By: Savoya Beidl

February is here, and love is in the air! We all know it can be stressful to plan the perfect date with your special someone, especially with Valentine’s Day right around the corner! Cypress wanted to help put together some special date ideas for you and your partner on the ‘day of love’, and how you can do them locally! Here are some of our favorite options for a great night out.

Chocolate Tasting & Truffle Making The month of February can be summed up into three words: love, hearts, and...chocolate. If you and your significant other are chocolate lovers, chocolate tasting needs to be on your list! Bring your sweetie to the Chocolate Tour in Covington, TN. Hosted annually in the Historic Covington Square, for just $10 at the door, or $8 if you pay in advance, you can spend your day eating chocolate to your heart’s desire! They have a large variety of different chocolates to choose from with nearly 20 stops on the tour, as well as other cute boutiques and shops you can check out while taking a break from all the sweets. 

A Wine Bar Crawl

Nothing is more romantic than sipping a glass of wine with the one you love. Instead of just hitting one spot, hop from place-to-place! Lucky for you, there are many local wineries to choose from, although it may take a while to get from place to place!. Here are a list of some of our local West Tennessee wineries: 

Delta Blues of Lakeland, TN

Old Millington Winery of Millington, TN

White Squirrel Winery of Kenton, TN

Crown Winery of Humboldt, TN

Century Farm Winery of Jackson, TN

De Terra Vineyard & Wine of Somerville, TN

Paris Winery of Paris, TN 

And for those who want something a little different, try the moonshine and whiskey at

Samuel T. Bryant Distillery of Jackson, TN

Or the varied offerings at

 Perrylodgic Brewing Company in Paris

Each winery has its own specialty, trust us, you’re going to want to try all of them. Most of the wineries are on social media - check out their special events, hours, and offerings, most importantly… Stop by and enjoy some wine and atmosphere!

Take a tour of a ‘yet to be explored’ unexplored town or venue 

There is nothing more exciting than a romantic adventure for the holiday. Whether it is a new winery (cough, cough), restaurant, or far away venture to a museum or state park, take a Valentine’s Day weekend excursion to uncharted territory! West Tennessee has some of the richest historical spots and town squares that could make for an educational and fun-filled trip! Do your research, pack up your car [leave extra room for shopping bags full of fun things that you found], and go!

Dinner and a Play!

“Oh Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Instead of dinner and a movie, go out for dinner and a play, and/or musical! It’s not always for everyone, but this could be a great way to get both you and your partner outside of your comfort zone. Who knows? You may discover you actually really enjoy a Shakespearean romance! We have some great small, local theatres in our area, with quite talented actors.

Spa Day  

A lot of people think you have to go out and be incredibly active on Valentine’s Day. However, one of the best gifts you could possibly give is a nice relaxing day at home with your loved one. To add a little pizazz, you can put together two little at-home spa packages, and lounge around all day with your partner. Sounds like an amazing day to us! 

Nature Walk (Visit some local nature spots) 

Again, if you and your date aren’t really the fancy dinner date types, and would rather have a low-key date—nature is always a go-to. Take your loved one out to the woods or lake for a good ole nature hike! There’s something truly beautiful about exploring the outdoors, and who better to do it with than the one you love? Take a trip to a new park, or hiking trail, rent bikes and go on a romantic ride in the sunset. West Tennessee has some of the best nature spots around, so don’t be afraid to indulge.

Mini-Golf! Yipee!!

Everybody loves a healthy competitive game of mini-golf! If you feel like taking a road trip, Atoka Railroad has a great mini-golf course, as well as many other attractions–including a Ferris wheel, rock climbing wall, an ice cream bar and more! Your night will be just as romantic as it will be exciting. [We can’t wait for summer with their new bumper boats!]

Traditional Themed Dinner & A Movie 

Last but certainly not least, if you want to keep it simple, you can always do the traditional dinner and a movie, but with a twist! If you want to have a little fun, you could add a theme to your dinner and movie. For example, if you and your partner are big fans of the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the theme could be “My Big Fat Greek Valentine’s Day.” You could then have dinner at a nice Greek restaurant (or a home-cooked meal!), and then later, snuggle up and watch your favorite flick! You can customize this idea to your and your partner’s likes/dislikes, but it can be a fun way to take a traditional date idea, and spice it up! (side note: This month’s Cypress Table section will be Italian themed, so feel free to snag one of our zesty Valentine dinner ideas!)