No matter your budget, class schedule or relationship status, everyone deserves to have a fun Valentine’s Day full of love. Tallahassee offers a plethora of options you can take yourself, your friends or someone special on Monday to celebrate the holiday. Here is a list of some favorite options in Tallahassee, divided by category, curated by me to visit on Monday:
Parks:
Cascades Park: Located near downtown Tallahassee, only a short drive from campus, Cascades Park offers gorgeous views with a fountain, pond, walking trails and lots of greenery. You can pack food and picnic here with a view of the pond or if you’re feeling fancy, you can dine at the Edison, an upscale restaurant located within the park. If you want to impress your date, take them around sunset to see a stunning view over the pond.
Lake Ella Park: Lake Ella, located in Midtown Tallahassee, is the perfect place to take your date on Valentine’s Day. It boasts a beautiful lake surrounded by an easy walking trail, picnic benches and lots of parking access. If you want to take a pit-stop on your walk, you can stop by Black Dog Cafe for coffee or Big Easy Snowballs for New Orleans-style snowballs, both located right off the walking trail.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park: If your s/o loves flowers, this is the place to take them on Valentine’s Day. Their website states that they offer “a masterpiece of floral architecture” as “the gardens feature a picturesque brick walkway, secret garden, reflection pool, walled garden and hundreds of camellias and azaleas.” This park offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, walking, biking and picnicking. Peak blooming season is from Jan. 1 through Apr. 30, so Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to visit. There is a fee of $6 per vehicle to enter, which is a small price to pay to ensure your date has the most special day.
Paid Activities:
American Escape Rooms: If your date is up for a challenge, going through an escape room would be a fun bonding experience for both of you. Located on Tennessee street, American Escape Rooms offers multiple different rooms for you and your date to work your way through to escape. It costs $70 for two people and they offer student discounts for FSU, TCC and FAMU students Monday through Thursday. All of the games are private, meaning you would not be put with any strangers, so this is a great opportunity for you and your date to spend quality time together solving some puzzles.
Tallahassee Museum: Unlike any other museum, the Tallahassee Museum offers a variety of activities including ziplining and ropes courses! Yes, you read that right. In addition to historical museum collections and a farm full of animals and nature trails, Tallahassee Museum also offers thrilling Tree-to-Tree adventures. They have a shorter course with 14 obstacles, 25 platforms and seven ziplines that takes between 45 to 90 minutes and a longer course that contains 47 platforms, 25 obstacles and 16 ziplines that takes between two to three hours. The shorter course, called Canopy Crossing, costs $37 per person and the longer course costs $46. This is the perfect opportunity right in Tallahassee to get hours of outdoors, active fun with someone special on Valentine’s Day.
Urban Air Adventures: If you and your date love to channel your inner child, Urban Air Adventures is the perfect place to get out some energy and play around. No matter what you like to do, Urban Air offers something for everyone. You can climb through the ropes course, reach new heights on the rock-climbing wall, do some flips on the trampolines, enter a Virtual Reality adventure or drive the spinning bumper cars that produce a laser light show. There are different ticket options ranging between $16.99 and $33.99 depending on what activities you want to do.
Dining:
Masa: Created by one of Tallahassee’s most experienced restauranteurs, Lucy Ho, Masa is located in the heart of the trendy Midtown area. They boast that their menu “offers a creative blend of Eastern and Western cuisines with something for everyone to enjoy.” From chicken wings, sushi rolls, soups, salads, and rice dishes to noodle dishes, Masa is guaranteed to have something you and your date will absolutely love.
Table 23: If you and your date are in the mood for some classic yet delicious southern food, Table 23 is just the place for you. They promise a warm, welcoming environment nestled under the canopy of moss-covered oak trees. They offer an assortment of dishes that are guaranteed to make your face and stomach smile, from ribeye to tacos and burgers.
Savour: Located in downtown Tallahassee, bringing your date to Savour would guarantee a dining experience neither of you would ever forget. Their Chef Brian is described as having a “vision for seasonally inspired, regionally sourced and creatively prepared cuisine.” Pictures of their dishes are absolutely stunning and some of their featured entrees are filet mignon, double-cut pork chop and gulf coast bouillabaisse.
Bella Bella: Locally owned and operated for 14 years, you need to go visit Bella Bella if you haven’t already. They offer authentic Italian cuisine that your tastebuds will definitely appreciate. My personal favorite dishes are the fettuccini alfredo and bubble bread, and I’ve heard the capellini marinara and shrimp scampi are big hits too.
Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille: Created in 1987, Harry’s offers delicious southern, cajun and creole flavors in both classic and modern dishes. Located only a two to five-minute drive from campus, you and your date could easily walk here, but you would feel like you were in New Orleans. Their menu offers a range of seafood options, burgers, salads and New Orleans classics like Jumbalaya.
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