The tip often gets neglected after one too many drinks (which can make for an unhappy waiter, or couple, depending on how you read that). This is true while traveling through the Napa Valley, as visitors from points south (and their partners) rarely explore the area's northernmost point, having already been impaired by vast amounts of wine. For future reference, put down the bottle and don't pump the brakes until you see the sign for the Solage Calistoga. The stress of this newfound sobriety will quickly wash away after you set up camp in a studio cabin built for two and make a break for the oversized pool. Once your mind and body are submersed in the saltwater oasis, jump off the wagon and into the cocktail list: we recommend a John Daly (iced tea, lemonade and bourbon), Arnold Palmer's alcoholic twin.

Now, while we realize it may be tempting to become a floating raisin in the sun during your entire stay, we suggest branching out. The Solage provides a myriad of options to unwind (so many, in fact, you might feel overwhelmed). Beyond the resort's blue waters are bicycles (two per room) to cruise through the quaint spa town of Calistoga -- you'll find these old school one-speed Electras will get your appetite in gear. To satiate your hunger, feast at Solbar, the on-site restaurant with a menu split ingeniously into two options - healthy and hearty. Finding yourself torn between the pan seared halibut (so you can stay in swimsuit shape) or the bavette steak with gold potato gnocchi (for the hell of it)? Meet in the middle between beef and fish (at least with your wine selection) by drinking the Robert Sinskey Rose Pinot Noir; it blends with most and is less likely to be found elsewhere (the winery itself is sold out). Whether you play good or bad in placing your dinner order, don't forget dessert, since the chef whips up several new happy endings every night. We were lucky enough to indulge in hand-churned cherry vanilla ice cream and homemade donut holes served with a blueberry coulis. After dining by the fire, retire to your secluded accommodations and gaze at the spectacularly speckled sky on your patio with your other half to make for a whole starry-eyed evening.

That's day one. Feel free to take a breather in a morning yoga class, just one of many exercise classes offered on the property in its state of the art gym and movement studio. Or soak your bones in the geothermal heated pools located at the spa -- some of them are clothing optional. If being nude in public has you thinking dirty thoughts, you will love the Mudslide treatment offered at the spa. This reinvention of the mud bath, which actually began in Calistoga, is best done in tandem, so you can slather your mate with custom-made mixes of California clay and volcanic ash.

There is one downside to the Solage -- eventually you will have to leave. However, odds are that after this couples retreat, you will be an even happier pair upon your exit.

Solage Calistoga
755 Silverado Trail
Calistoga, CA 94515
866-942-7442
www.solagecalistoga.com