Distance (from work and home and stress) makes the heart grow fonder. With Florida nearly at Georgia's doorstep, you don't have to travel far for a getaway. Here are 10 suggestions (none of them were damaged by the recent storms):

MARY THURWACHTER/Palm Beach Post (ENLARGE)

Manasota Beach Club is a 26-acre Old Florida retreat on the west coast of Florida. It's south of Venice and sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay.

Ritz-Carlton (ENLARGE)

Dogs rule at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples which offers pet portraits, doggy biscuits and ÒPetiquetteÓ classes.

Richard Graulich/The Palm Beach Post (ENLARGE)

The Lakeside Inn on the edge of Lake Dora in Mount Dora. Credit: Richard Graulich/The Palm Beach Post

Palm Beach Post (ENLARGE)

Saddle up for a romantic sunset horseback ride with someone special at Amelia Island.

Key Largo

Share a sunset sail or morning snorkel trip in the Keys. You can arrange for both at Tarpon Flats Inn & Marina in Key Largo (1-866-546-0000; www.tarponflats.com). The three-story lemon-yellow B&B is framed by coconut palm trees and overlooks the marina and Largo Sound. A fishing camp in the 1960s and '70s, the resort has its own pretty beach, with hammock shaded by a whispering pine tree. A sweetheart deal offers guests two nights' accommodations, a bottle of wine with fruit and cheese in room, breakfast delivered to the door and choice of a sunset cruise or morning snorkel for $389 plus tax.

Jacksonville

Indulge your love of art with a trip to a fine arts museum. Consider the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens on the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. Always a good bet, the museum has even more to offer with its current exhibit (through March 18), British Museum's Egyptian Art, a rarely seen collection of nearly 85 masterpieces, spanning four dynasties of ancient Egypt. 904-356-6857; www.cummer.org. Book a room at a B&B. The Inn at Oak Street (904-379-5525; www.innatoakstreet.com) or Riverdale Inn (1-866-808-3400; www.riverdaleinn.com) are good bets, as is Pelican Path Bed and Breakfast by the Sea, a bit farther away, but right on the beach. (1-888-749-1177; www.pelicanpath.com). Ask for special romance packages.

Walt Disney World

Immerse yourselves in fantasy at Walt Disney World. (disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index) Fans say the theme park created the country's ideal of how things should be — neat, clean, cozy and magical. Watch the Cirque du Soleil show, and humor your inner child with a trip to Cinderella's Castle and Space Mountain. You can go a little wild at the Animal Kingdom Lodge or be pampered at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Or stay off the property at The Gaylord Palms (407-586-2000; www.gaylordpalms.com, a resort on four acres of Florida flora and fauna under the glass atrium with re-creations of Key West, the Everglades and St. Augustine. It's only five minutes from Disney's gate and has a great Canyon Ranch SpaClub.

Fernandina Beach

Saddle up for a horseback ride on Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. You can watch the sun set while you trot along the beach. Make arrangements by calling Kelly Sea Horse Ranch (904-491-5166; www.ameliaislandvacation.com/tennis.html). Book a room at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge (1-800-772-3359; www.elizabethpointelodge.com), a lovely seaside B&B, or The Ritz-Carlton (904-277-1100; www.ritzcarlton.com/resorts/amelia_island). Ask about the romance package.

Islamorada

Avoid the crowds and soak up sun and quiet time at the beach. Take your love to The Moorings in Islamorada (305-664-4708; www.themooringsvillage.com). A former coconut palm plantation on one of the longest, lushest private beaches in the Keys, The Moorings is a popular backdrop for fashion photo shoots. On the west coast, stay at the Manasota Beach Club in Englewood (941-474-2614; www.manasotabeachclub.com). The 25-acre Old Florida-style retreat on an island between Venice and Boca Grande, has lush grounds, with unpretentious beach cottages. There's plenty to do, from walking the miles of sandy beach, playing croquet, tennis or basketball, splashing in the pool, hiking on the nature trails or taking the club's Hobie Cat out for a sail.

Naples

Show some love for your favorite doggie, and bring your significant human along, too. At the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, a special Valentine's package in February offers customized pet portraits, personalized doggie biscuits and "Petiquette" classes to turn pets into first-class travelers. Human guests get first-class treatment, too, and a dog-related gift like a book or doggie golf club at the 295-room resort. (239- 593-2000; www.ritzcarlton.com.

Dogs can get regal treatment at other hotels, too. Among them is the Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal in Orlando (1-800- 232-7827; www.universalorlando.com/ht_rpr_index.html). Dogs and cats rate At the 1,000-room Royal Pacific, a Loews hotel, dogs and cats rate their own room-service menu.

Auburndale

Take a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise. The folks at Town Manor on the Lake Bed and Breakfast in Auburndale (between Orlando and Tampa) can help you make arrangements. The 1930s inn overlooks Lake Juliana and is host to dozens of weddings each year. Town Manor's Enchanted Evening special offers a multicourse candlelight dinner, accommodations and breakfast. Ask about taking a ride in the vintage 1930 Model A convertible. The package starts at $349. (863-984-4008; www.townmanor.com).

Coral Gables

Hide away in a private poolside cabana with butler staff service, outdoor showers and overstuffed chaise lounges surrounded by beautiful hibiscus and bougainvillea. Book a room at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The hotel's Valentine's Day Romance Package, available through March 31, gives guests champagne and strawberries upon arrival; a 30-minute horse-and-carriage ride through Coral Gables; a spa treatment; a four-course dinner and wine pairing at the chic Palme d'Or; and breakfast in a junior suite. Price tag: $1,600 per couple for a two-night stay. But even if you don't go for the package, you can languish by the largest hotel pool in the United States and dine at the hotel's restaurants. 1-800-727-1926; www.biltmorehotel.com.

Mount Dora

Connect with the past by shopping for antiques and collectibles in Mount Dora. The biggest shopping venue is Renninger's Antiques Extravaganzas on the edge to town. Some of the dealers are there all year, though the big draw is the Extravaganza weekends. You'll find Fiestaware, pickle casters, furniture and Depression glass, for starters. In town, you'll find specialty shops with cute names. Stay at the historic Lakeside Inn (1-800-556-5016; www.lakeside-inn.com) or one of the town's charming B&Bs, like Heron Cay Lakeview Bed & Breakfast (352- 383-4050; www.heroncay.com) or Magnolia Inn B&B (1-800-776-2112; www.MagnoliaInn.net).

Diamond necklace giveaway at Key Biscayne Ritz

Hunt for diamonds in Key Biscayne. To celebrate the Ritz-Carlton's distinction as Miami's only AAA Five Diamond resort, general manager Marco Selva is randomly placing diamond necklaces (one per month) under the pillow in guestrooms from January to May. The $2,500 necklace, custom-designed by Sabbia Jewelers at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne, has a vertical row of five diamonds, with one sapphire at the top to symbolize Ritz-Carlton's signature cobalt blue. 1-800-241-3333 or 305-365-4500; www.ritzcarlton.com.

E-mail Thurwachter at mary_thurwachter@pbpost.com