So you have a date for Valentine’s Day but are clueless about where to go and what to do. Let your personality type(s) – and your wallet – direct you, but here’s a guide to nudge you down the right path.
Sporty date
First: You know that credit card commercial where the girl cashes in her loyalty points to go on a dizzying rock climb? This isn't quite that grandiose, but it's a perfect starter point. David Turrentine, general manager of Atlanta Rocks! indoor rock climbing gym, says he knows of plenty of couples who have met on the climbing wall and later gotten married. If that's too ambitious a goal, start slow with a two-hour novice climb ($25 per person) or a two-hour intro class ($35 per person). Reservations required.
Then: Head to one of the nine Planet Smoothie locations around Atlanta (the closest to Atlanta Rocks! is on Peachtree Road) to maintain your wellness. Perhaps a "Thelma & Louise" (strawberries, pineapple, fiber blast) for the ladies and a "Yo' Adriane" (peaches, strawberries, yogurt, fiber blast) for the more masculine partner will suffice.
Get there: Atlanta Rocks! 1019 Collier Road N.W., Atlanta. 404-351-3009, www.atlantarocks.com.
Planet Smoothie: 2900 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-844-0660, www.planetsmoothie.com.
Luxury date
First: Indulge in a shopping spree at Tiffany & Co., where a sterling silver heart locket pendant with chain sells for $450. But if you've come into a generous inheritance or celebrated a particularly robust year in business, the "fancy intense pink diamond ring" in Tiffany's Statement Jewelry collection will certainly declare something. The rare colored diamonds set in a platinum ring commands $1.2 million.
Then: Have your driver zip over to the St. Regis to experience the $795 "Suite Memories" package (available Feb. 10-14). A night in a St. Regis or Caroline Astor Suite is complemented by chocolate truffles and heart-shaped macarons upon check-in, valet parking (in case you gave the driver the night off) and a $250 food and beverage credit. On Valentine's Day, the hotel is also hosting a champagne tasting ($250 per person) and a five-course meal with wine pairings ($125 per person). Reservations required.
Get there: Tiffany & Co. 3500 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-261-0074, www.tiffany.com.
The St. Regis Atlanta. 88 W. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-563-7900, www.stregisatlanta.com.
Kitschy date
First: Who says it isn't ladylike to chomp down on a hunk of chicken the size of Newark? At Medieval Times, all notions of stuffiness are nixed in favor of a show featuring horses, swords, chivalry and the beauty of Princess Leonor and Prince Tristan. The Valentine's Day $99 Couple's Package includes a hearty meal, sure, but also admission to the live tournament and Castle Dungeon, champagne flutes (minors will be plied with a legal beverage), a feather rose and a Valentine's scroll. Oh, and feel free to don your own costume – or at least some royal headwear.
Then: After the adrenaline fades from watching jousting and bola-swinging (look it up if you don't trust us), zip through the Krispy Kreme drive-thru near the Mall of Georgia for a heart-shaped glazed doughnut smudged with vanilla frosting and red, white and pink sprinkles (through Feb. 14).
Get there: Medieval Times. $99 package valid Feb. 10-14. 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville. 1-888-935-6878, www.medievaltimes.com.
Krispy Kreme. 3387 Buford Drive, Buford. 770-831-1174, www.krispykreme.com.
Budget date
First: This is the one "holiday" when statements such as "Forever" and "I Love You" are allowed on a baked confectionary item without the threat of gagging over the gloppy sentiments. Highland Bakery might be infamous for its "breakup cakes," but assuming things are going better for Valentine's Day, it might be worth sampling a four-inch brownie conversation heart coated in ganache ($7.99) or scarfing a chocolate and strawberry champagne cupcake ($3.99) with a Chai latte ($3.25).
Then: Work off the calories from Highland Bakery's decadent heart-shaped Napoleon with a few dozen spins around the roller rink at Cascade. Eight bucks (including skate rental) will allow you to unleash your inner roller derby freak Fridays-Sundays. For those who want to indulge in a kid-free zone, hit the "adult skate" Wednesdays and Sundays from 8 p.m.-midnight; only those 18 and older are allowed and the date will set you back no more than a 10 spot.
Get there: Highland Bakery, 655 Highland Ave., Atlanta. 404-586-0772, www.highlandbakery.com.
Cascade. 3335 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta. 404-699-9559, www.aaffc.com.
Artsy date
First: If you've yet to peruse the "Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters" exhibit, might as well make it a special outing. And if you have seen the collection of more than 100 paintings, sculptures, prints and photos, might as well see it again, since from 6 to 10 p.m. on Valentine's night, champagne, nibbles, music and dancing are also on the menu.
Then: Check out the ultra-buzzy Barcelona Wine Bar at Inman Park. If you're feeling frugal, tip back a $6 glass of 2010 Maule Valley Sauvignon Blanc. If a holiday splurge is on the agenda, try a glass of 2009 Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Peñalolen, from Chile, for $12.50. And if your date is, say, a relative in a family of oil magnates, go for a bottle of French champagne – the $350 1998 Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Brut, to be exact.
Get there: High Museum. $25 (per person); $40 (per couple); $10 (members). 1280 Peachtree St., N.E. 404-733-4200, www.high.org.
Barcelona Wine Bar, 240 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta. 404-589-1010, www.barcelonawinebar.com.
Gothic date
First: A visit to the 162-year-old Oakland Cemetery, where, at 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Feb. 11-12, a guided walking tour will sweep visitors through the greatest "Love Stories of Oakland." If it's a tale of lovers scorned, husbands and wives bound for eternity underground or monuments constructed in tribute to the dead, you'll hear it.
Then: Hit The Masquerade, the onetime DuPre Excelsior Mill rumored to be haunted by a male apparition. He – or whomever – apparently doesn't like loud music, as the amplifiers are reportedly often found upside down, even when no one has been in their room. A$AP plays at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 and The Atlanta Battle of the Bands takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12.
Get there: Oakland Cemetery. $10 (adults); $5 (seniors 65 and older and students); free (members). 248 Oakland Avenue, S.E., Atlanta. 404-688-2107, www.oaklandcemetery.com.
The Masquerade. $16 Saturday, $8 Sunday. 695 North Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-577-8178, www.masqueradeatlanta.com.
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