Valentine's Day Trip Ideas

After you get tired of gambling and eating, take a short ride to see Hoover Dam, an amazing engineering feat that is on every American’s Bucket List. The dam is located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, and its construction created Lake Mead and Boulder City, which was built to house the workers hired to build the dam.

This concrete monster is 726.4 feet high and was completed in 1935. There is a tour that starts with a presentation that will give you all the facts about the dam. You will get to see the generators and climb to the observation deck for the spectacular view of the Colorado River and Lake Mead. The best view of the dam is from the Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which is approximately 1,500 feet south of the dam.

Spectacular views abound in San Francisco. Ocean, bridges, islands, shipwrecks, sea lions, parks, forests, everywhere you look there is breathtaking beauty. But, nothing beats the view from the Lands End Lookout.

This popular park at the mouth of the Golden Gate Bridge is where the American continent ends at the wild and rocky northwestern shore, covered in cypress and wildflowers and edged with the Coastal Trail.

This spot is front row for the most spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean beyond. Follow the trail to the ruins of Sutro Baths, enjoy the nearby gardens, and stop at the Lands End Lookout for another stunning view of the bridge, sea lions and passing whales. At low tide, witness the ruins of the many shipwrecks that took place on these rough shores.

At Space Center Houston, a part of the NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston which is open to the public, you can get as close to going into space as you ever will. You can go inside the capsule of the 122-foot, 130,000-pound replica of the space shuttle Independence andexperience a multimedia "blast off", so real that it will shake you to the core.

The Living in Space exhibit will let you actually go into a space ship cabin and a NASA tram will take you to see an astronaut gallery with real, used space suits. In the Historic Mission Control Center and the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility; you can test your skills at landing the shuttle in the simulator.

There are so many fun things to do in Portland that you have to wonder how people get anything done. There is even more to do just a short trip outside of town. A 50-mile trip to Willamette Valley will bring you to the place that grows some of the best Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in the country. There are more than 400 wineries within a 45 minutes’ drive, giving you plenty of choice. This breathtakingly beautiful area has a wonderful climate year around.

The picturesque Willamette River runs through the heart of the valley, and to the east, the Cascade Range looms, protecting the valley and offering some fantastic hiking. Check out the Red Hills Market for a bite to eat before setting off to explore the wineries. All of them offer cozy, hospitable wine tasting rooms with spectacular vistas of miles of vineyards and grapes in various stages of growth. The Inn's Jory restaurant is the recommended dinner destination and the Allison Inn & Spa can not only offer you comfortable bed for the night but also an amazing grape-seed facial, a must while you are in the wine country.

After visiting Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello and other historic sites in Charlottesville that shaped our country’s history, treat yourself with a lovely countryside trip along the Monticello Artisan Trail. This trail will take you through the beautiful landscapes of Nelson and Albemarle County across the valleys and mountains home to the network of talented local artisans scattered throughout the picturesque landscape.

You can visit their studios, retail galleries, attend workshops and events. There are more than 100 participating artists – potters, painters, fine furniture makers, leather-crafting artisans, glass studios, fine ceramics and much more. Local farms- turned tourist attractions are also part of the Trail.

For the incurably romantic fans of the Bridges of Madison County, a popular novel by Robert James Waller, taking a stroll along the Green Mountain Nature Trail in Huntsville is a veritable pilgrimage.

The trail, starting in southeast Huntsville, takes you to the top of the Green Mountain, high above the city noise, to the world of blooming azaleas, wildflowers, ancient Champion Winged Elm Tree and, of course, the famous covered bridge. The 1.5 mile trail winds through the 72 acre park and loops around the Sky Lake, a lovely spot for quiet contemplation or line fishing.

About 40 minutes from San Diego is the charming coastal town of Oceanside, which is planning an entire week of festivities to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Visit between Feb. 5-15, 2016 and take advantage of romantic dining specials, sunset harbor cruises, and an outdoor movie night at the beach.

There is even a run and bike event that will culminate in a beer garden and some great food. Other romantic activities include a romantic carriage rides along the coast, Oceanside Sweetheart Sunset Market, sunset whale watching cruises, and more.

One of the most overlooked jewels of Washington DC is Theodore Roosevelt Island, a green, lush wilderness preserve on an island in the middle of the Potomac River. This great 26th American President was a well-known conservationist and was fond of talking about the "hardy life of the open." He would be the first to love spending a quiet weekend on this tranquil oasis so close to the hustle and bustle of the big city, hiking through the woods or listening to the birds.

If you join one of the resident rangers, you can hear the stories of President Roosevelt, and of the transformation of this once overgrown, neglected spot into a lovely weekend getaway.

After you check all the obvious, most popular attractions in Minneapolis (and there are lots of them) and you still have some time, treat yourself with a visit to one of the quirkiest and most creative museums in the city: The House of Balls. Located in the Warehouse District and created by the sculptor Allen Christian 28 years ago, the House of Balls is the result of Christian’s belief that ordinary objects acquire a life force when touched by living beings.

Whimsical sculptures are made from some unexpected everyday objects such as false teeth, plumbing parts, pistons, typewriter guts, headstones, pianos and of course, all kinds of balls. The Museum door is always open and visitors are invited to look, touch push buttons just to see what happens, and add their own opinion to the recordings. Pushing various buttons gets many of the sculptures to move, spin, talk and interact with the visitors.