Snuggle up to a place called Heart Lake
The bigger the heart, the bigger your love for your Valentine, right? We scoured a map of the U.S. to find some hearts measured in acres: Heart Lakes. These charmingly named bodies of water can help show your turtledove you’re awash with love. And there’s a bonus: They’re near cozy inns or romantic bed and breakfasts. Once you have your sweetheart in the right place, the rest is up to you. And remember, romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day, so if you’re on vacation any time of year, a detour may be in order.
Heart Lake lies smack-dab in the center of Washington’s Fidalgo Island, almost within the city limits of Anacortes. Drive four miles west to the shores of Puget Sound to spoon at Heron House Guest Suites, an elegant four-room bed-and-breakfast with a commanding view across Burrows Bay.
Innkeeper Dana Bishop recommends the Pacific Rim and Nautical rooms, which have spa tubs for two and gas fireplaces.
Rooms from $170. 11110 Marine Drive, Anacortes, Wash.; (360) 293-4477; www.heronhouseguestsuites.com
Three miles north of Washington’s Heart Lake sits the Majestic Inn & Spa in the antique shop- and gallery-filled old-town section of Anacortes. Each of the 21 smartly appointed rooms has a view of Fidalgo Bay and Puget Sound. Spa director Sandy Sallee says the most romantic room is the Majestic Suite.
Rooms from $159. 419 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, Wash.; (877) 370-0100; www.maj esticinnandspa.com
If tranquillity is your romantic dream, hide away at LoonSong Bed & Breakfast, 33 miles from the nearest town (Park Rapids, Minn.) and right on the shore of Minnesota’s Heart Lake. Innkeeper Barb Cowan says the Paris Salon room, with its view of Heart Lake, is the most romantic of the four guest rooms.
Rooms from $99. (888) 825-8135; www.loonsongbedandbreakfast.com.
Do you and your honey pine for an idyllic day exploring the wild? Check out the rustic Adirondak Loj, built in 1927 on Heart Lake in the woods of New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Amble the one-mile trail around the lake, or venture farther along popular routes for hiking and cross-country skiing.
The sweetest room, says John Million, the deputy executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, is No. 8 with a king bed and a view overlooking Heart Lake.
Rooms from $159. 1002 Adirondak Loj Road, Lake Placid, N.Y.; (518) 523-3441; www.adk.org/ad_loj.
Perhaps you prefer luxury on Valentine’s Day. Nine miles north of New York’s Heart Lake in the ski town of Lake Placid, Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa has 130 rooms, suites and “ultimate suites.” You can cuddle with your beloved on a dog sled ride, then relax with a sweet Adirondack maple-sugar body scrub in the spa and finish your candlelighted repast in its View restaurant with chocolate truffles, or relax in its Taste restaurant.
Rooms from $215. 77 Mirror Lake Drive, Lake Placid, N.Y.; (518) 523-2544, www .mirrorlakeinn.com.
For double the love, northeastern Pennsylvania has two Heart Lakes. In Clifford, seven miles from the southernmost Heart Lake, the stately stone Fern Hall Inn Bed & Breakfast, built in 1916, has seven old-fashioned rooms, three with king-size beds and balconies. Ask for a picnic lunch before you head off on your snowshoes.
Rooms from $125. (570) 222-3676, fern hallinn.com.
For endless romance in the Endless Mountains, drive five miles east of Pennsylvania’s northern Heart Lake to the Victorian Lynn-Lee House in New Milford. Restored to its original 1868 detail (but with updated bathrooms), this four-bedroom bed-and-breakfast treats each guest to fresh flowers and a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
Rooms from $120. 1036 Main St., New Milford, Pa.; (570) 465-3505, www.lynn-lee.com.
It’s couples-only at the five-room turreted Blowing Rock Victorian Inn, a 1 1/2 -mile walk from Heart Lake in the village of Blowing Rock, N.C. Innkeeper Scott Seaman says lovebirds often choose the Enchanted Garden room because of its two-person tub.
Rooms from $119. 242 Ransom St., Blowing Rock, N.C.; (828) 295-0034;www.blowingrockvictorianinn.com.
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