With Valentine’s Day on the way, many couples will begin planning trips for Valentine’s weekend. For couples looking to get away without driving too far, a variety of retreats and resorts near town are open for business in winter, appealing to different types of romantics. All of the places mentioned here are approximately an hour or less from downtown Atlanta.
High-end luxury
Barnsley Resort
Halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Barnsley Resort is a diamond in the rough of rolling landscape in northwest Georgia. This full-service resort features ivy-covered mansion ruins, golf, a spa, personalized service and luxurious accommodations, all in a bucolic setting. The grounds resemble a small European country village, complete with a chapel, cottages, restaurants, a beer garden and village green. Beyond the village area, you can go horseback riding, skeet shooting and hiking, among many other activities. For lovebirds, Barnsley has the added touch of the Fairy Godmother, a mysterious employee who flits about the property, often surreptitiously, leaving surprises and adding magical flourishes to ensure your trip is a memorable one. There’s also the Wine Snob, the official title of the resident sommelier, who hosts special pairing dinners. And if you’re the type who can’t stand to leave your canine companion at home, Barnsley is not only pet-friendly, but pet-pampering.
Stay
Suite rates start at $179. A variety of romance-themed packages are available ranging from $349 to $989.
Eat
Barnsley Resort has two restaurants on site, the Woodland Grill which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the dinner-only Rice House Restaurant. Special pairing dinners with the Wine Snob are common throughout the season, including the Sexiest Wines on Earth dinner on Feb. 8 for $120, the Pinot and Pork dinner on March 1 for $100; the Brewgrass dinner on March 15, a special event for craft beer and bluegrass lovers.
Visitor info
Barnsley Resort. 597 Barnsley Gardens Road, Adairsville.
; www.barnsleyresort.com.
High adventure
Historic Banning Mills
For adventurous couples in search of adrenaline-pumping thrills, you’d be hard-pressed to find a spot near Atlanta like Historic Banning Mills. This non-profit conservation center and country retreat along the Snake Creek Gorge less than an hour west of downtown is home to two Guinness World Record-holding attractions: tallest freestanding climbing wall and longest zip line canopy tour. There’s also a 100-foot controlled free-fall off the climbing wall tower for the ultimate rush. Ropes and swinging bridges crisscross the gorge, which is lined with hiking and horseback riding trails and features the ruins of old textile mills and a ghost town. The scenery in and around the gorge is reminiscent of North Georgia, even though the retreat isn’t in the mountains. Modern accommodations along the rim of the gorge make this a worthy destination for romantics looking to escape the din of the city without having to drive too far.
Stay
Lodge rooms and cabins available. Rates start at $99. The Romantic Getaway Package is $299 and includes a creek side room with a hot tub, breakfast and a romantic five-course dinner in the lodge.
Eat
A hearty country breakfast is included in the room or package price for all overnight guests. The retreat doesn’t have a walk-in restaurant with a set menu or prices, but it can accommodate special requests for lunch or dinner in the lodge dining area with 24 hours notice.
Visitor info
Historic Banning Mills. 205 Horseshoe Dam Road, Banning.
; www.historicbanningmills.com.
Down on the farm
Hundred Acre Farm
At the headwaters of Lake Oconee near the historic town of Madison, the Hundred Acre Farm is a place where chickens and other barn animals run free. The food is sourced on-site or from neighboring farms. You’ll stay at the Farmhouse Inn, which receives much of its electricity from the large solar panel that rotates to follow the sun. Most of the acreage at this family-run farm is preserved through an agreement with the Georgia Land Trust, so it can’t be developed. Guests have the grounds to explore at their leisure, including nature trails running through the woods and pastures, skirting scenic ponds. There’s a pier with canoes and kayaks for slow-water paddling excursions on the Apalachee River that ambles past the farm into the lake. An enclosed patio space with a hearthstone fireplace overlooks the grounds and is good for snuggling by the fire in cold weather. The photogenic farm is a popular spot for smallish country weddings of up to a 100 people, as well as anniversary trips.
Stay
The Farmhouse Inn. Five suites available at the inn; other accommodations include a two-bedroom cottage and a four-bedroom farmhouse. Rates start at $99.
Eat
There’s no restaurant at the farm. A homestyle breakfast is included with your stay. Nearby Madison has an array of dining options in its historic downtown district for lunch and dinner.
Visitor info
The Farmhouse Inn at Hundred Acre Farm. 1051 Meadow Lane, Madison.
; www.thefarmhouseinn.com.
A mountain town getaway
Dahlonega — Beyond the Gold Rush
Dahlonega has long been a historic mountain getaway close to Atlanta, but there’s more to it than its gold rush past. For the full Dahlonega experience, venture beyond the charming courthouse square to places like the Historic Holly Theater a block and a half away or the Dahlonega Wine Trail that loops throughout Lumpkin County. Five wineries make up the wine trail — Cavender Creek Vineyards and Winery, Frogtown Cellars, Montaluce Winery and Estates, Three Sisters Vineyards and Winery and Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery — each different in size and character, all producing European and American-style varietals. Each winery has a tasting room. Pick up a driving map of the winding wine trail at the visitors center on the square.
The intimate, circa-1948 Historic Holly Theater is a classic showplace, originally built as a movie house but now home to a theater group that puts on stage productions, as well as the site of music concerts. The Holly is within easy walking distance to the square, allowing for a date night on foot if you’re staying downtown.
Stay
The Smith House. Listed as one of the Historic Hotels of America with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this circa-1899 inn has fully renovated rooms with modern amenities, a restaurant serving homestyle Southern fare and is just a block away from the center of town. Rates start at $139. 84 South Chestatee St., Dahlonega.
;
www.smithhouse.com.
Eat
The Crimson Moon. This eclectic business, housed in a 19th-century building on the square, is an art gallery, music venue, coffee house and bistro all rolled into one, making it a good catch-all stop for a night on the town. Dinner entrees start at $10; also open for breakfast and lunch. 24 North Park St., Dahlonega.
; www.thecrimsonmoon.com.
Visitor info
Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center. 13 South Park St., Dahlonega.
; www.dahlonega.org.
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