Believe it or not, we're sending you near Charleston, but not to Charleston. I recently snuck away to three inns beyond the city that fed and pampered me so well, I never made it to town. (You don't have to stay overnight to dine, but it sure makes an evening more relaxing.)

If I could go back to only one, I'd choose Woodlands Resort & Inn, 40 minutes from downtown. It's the priciest (ouch), but for a milestone occasion, this remote Relais & Châteaux (association of luxury lodgings) escape soothes and celebrates. There's little to do but linger over breakfast in your rambling, luxurious room; play tennis or croquet; splash in the pool; and surrender to a massage. Then you can glide into an evening in the formal dining room, blessed with suave service, a serene setting, an accomplished but approachable wine list, and the misleadingly quiet talent of chef Ken Vedrinski.