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Ides of Amor

Arizona’s landscapes transform outdoor, out-of-town locales into love escapes.

Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.  Elinor Glyn (1864-1943)

Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Thursday, allowing the truly creative -- or forgetful --  an entire weekend of romantic possibilities.

Whether you celebrate this love-themed event with a spouse, Significant Other, friends or family, there are plenty of amorous things to do in the Valley of the Sun and surrounding environs.

We’ve skipped the Valentine’s Day dinner hotspots and selected some out-of-the -ordinary but equally lovey-dovey suggestions and venues.

So let’s take the world’s greatest indoor activity outdoors.

A weekend getaway is a good plan to extend a weekday Valentine’s Day. Slip a hotel reservation confirmation into that special card, or a handwritten note telling your honey Valentine weekend is booked and you’re heading out of town for the extraordinary.

While there’re many famous resorts throughout the Valley, there’s something refreshing about leaving the city . In two hours or less of driving through some of Arizona’s finest scenery, you can experience charming, special places.

Located an hour from Phoenix, this 60-year-old, family-owned ranch resort is set on 20,000 acres of beautiful Sonoran desert. It’s far from rustic, but retains the old West feel. The ranch, with 79 spacious guest rooms and suites, features horseback riding, nature hikes, an award-winning golf course, gourmet dining, swimming, tennis and more. 

Considering “popping the question” this Valentine’s Day weekend? Rancho de los Caballeros helps make it a memorable moment with their Perfect Proposal Package. Mention it when booking and their staff will help you plan the perfect time and place - on horseback, at the 18^th hole, or during a candlelit dinner. Sweethearts marking their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007 or 2008 pay only $60 per night through May 11. For more information, visit www.sunc.com.

Only 90 minutes northwest of Phoenix is the first Territorial Capital, Prescott – pronounced by locals as “Pres-kit.” This is a wonderful day trip with an easy drive; its leaving there that’s difficult, so if possible, plan an overnight stay. There’s a wealth of charming B & B’s, rustic ranch accommodations and hotels, all listed at www.visitprescott.com. 

Enjoy Prescott’s Hassayampa Inn, a 68-room art-deco beauty opened in 1927 with a picturesque lobby where locals meet; or the 21-room, two-story Hotel Vendome, built in 1917; or the 1901 Hotel St. Michael. All are within walking distance of shopping, dining, antiquing and night life (think two-step). Suggested stops include the Newman Gallery and the historic Palace Bar, both on Whiskey Row; antique shops and eateries on north Cortez Street; and definitely dinner at one of the finest downtown restaurants and Prescott’s pride: The Rose www.theroserestaurant.com.  

In poetry or film, moonlight and lovers are often intertwined. Just 15 miles west of Tucson is a 52-foot high moonlight collector, a project undertaken by Tucson swap-meet founder and inventor Richard Chapin, and his wife Monica. The Interstellar Light Collector – constructed to promote healing, is art in the desert with its highly polished parabolic mirrors on the 60-foot wide, 30-ton frame concentrating moonbeams onto a person, or even a wedding ring. As February’s full moon isn’t until the 20th, present your sweetheart an enchanting, rose quartz heart pendant, “infused with the concentrated power of the moon”, available from www.moonlightinfusions.com  To visit the ILC, see www.starlightuses.com or phone (520) 323-3446.

Persian poet Omar Khayyam wrote those oft-quoted lines: “A book of verses underneath the bough, a jug of wine, a loaf of bread – and thou.” A picnic is perfect for Valentine’s, so pack up the heart-decorated paper plates and napkins, add faux glass stemware and head off for a sweetheart picnic at any number of adventurous Valley sites. Stop by a deli for finger food specialties and a loaf of artisan bread, but unless you’ve got a chauffeur or cab, skip the jug of wine. You doubtless have a few favorite spots of your own, but here are a few other idyllic places to spread out the picnic cloth.

The Top of South Mountain – Views of the city and covered ramadas are perks at South Mountains’s 16,000 acres. Enter at 10919 S. Central Ave., south of Dobbins Road.

This 21-acre green belt in the center city is filled with beauty – sculptures, greenery, shops, restaurants and the museums. What better place to picnic than by the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture, located between the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and the Civic Center Library? Enjoy live music at the Sunday A’Fair - celebrating its 19^th season – which is always free and Feb. 17 features singer Sarah Vanell from noon to 2 p.m., followed by the 6-member acoustic rock group, The Jeff Hunt Band. Food is also available for purchase. For more information, visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/ScottsdaleMall.asp

Cesar Chavez Park  - located at 35^th Avenue and Baseline Road in Laveen, this beautiful park includes the 25 acre Alvord Lake (but if you want to fish, you need an urban fishing license.) Plenty of paths to wander hand-in-hand. For more information: www.Phoenix.gov/parks

Love is not a spectator sport - you and yours can express affection while keeping healthy; hiking, biking, reaching summits together. Scale Piestewa Peak, formerly known as Squaw Peak.  Or head to the redrock sandstone of Papago Buttes where you can tell your beloved the Hole in the Rock is like the hole in your heart that only he or she can fill. (Sounds good.) Both have hiking trails and breathtaking views. For more information, visit www.phoenix.gov/parks site or www.squawpeakhiker.org.