There’s no one way to mark Valentine’s Day, even if you think the day requires roses and a box of chocolates. Here are some ideas that take you near and far — and are guaranteed to score creativity points with your Valentine. Enjoy!
For those who want to engage in a little heart-stopping adventure, head to Lompoc, Calif. The city north of Santa Barbara hopes to woo visitors with a Jump & Dream Valentine’s Package that works like this:
Spend a night at a participating hotel and you receive a tandem skydive jump from 13,000 feet in the sky. (Best to clear this with your partner before you go.)
Prices start at $393 at Lompoc Valley Inn & Suites, $437 at Holiday Inn Express Lompoc and $457 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Lompoc. It’s available through Feb. 28.
Info: Lompoc Jump & Dream Package
If there’s an animal lover on your Valentine’s Day list, the Santa Barbara Zoo has an especially heart-warming experience (though it won’t necessarily happen on Feb. 14).
You and up to three friends or family members will meet one of the zoo’s newest babies — as soon as it’s born. You receive a birth announcement and an invitation for a private tour of the zoo’s Veterinary Hospital. The event lasts an hour and comes with admission to the zoo too. It costs $625 for four.
Info: If Only: Private Tour of the Veterinary Hospital, Santa Barbara Zoo
What do you get when you cross Halloween with Valentine’s Day? Ghouls bearing roses and chainsaws (and a whole lot of faux blood) at what’s called the Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth, Texas.
On Saturday and Feb 14, you can take a candle-lighted tour between 8 and 10 p.m. of the creepy mansion in what’s billed as a Twisted Love date. Cost is $29.95 per person. Note tickets are timed entry, and some times have sold out.
Info: Cutting Edge Haunted House
If essential mineral oils and pineapple iced tea sound like a soothing way to spend Valentine’s Day, the Shoreline Hotel Waikiki in Honolulu has your number.
Not that a trip to Hawaii isn’t romantic enough. With this hotel offer, you get a session on the therapeutic use of oils plus daily breakfast during a two-night stay (starting at $598, plus tax and fees). It’s available now through Feb. 16 only.
Info: Shoreline Hotel Waikiki Nui Valentine’s Day package
Here’s another hotel offer that screams romance: a Chocolate Decadent body treatment with your two-night stay at Milliken Creek Inn & Spa in Napa, Calif.
The hotel describes this treatment this way: “After exfoliation and a salt scrub to the back, arms, legs and neck, the guest is wrapped in a cocoon of chocolate mud and hot linens to encourage relaxation and eliminate toxins, while enjoying a foot and scalp massage. The treatment concludes with a chocolate oils massage.” Wow, but note only one treatment per two-night stay.
The Be My Valentine package also includes a bottle of sparkling wine and turndown evening service with chocolate-covered strawberries. Of course, you get breakfast in the morning and wine at evening receptions too. Two nights cost $985 to $1,738 for two, depending on when you go.
Info: Milliken Creek Inn & Spa
The Los Angeles Athletic Club wants you to spend Valentine’s Day at its pool with a special show. From 7 to 10 p.m., you will be served a four-course dinner at the club’s indoor pool and watch a synchronized swimming show by the professional Aqualillies.
Breakfast for two at the Famous Players Lounge and in-room Champagne and strawberries are part of the package too. $425 per couple.
Info: To make a reservation, email LAAC.events@laac.net or call (213) 630-5255. Los Angeles Athletic Club
A cruise to Tahiti may be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, and now Paul Gauguin Cruises sweetens the pot.
On selected cruises, the South Pacific luxury line offers a $200 credit (per cabin) at the on-board Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm, a box of chocolates and a bottle of sparkling wine. Total value of the extras: $250.
The offer aboard the Paul Gauguin ship is available on sailings Aug. 26, 2017, through Dec. 29, 2018 (except Oct. 7, 2017). You also receive half-off the all-inclusive fares and round-trip airfare from L.A. Must reserve by Feb. 18 to get this deal. Prices for a seven-night cruise of Tahiti and the Society Islands in September 2017 starts at $5,495 per person.
Info: Paul Gauguin Cruises, (800) 848-6172 or contact your travel agent
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