By No Vacation Required, on February 2, 2016

Best places to go for Valentine’s Day

Every once in a while, you have to pull out all of the stops. When it comes to your significant other (or someone you want to make your significant other), Valentine’s Day provides the opportunity to “go big” in the date department.

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend. That being the case, why not make 2016 the year you surprise your main squeeze with a weekend away to celebrate Cupid’s favorite holiday?

We’re here to provide a little assistance. Here are five destinations to consider as you ponder whisking your beloved away for a romantic dream weekend.

1.  San Francisco. From the dreamy, Maxfield Parrish–like Palace of Fine Arts to the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog, there few cities that have quite the same romantic feel as San Francisco.

• Wander the intimate neighborhoods, soak in the culture, duck into boutique shops, and sip cocktails at tiny cafes.

• Have a Ross-and-Rachel moment at the California Academy of Sciences Planetarium in Golden Gate Park.

• Grab dim sum in Chinatown and the stroll down to the Embarcadero.

• Head to Hayes Valley for handmade ice cream or pop into the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar for tiki drinks and live music.

 

New York City

 

2. New York City. As just about every rom-com ever made will support, New York City is practically synonymous with Valentine’s Day.

• Get close to someone because February in the Big Apple demands snuggling.

• Bundle up and stroll the chic streets of the West Village or SoHo.

• Find heart-shaped raviolis and Chianti at an Italian restaurant tucked into the basement of an Upper East Side brownstone.

• Go ice-skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park followed by warm drinks at a cozy little bar in the Upper West Side.

• Cast your gaze up at the iconic Empire State Building aglow in pink and red.

3. Scottsdale. Want to add a little heat to your romance, or just steal away from the February cold? Scottsdale, Arizona, will keep you warm.

• Grab your loved one and meander along Scottsdale’s waterfront.

• Have a romantic dinner and some espresso with dessert; then head out for a night of dancing in Old Town Scottsdale.

• Do a day of golf, spa treatments, and lounging around at one of Scottsdale’s many high-end resorts, like the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.

Viewfinder Tip: On a tight budget? Consider packaging your flight and hotel together for your Valentine’s Day getaway to save more.

4. New Orleans. They say the way to man’s heart is through his stomach. If that is the case, New Orleans can help you get the heart of things.

• Head to the lovely French Quarter for drinks and dinner at one of the area’s many outstanding restaurants, such as Doris Metropolitan or Domenica.

• Grab a morning donut and cold brew at District Donuts and explore the ultra-romantic Garden District.

• Have just enough Sazerac and spend the night listening to gritty jazz at one of New Orleans’s many throwback jazz clubs.

5. Paris. If it is time in your love life for a grand gesture, Paris, France, is the ultimate way to say, “I love you.” Jet off to a city so romantic that it would be silly to even provide recommendations for what to do.

What destination do you think is the most romantic?