Best 5 Cozy Spots for Couples

Whether it’s wintry weather or a blizzard of chaos that has you longing for warm, snug together time, these cozy New England adventures for two are the quick remedy you need any time of year.

Hotspot Glass Studio

It’s exciting, unpredictable, a bonding opportunity, and a guaranteed “hot date”—because you’ll be working together beside a 2,050-degree furnace. Glassblowing requires teamwork, focus, and a willingness to embrace the element of chance, you’ll learn, as entrepreneurial artist Dylan Cotton introduces you to this 3,000-year-old craft. During an hour-long, hands-on glass experience for two, choose your colors, then mold and blow a pair of shot, rocks, or stemless wine glasses; ornaments; flowers; vases… even heart-shaped paperweights. Your creations will be ready for pick-up or shipping after 24 hours in the annealing oven. Want to invite other couples? Bring cheese and wine? Like molten glass, this cozy studio’s possibilities are limitless. Fairfield, CT. hotspotglass.com

Newburyport Rear Range Light

New England’s coziest table for two is served by five restaurants. You’ll need to ascend a steep, metal-rung ladder to reach America’s only dining spot at the top of a lighthouse. And make an even steeper contribution to the Lighthouse Preservation Society for the privilege. But the bird’s-eye view, the exclusivity, and the chance to savor breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the lantern room where so many loving occasions have been celebrated is worth the climb and the tax-deductible investment. Cuddle inside this heated nest for up to five hours, while your server delivers whatever your hearts desire from local menus. Even if it’s grilled cheese, you’ll remember this meal all your life. Newburyport, MA. 800-727-2326; lighthousepreservation.org/dining.php

Nurture Through Nature

Hand-painted messages encourage you to breathe and smile, on a five-minute hand-in-hand hike or snowshoe trek through the woods. This small exertion only amplifies the bliss you’ll feel when you settle into the dreamy warmth of Nurture Through Nature’s spacious sauna. As the temperature approaches 185 degrees and eucalyptus-infused steam clouds the air and clears your lungs, the world outside this sunlit, cedar-lined cocoon dissolves. Couples can schedule private time to melt and unwind Thursday through Saturday, or join others for even more affordable Super Sauna Saturday sessions. Stay over in a cabin or yurt and add massages, a private yoga class, or a guided hike through this eco-retreat’s 33 acres on Pleasant Mountain if you crave more than a few cozy hours away. Denmark, ME. 855-207-7387; ntnretreats.com

Portsmouth Book & Bar

Sunglow by day, streetlamp light by night pours through the arched windows of Portsmouth’s former custom house, illuminating a setting that is anything but customary. Used and remaindered books are neatly, enticingly displayed: not crammed on dusty, musty shelves. And by design, cozy spots to flip pages and sip are more plentiful than electrical outlets. Espresso drinks are canvases for baristas’ steamed-milk artwork. The brightly lit bar offers wines and local brews to pair with small plates and sandwiches. Live music fills the acoustically superb space Friday and Saturday nights. Unsurprisingly, literature and libations kindle more than conversation. Two or three couples make the same inquiry each year: Can we return to the scene of our first date to take wedding pictures? Portsmouth, NH. 603-427-9197; bookandbar.com

Simon Pearce at the Mill

Maybe you can’t jump into sidewalk chalk paintings like Mary Poppins and Bert, but you can pull open the heavy antique doors of this 19th-century woolen mill and be instantly ensconced in a heartwarming world of beauty. Ireland-born designer Simon Pearce’s coveted creations aren’t just artfully displayed for purchase within his flagship store. Enjoy cocktails at the bar, served in Pearce’s signature glassware beneath playful blown-glass bubble lamps. Watch as his iconic pieces are individually handmade by glass artisans in the basement workshop. Then, share farm-to-table comfort food and Pearce’s private label wines in the brick- and glass-walled restaurant overlooking a waterfall and Quechee’s covered bridge. You’ll want to take the exquisite tableware home. And you can. Quechee, VT. 802-295-2711; simonpearce.com/our-stores/quechee/