Valentine’s Day Getaway 2022: A COVID-safe itinerary

Between reservations, gift searching, Hallmark card reading and jewelry shopping, Valentine’s Days are hard to plan for — especially if you’re wanting a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway in 2021.

Luckily, you probably want your romantic getaway to be secluded, which accounts for COVID-19 social distancing, but you may still be hesitant to stay at overnight somewhere.

So, here’s a completely COVID-safe Valentine’s Day “getaway” itinerary for you.

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1. Rent a fancy car.

Either the morning of or night before Valentine’s Day, stop by your local auto rental to rent a fancy car for the day.

Think big. Think about your dream car. When’s the next time you’ll get to drive a fancy car? If you can’t spend a night at a hotel, you can at least spend the day cruising in a rental you normally wouldn’t splurge on.

2. Go for a scenic drive or play the penny game.

Time to take your fancy car for a spin.

Regardless of whether you live on beautiful coastal Maui or in remote Timbuktu, there is bound to be a scenic drive within a few hours of your home. If you really can’t come up with any clever routes, try playing the penny game.

The rules of the penny game are simple:

1. Make sure you have a penny (or some other type of coin) with you.
2. Get in the car and start driving.
3. When you come up to a turn (stoplight, stop sign or any other intersection), flip the coin.
4. If the coin lands on its head, turn right.
5. If the coin lands on its tail, turn left.
6. Continue the game until you’ve arrived to a fun, inspiring or surprisingly beautiful destination!

3. Explore a nearby state or national park.

Weather permitting, head to a nearby state park, national park or other relevant nature reserve. (Or, if you’re like me, go regardless of the weather and pack a coat and/or towel just in case!)

If you and your Valentine are hikers by nature (pun intended), experience the park via morning hike.

If you and your Valentine are not hikers, find a bench to sit and take in the beauty, or simply take advantage of your fancy car rental and drive around the park. (By “you and your Valentine,” I primarily mean your Valentine…)

4. Take photos together and of each other (Valentine’s Day getaway 2021).

As photographer Chase Jarvis once said, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”

Be sure to at least snap a quick selfie if either of you are camera shy. You’ll want to have picture proof of 2021’s exceptionally unique Valentine’s Day getaway.

On the other hand, if you and yours have dressed up for the photogenic occasion — and possibly for the first time since last Valentine’s Day — have an impromptu photoshoot, taking photos of each other separately as well as together.

(My fiance and I always take our own photos while traveling. Head over to my Instagram to find some travel photoshoot inspiration, and head to my Amazon storefront to find some affordable camera and tripod equipment.)

5. Eat around the world: Have a romantic, ethnic picnic lunch.

Because you can’t really have a true Valentine’s Day “getaway” this year, substitute traveling with a day full of food from different countries.

Stop by a local ethnic restaurant or market to pick up lunch — and, in doing so, maybe even support a small minority business. Again, if weather permitting, buy a packable lunch before driving to the park so you can have a nice picnic outside.

6. Play tourist in your own city.

Even if your city is barely populated, I can almost guarantee that there is at least one museum, mural or other tourist attraction either inside your city or in a neighboring city. Go to a museum in your area that you have never visited before.

Unless you live in Paris or New York City, the museums are likely to be pretty empty, making them safe for a 2021 Valentine’s Day getaway spot. Just remember to wear your mask!

7. Tour museums virtually (Valentine’s Day getaway 2021).

Now, if local museums are closed, here’s another option: tour your dream museums virtually from home.

One positive that has come from the COVID-19 global lockdowns is the fact that you can now visit nearly any major museum in the world online. You can virtually visit museums like the:

Louvre,

Van Gogh Museum,

Guggenheim and the

British Museum of the World.

8. Eat around the world: order a romantic dinner from a nearby upscale ethnic restaurant.

Repeat step five, but, this time, perhaps order take-out from a more upscale restaurant or cook an ethnic cuisine for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Maybe even try a new food, such as Peruvian ceviche or French Ratatouille.

Set up a romantic dinner table somewhere in your house so that you can still have proper Valentine’s experience. Put your wine glasses, white table cloths and candles to use!

9. Set up an in-house movie theater and watch a travel movie.

A few timeless, wholesome, travel-inspiring movies include “Midnight in Paris,” “Leap Year” and “Under the Tuscan Sun” (based in Europe), or “Life of Pi” (based in Asia). There’s also always the option to binge watch episodes of Downton Abbey instead, too (based in England).

If you want to continue the elaborate-style Valentine’s Day date, hang up a white sheet (or use a white wall) and play the movie on a projector (like this one from Amazon) instead of on your regular television.

10. Bonus: plan your dream vacation (Valentine’s Day getaway 2021).

It’s not everyday that you and your significant other spend intentional time together.

If you have energy left at the end of the day, take an hour or so to map out your dream vacation. Where will you go? Where will you stay? What time of the year will you visit? What will you do while you’re there?

How much will it cost? Break down the approximate budget of the trip, and find a way to save up. Traveling can be pricy, but that doesn’t mean it is totally out of reach.

After all, every dollar you set aside in 2021 for your trip will bring you closer to your dream post-COVID Valentine’s Day getaway.

Looking for a gift for your significant other? Check out these travel gifts for her and travel gifts for him guides.