you approach the parking area, look for the staircase to the tippy-top of the hill; you’ll likely have it all to yourselves.) Just don’t watch movies: Be active, not passive.

The point is to express your love. If your relationship is flagging, the secret to reviving it is to remember what drew you together in the first place. By so doing, you’ll not only reignite the fire in your hearts, you’ll have a lovely day together.