Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you know from experience or not, waiting until the last second to plan a fun date can make it difficult to come up with a good idea. Treating your significant other to a nice dinner is a clear choice and while there’s nothing wrong with that, there are many more creative ways to make the day special. Here are some fun ideas to make this Valentine’s Day a little more memorable.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Pairing at Alesong
Chocolate and beer? Already sounds like a great Valentine’s Day to me. Head out to Alesong on 5th and try a custom-made chocolate pairing and tasting flight of some of their best barrel-aged beers. Have fun exploring new pairings while eating and drinking the night away with your loved one.
A Trip to the Coast
Cross your fingers and hope the sun makes an appearance this Valentine’s Day so you can head out to Florence and enjoy the beautiful Oregon coast. If the weather permits it, grab your favorite bottle of wine, pack a picnic, and enjoy a lovely day with your significant other.
Valentine Weekend Guided Snowshoe Hike
Stay at the beautiful Westfir Lodge in Oakridge and soak in the beauty of winter on this guided snowshoe hike. A trained expert will lead you through Willamette Pass and Salt Creek Falls. With gear rental available, all are welcome. This event is perfect for any nature loving couple who wants to get outside.
Thinking Tree Valentine Weekend Pop-Up
Head to the Thinking Tree Distillery to grab a special Valentine’s Day cocktail and browse through the one day only pop-up market. The event features various local artists and makers selling products from jewelry to household goods and much more. It’s a perfect opportunity to find that special someone a great locally made gift.
Live Music
Celebrate this Valentine’s Day through live music with a show for high energy rock lovers or for classical music fans. The ‘Magic City Hippies’ will be performing at Sessions Music Hall and perform a high energy blend of funk and psychedelic pop. They’ll be sure to get you and your partners feet movin’. The Richard E. Wildish Community Center will be hosting ‘Clarinet Series II’ and will feature renowned Korean clarinetist, Wonkak Kim.
Cascades Raptor Center
Even if you or your date don’t consider yourself birders, you’ll love Cascades Raptor Center. It’s a place where injured and orphaned birds of prey (owls, eagles, hawks, etc.) go to be rehabilitated and released, or else live if they can’t go back to the wild for some reason. It’s open to the public year-round, and you can visit with 40 resident raptors, most native to the Pacific Northwest.
Stroll through Hendricks Park
Hendricks Park is 8- acres, with a maze of paths and benches in scenic spots where you can just take a seat and take in the view. It’s also Eugene’s oldest city park ad home to a rhododendron garden and a native plant garden. The rhododendrons typically bloom in May, so they won’t be in bloom for Valentine’s Day, but it is still a great place for a stroll, with lots of old trees, ferns, and wildflowers. Take a picnic on a nice day or just go for a beautiful walk.
