Valentine's Day 2024: 10 most romantic places to celebrate with your sweetie in Arizona
Surprisingly, there is another important holiday in February besides Super Bowl Sunday.
Valentine’s Day may feel like it’s getting lost in the shuffle but there’s still time to plan something romantic for you and your sweetheart. And no, heating up leftovers from your tailgate party does not count as a romantic dinner.
Or maybe it does. Romance means different things to different couples. Fortunately, whatever your vision for a memorable Valentine’s Day, you can find plenty of options in Arizona ranging from sumptuous lodging to horseback rides to sunset tours to snow tubing. Here are 10 romantic getaway ideas to get you started.
Witness a Monument Valley sunrise
The View Hotel, a Navajo-owned property and the only lodging in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, offers a dramatic perspective of the iconic monoliths.
Perched on a mesa, the hotel overlooks the Mittens and Merrick Butte. Rooms face east, each with a sheltered balcony framing a personal panorama of the formations so you can step out of bed to witness a colorful sunrise. The View also has cabins in Western decor with equally splendid panoramas from their private porches.
After you’ve had your coffee, sign up at the hotel for a guided Monument Valley tour.
Details: 435-727-5555, www.monumentvalleyview.com.
Arizona's best free attractions: 21 things to see and do that don't cost a cent
Fall for each other in Eloy with indoor skydiving
You don’t have to jump out of an airplane to experience the feeling of floating through the air. SkyVenture Arizona in Eloy offers indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel. No experience or parachute required.
Every minute in the wind tunnel is equivalent to one skydive from 13,000 feet. The tunnel simulates free fall at speeds up to 150 miles per hour. Yet the airspeed is controllable, providing guests with just the right amount of airflow for optimal flight.
After a short classroom experience, you and your partner can fall head over heels. First-time flyers will be accompanied by an instructor. The basic flight package is $60 per person.
Details: 520-466-4640, www.skyventureaz.com.
Paddle on Lake Pleasant in a kayak for two
You can rent just about anything that floats at Scorpion Bay Marina. But what could be more romantic than a tandem kayak outing on Lake Pleasant?
Their 16-foot Malibu XL kayak comfortably fits two people. You can even snag a collapsible cooler/lunch tote for a floating picnic. Explore the miles of curving shoreline and open water. Watch for burros and wildflowers when you paddle into the coves.
All safety gear is provided with the rental. $65 for a half-day.
Details: www.scorpionbayaz.com.
Share wine and a Jeep tour in the Verde Valley
Drive through a riparian woodland, splash across the Verde River and finish up with a flight of wine on a memorable afternoon. Sedona Jeep Tours offers this romantic whirlwind based in Camp Verde.
You’ll start with a one-hour Jeep tour through Alcantara Vineyards along their private trail system. Drive right through the Verde River and then ramble beneath sycamore and cottonwood trees on off-road trails. Upon returning to the vineyard, couples are treated to a flight of wines made in-house in this lovely setting.
A two-hour private tour for two people costs $139.95 per person. Sedona Jeep Tours also offers several outings in red rock country, including an off-road stargazing tour.
Details: 928-282-7971, www.sedonajeeptours.com.
Spend a night with ghosts in Jerome
Add a little gothic spookiness to your romance when you check into the Jerome Grand Hotel.
Looming above the historic mining town turned arts community of Jerome, the historic hotel sets the mood with its graceful decor and antique furnishings. You’ll enjoy wonderful meals in the award-winning Asylum Restaurant downstairs, and a few ghosts are said to roam the Grand at night as remnants of Jerome’s rowdy past.
You can even take a ghost tour in town or walk the shadowy, hilly streets on your own, all while holding on very tight to your sweetheart.
Details: 928-634-8200, www.jeromegrandhotel.net.
Play in the snow at Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams
Bundle up and hit the mini-slopes. Leave the skis at home because at Canyon Coaster Adventure Park you’ll be tubing down the hills and it’s hard to imagine a more carefree way to spend a winter day.
During the summer the park offers memorable thrills with its sleek alpine coaster on a long track, but this time of year, it’s all about old-fashioned snow play, plus conveyor lifts taking you back up the hill. With four state-of-the-art snowmakers you don’t have to worry about Mother Nature turning off the winter spigot.
After finishing a few runs, you can unwind in the Canyon Coaster Bar and Grill. Admission to the park costs $45 per day.
Details: 928-707-7729, www.canyoncoasteradventurepark.com.
Stay in romantic luxury at Hacienda del Sol
Immerse yourself in desert luxury at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort situated in the Santa Catalina foothills on the north side of Tucson.
Built in the late 1920s, the Spanish colonial style blends beautifully with the setting, and you’ll feel like old-school Hollywood royalty — Clark Gable, John Wayne and Spencer Tracy have all been guests — thanks to the high level of service. Linda Ronstadt, a Tucson native, recently told the New York Times that Hacienda del Sol is one of her must-visit places in the city.
Hacienda del Sol’s collection of rooms, suites and casitas features architectural flourishes, handcrafted furniture and exquisite views. With two restaurants on the property, you never have to wander far from your accommodations.
Details: 520-526-9345, www.haciendadelsol.com.
Hop aboard a floating tiki bar on Lake Havasu
Let’s face it: Life is too short not to spend a day riding across Lake Havasu on a floating tiki bar.
Cruisin’ Tikis launches a thatch-covered little craft that can hold up to six people and has a cruising speed of 4 to 6 mph. It’s strictly BYOB, so load up on drinks and snacks and head for the open water. Most popular cruises travel through Bridgewater Channel beneath London Bridge into Thompson Bay. Stops can be made at Nautical Resort Turtle Bar.
Public charters start at $79.95 for 90 minutes, or book one for a private tour starting at $479.70.
Details: 928-302-2444, www.cruisintikishavasu.com.
Heading to Lake Havasu? Fun things to do on your trip to Parker and western Arizona
Unwind with a couples massage in Sedona
Spend a soothing hour together side by side being pampered with customized massages.
The Wilde Resort & Spa offers a stress-free atmosphere where you can step away from life’s demands and unwind. The luxury hotel in west Sedona offers sumptuous accommodations surrounded by landscaped gardens and courtyards. The full-service spa offers an array of treatment options, including a couples massage.
The Wilde is currently offering a $100 spa credit with a minimum of two nights' stay. Another special gives Arizona residents up to 30 percent off with an ID upon check-in. Both offers cannot be applied to the same stay.
Details: 928-264-7246, www.thewilderesort.com.
Ride into the Bradshaw Mountains on horseback together
Maybe you don’t have multiple days to check into a dude ranch for a full-blown cowboy experience, but an afternoon trail ride into the Bradshaw Mountains sounds peaceful and romantic.
Foothills Riding Stables in Mayer specializes in small, personalized rides, including outings for couples. Riders depart from the family-owned ranch and mosey along Big Bug Creek into a vast outback. That’s a lot of scenery and solitude to enjoy. In case you’re thinking about popping the question, this might be the place to do it. They said several guests have successfully proposed on the trail.
Trail rides start at $95 per person for 90 minutes on horses matched to your ability.
Details: 928-379-0260, www.foothills-ranch.com.
Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZor Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Most romantic things to do in Arizona on Valentine's Day or any day
