Since elementary school, Valentine's Day has played an important role in most everyone's life.
As children, it was important that a special someone noticed enough to drop a red heart on our desk during the Valentine's Day card and candy exchange. Even adults put a great deal of importance on whether the apples of their eyes care enough to send the very best on Feb. 14.
Important, yes - life ending, no; well thought out, sometimes - last-minute card at the grocery, possibly; unique, hopefully - dinner at a favorite eatery, probably.
No matter which category seems to be most appropriate, Valentine's Day in East Polk County can be unique and thoughtful - not to mention, even romantic.
Together for a week or a century, starry-eyed couples profess their love in different, unique and many ways.
Married for three years, Valentine's Day is important to Desiree and Regan Anderson. They take turns planning what they will do each year for one another - and this year is Desiree's turn.
"I called Pinewood Estates (at Bok Tower Gardens) a month and a half before Valentine's Day for dinner reservations and had to be put on a waiting list," says Desiree, a second-grade teacher. "Our second date was to Bok Tower, so it means a lot to us. We just love it - and it's romantic all the time, not just on Valentine's Day."
Last year, in charge of the plans, Regan surprised his wife with dinner at a famous restaurant in Orlando. However, Desiree was full of surprises, too - for seven days.
"Each day the week before Valentine's Day, I gave him a gift," she explains. "Small things that I knew he loved, like fishing lures and Pixie Sticks."
Regan, an Auburndale fireman, says he enjoys the day and all that goes into it just as much as Desiree.
"She keeps me on my toes because she is so thoughtful," he says. "We definitely put a lot into it. We try to do new things and think of things the other would enjoy."
Many couples, like the Andersons, go out to dinner on Valentine's Day. In East Polk County, there are many restaurants from which to choose. One choice is Chalet Suzanne, located in Lake Wales, which is unique and world famous - and not to mention, yummy.
"We offer the best romantic, fine-dining atmosphere around," says Eric Hinshaw, owner of the Chalet Suzanne and Country Inn Restaurant. "But, on Valentine's Day, we make it even more special by providing roses for the ladies, candles on the tables, Sam Anderson on piano, and, for overnight guests, a free airplane ride."
Chalet Suzanne is located in a secluded 100-acre estate complete with a gourmet restaurant, cocktail lounge, the Wine Dungeon, Wine and Gift Boutique, Courtyard Spa and Massage, soup cannery, 26-room country inn and public airstrip.
"Driving up to Chalet Suzanne is like arriving in another place in another time," Hinshaw says. He is the fourth generation to own and operate the family business.
"It's magical," he says.
Hinshaw and his professional staff are eager to make their guests happy. So, if eating a picnic lunch prepared from the five-star restaurant under a tree somewhere near the Chalet's lake sounds more like it, just ask. To make the required reservations, call 863-676-6011. Special Valentine's Day touches also will be provided on Saturday, Feb. 13, as well as Feb. 14.
Another popular destination for hungry, in-love duos is Antonio's Ristoranti, located inside the Best Western Admiral's Inn and Convention Center in Winter Haven.
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Chris Hazelwood, owner of Lasater Flowers in Winter Haven, laughs while listening as a teddy bear calls his girlfriend and sings "You're Unforgettable." Hazelwood says teddy bears, flowers and candy are popular Valentine's Day gifts.
Paul Crate / News Chief |
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"For Valentine's Day, we have planned a six-course menu in a very elegant atmosphere - complete with roses for the ladies, a piano player and a dance floor," says Paul Gago, the manager of Antonio's. "It's always very romantic and we always try to do our best for our customers."
To make the required reservations, call 863-324-5950.
If transportation is required for the evening and that special lady wants to feel like Cinderella, the owner of Downtown Horse and Carriage II is ready and waiting - along with his horses.
Beautiful, elegant horse-drawn carriages are extremely popular in the area and create a romantic atmosphere of "just the two of us."
"There have been lots of marriage proposals in the carriage," says Joe Mangano, owner of Downtown Horse and Carriage II. "We haven't had any no's yet - only one maybe and they ended up getting married."
For more information about the horse-drawn carriage, call Mangano at 800-76-HORSE.
For the traditional gift givers, flowers are always a big hit. Dozens of area shops await customers set on impressing their valentines.
Lasater Flowers Inc. in Winter Haven is among the many flower shops in East Polk County that provide personal and, even, unique touches.
"We offer ultimate roses. They are five-and-a-half-foot roses cultivated in Ecuador between two 9,600-foot volcanoes," says Chris Hazelwood, owner of Lasater Flowers. "Those are for someone who wants to make a big impression."
Hazelwood remembers one customer who purchased two dozen roses for his wife. On Valentine's Day morning, she found the first of 24 roses near her pillow; the next was near her vanity; the next by the coffee maker; the next on her car; on her desk at work and so on.
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The window display at Lasater Flowers in Winter Haven pokes fun at the idea of men cooking a special Valentine's Day meal for their sweethearts.
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"She literally found roses all day long," Hazelwood says. "Then, every year there is what we call the 'last-minute men.' These are the guys who come in right before closing on Feb. 14 and buy the biggest teddy bear, chocolates and flowers."
But, oftentimes, according to Hazelwood, they also buy for their daughters.
"They just don't stop at their wife - they buy for their little girls, too," she says. "That makes it special."
Many couples forgo the sometimes-busy atmosphere of dining out and opt to stay home and create their own ambiance. One such couple is Bruce and Kathy Prince of Haines City.
"What we did last year, and we'll probably do again this Valentine's Day, is celebrate at home," Kathy says. "We cooked a very nice meal from the Biltmore Hotel Cookbook - right down to the poached pears on a chocolate bed with raspberry hearts."
The couple invited two other couples to join them as they dined under the stars on their deck overlooking Lake Eva. They used decorations to help make the evening even more special.
"We had a red tablecloth, red satin covers for the deck chairs, chargers, candles and the crystal," says Kathy, who has been married to her "Prince" Charming for 24 years. "We started the meal with personalized individual chocolate-laced bowls with raspberry mousse.
Everyone loved it."
For others who might enjoy something different - a bit of danger, suspense or adventure - hot-air balloon rides, airboat rides and skydiving experiences are available in the area.
If that isn't quite the right mood, consider spending the night or weekend at the Stanford Inn, a Victorian Inn nestled in the historic district of Bartow. The 1906 home has seven beautifully and uniquely decorated guest rooms. Spend the afternoon looking at antiques in nearby shops and wake up to a gourmet breakfast prepared by Becky and Tony Grainger, the proprietors. For reservations, call 863-533-2393.
Enjoying Valentine's Day while staying on budget is possible, as well.
Consider packing a picnic lunch from home and enjoy it at one of the dozens of parks and lakeshores nearby. Write a poem for that special someone and read it to them over coffee at a neighborhood café. Buy a board game, a just-released romantic comedy or that special someone's favorite decadent dessert and enjoy it with them.
Buy erasable window chalk and create a Valentine's greeting on their car windows for the world to see.
Take a walk, share an ice cream cone or star gaze in an open field.
Read poetry at the public library, serenade from the street or get down on one knee and propose.
Just don't allow the day to go by without letting them know they are special. Tell them that if time was reversed and elementary school was still a part of the day, their desk would overflow with Valentine's Day cards and love - especially from you.
