Travel with Terri
Sweets for your Sweetie
By Terri Marshall
Last year on Valentine’s Day my beau and I were driving through Texas. In keeping with the Texas way we tuned into the local country music station on the radio. The theme for the day, “A Loving, Lying and Leaving Valentine’s!” Loving, ok fine, but lying and leaving? While it may suit the lyrics of the majority of country music tunes, it doesn’t really suit most relationships! I thought maybe I would offer some sweeter suggestions for sweethearts this year. And, if your sweetheart was the lying and leaving type and you are now alone, just treat yourself!
Chocolate is synonymous with Valentine’s Day but anyone can give a box of chocolates. Why not take chocolate to another level with a chocolate trip? Chicago offers a sweet solution with the Chicago Chocolate Tours. The tours last approximately 3 hours with guided walks through various neighborhoods. Choose from Lakeview, the downtown loop, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile or the French Market. Sample sweet treats from cupcakes to truffles to hot chocolate in locally owned shops throughout the city. Along the way, you will learn about the neighborhoods, history, architecture and even some fun chocolate facts. All the walking will help keep the sweets from sticking to your hips! www.chicagochocolatetours.com
New York City is always a popular Valentine’s Day destination – remember Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meeting at the top of the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle? While you may or may not find your valentine in the city, you can certainly find more chocolate! Entering Max Brenner’s Chocolate Restaurant in New York’s Union Square your chocolate senses are magnified. The aroma of cocoa is everywhere brought on by the chocolate constantly flowing from the chocolate mixing machine, the cocoa drinks being mixed for eager restaurant guests and all the decadent chocolate desserts ready for you to experience.
These are just a few of the treats for your senses on the menu at Max Brenner’s Chocolate Restaurants: Pearl Sugar Chocolate Waffles, Key Lime Creamy White Chocolate Crepe, Chocolate Crispy Egg Rolls, O.M.G. Chocolate Chunk Cookies – do I need to go on? With locations worldwide in Israel, Singapore, Australia and the Philippines as well as national locations in New York and Philadelphia, Max is doing his part to promote a new chocolate culture. www.maxbrenner.com
If chocolate tours and chocolate desserts are not enough to satisfy your sweetie, try the ultimate chocolate destination – Hershey, Pennsylvania! Each year Hershey celebrates “Chocolate Covered February”. This month-long town-wide celebration of all things chocolate features events and activities for all ages and tastes. The Sealed with a Kiss package is perfect for couples and includes accomodations at The Hotel Hershey or Hershey Lodge, breakfast, a rose-petal turndown, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, a complimentary seven-ounce giant Hershey’s Kiss and complimentary admission to The Hershey Story. There are also chocolate and beer pairings, chocolate and wine pairings and unique chocolate inspired dinners offered at The Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge. www.hersheypa.com
You can literally bathe yourself in chocolate at The Chocolate Spa. Throughout February The Spa at the Hotel Hershey is offering The Chocolate Spa Sampler. The package includes a Whipped Cocoa Bath, a Chocolate Bean Polish or Chocolate Sugar Scrub and a Cocoa Massage. www.chocolatespa.com
After you and your sweetheart have eaten chocolate, drank chocolate martinis, bathed yourselves in chocolate and been scrubbed and massaged with chocolate why not drape yourself in the ultimate indulgence – chocolate diamonds! Hershey has been bringing chocolate diamonds from Le Vian Jewelers to their guests through The Jeweler at The Hotel Hershey for the last 3 years. In those years, Erin DeLoach, Director of Retail for The Jeweler at The Hotel Hershey, has witnessed many romantic moments. She tells the story of one couple who visits The Hotel Hershey each year with their children to celebrate their anniversary. One year the couple stopped in to look at the chocolate diamonds with their children. A few moments after the couple left the store the husband returned and asked for assistance in choosing the chocolate diamond they thought his wife liked best. He purchased the diamond and asked for it to be brought to her as dessert while they were dining in The Hotel Hershey’s Circular Dining Room. The diamond was taken to the chef who created a beautiful dessert display with a chocolate diamond center! Ah, romance, don’t you love it?
still experience the sweetness at the Palm Beach Ritz Carlton’s Valentine’s Chocolate Bar (now re-named “Eau Palm Beach.”) This unique and elegant affair is sure to be a culinary adventure. Executive Chef Ryan Artim has created a delightful chocolate feast including a Raspberry White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Fondue with dipping treats of berries, mango, kiwi, pineapple and banana. There will also be Red Velvet Cupcakes, Cappuccino Whoopie Pies, Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes, Caramel Macadamia Nut Fudge and Fudgy Cheesecake Bites. Flights of red wine selections, spicy Hot Chocolate and champagne will be on hand to provide the perfect pairing for the chocolate sensations. You and your sweetheart can cozy up in the glowing ambience of the fire pit and take in the gorgeous ocean views! http://eaupalmbeach.com/
This Valentine’s Day – skip the lying and leaving and stick with the loving – be sweet to your Sweetie. You don’t really want to be the lyrics to a country song, do you?
Terri is a freelance writer with regular columns on travel, chocolate and bar reviews. She is busy each month visiting new places to bring unique travel destinations and events to you. Yes, it is a sacrifice – but she is willing to do that for her readers! You can see more of Terri’s writing at www.examiner.com where she is the National Chocolate Examiner and at www.barzz.net. You can contact Terri at [email protected].