valentine’s poets weigh in: the five best places to be in love (in the continental us)
by Ars Poetica’s Chief Poetic Officer Lisa Ann (LAMARKS) Markuson
As you probably know if you are reading this, we are Ars Poetica, an international agency for typewriter poets and artists, based in metropolises, mid-size cities, and villages across North and South America and Europe. If you’re looking for creative, analog entertainment for an event, you’ve come to the right (write?) place. And as we are ruled by clocks and calendars, it’s possible you are also aware that the most traditionally poetic holiday of the Gregorian year is fast approaching. Yes, I’m talking about Valentines Day. And of course, Valentine’s sassy little sister, bursting in the day before his big event: Galentines Day.
Poets know about love.
Love for us poets is like science for… scientists. We are eternal students and humble devotees to the unknowable, only feel-able phenomenon of L-O-V-E. People trust us with this sensitive and priceless topic every day. But it is around Valentines Day that we truly are exalted as for once in our hectic lives, we look within ourselves and say:
“Who do I love?”
“How do I love them?”
“Let me count the ways…”
These are good and important questions to ask ourselves, but sometimes people who are not professional bespoke typewriter poets struggle to answer them. Especially the part where they are supposed to show and tell another person about their love. Tenderly, empathically, we work with you to uncover the priceless artifacts of emotion that lie in the sediment at the bottom of the deep sea of your unconscious mind. The poet is actually a Jaques Cousteau of sorts, in a pressurized submersible, swimming around and identifying the miraculous sensations that are already within you.
Yes, we typewriter poets are very romantic.
But love (as the Greeks know) is not just for those of us who are in a traditional “relationship” - no, no. Love is also for romantic friendships, family members, comrades-in-arms, Lyft drivers, hospitality staff, teachers, students…even coworkers. To see love is to feel love, and to feel love is to be in love.
Which is why we’ve collated a list of the five (we had to cut it down from 14) places we have determined are the best places in the continental United States of America to be in love, each conveniently accessible to larger cities which are also very lovable. As it so happens, Ars Poetica does have highly trained, deeply loving poets stationed in each of these regions. So if you start to feel that poetic mood brewing, don’t hesitate to call out for a cheeky cherub or a haikupid to express the feelings you know your loved one needs to hear.
The Top Five Most Poetic Places to be in Love
We will not be taking questions at this time. But we are taking commissions ;)
The #5 Best City to be in Love: Williamsburg, VA (near Washington, DC)
If you live in DC, you know: you need to stock up on as much love as possible as the industry can really wring it out of you. Luckily, the historic and temperate region abounds with quaint villages, rolling hills, and romantic hideaways to delight a middle aged couple getting away from their teenagers for the weekend, a group of powerhouse girlfriends letting loose at a dead president’s winery, or a stressed out group of White House interns resetting their nervous systems. Williamsburg, Virginia is definitely the place that can fulfill those very real needs. Oh, and if you think history is hot, this spot is going to be #1 on your personal list.
Let your taste buds fall in love:
Fat Canary is a restaurant named after a poem about wine. Need we say more? Ok, how about this: they also have a cheese shop so you can take home a tasty little nibble as a souvenir. Poets are very into loving the earth, as much as we love people, so their seasonal menu inspires us and stokes our appetites with its focus on locally grown produce and ingredients.
Hold hands while enjoying:
Colonial Williamsburg, especially the Governor's Palace. As poets are generally pretty politically progressive, we love bonding over the idea of toppling unjust, colonial governments in cute frilly outfits.
Sleep soundly (or don’t):
The Williamsburg Inn has water features, gardens, and amenities galore, and even some bathtubs big enough for two. This property is right in the heart of the awe-inspiring historic village and aaaalmost makes you feel like you’re in Europe for a moment.
We escape modernity
Immerse ourselves in history
Love in an old world way
Lasts forever and a day
The #4 Best City to be in Love: Bethlehem, PA (near both NYC and Philadelphia)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is another colonial city also known as the “Christmas Town” due to the coincidence of being named for the Biblical City itself. Luckily for you, you don’t have to ride in on a donkey and sleep in a manger (unless you’re into that kind of thing) and the 18th century Moravian town inspires one to contemplate history, industry, spirituality, and more all year round.
Let your taste buds fall in love:
Being in an adorably old timey town doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bit of the contemporary as well. When you’re in love, as with when you’re writing a poem, it’s all about the push-pull, the juxtaposition of things. That’s why we love Edge Restaurant, with New American cuisine nestled right into the colonial quarter of town. The menu features a fusion of French and Asian influences that delights and inspires the palette, and their tagline is literally “hella elegant” so we are fans not only of their cuisine but also their copywriting.
Hold hands while enjoying:
Literary lovers? Of course you are. In that case, you’re probably going to want to add the Bookstore Speakeasy to your itinerary so you can breathlessly read each other amorous poems and prose in the privacy of a hushed enclave that will make you forget what season or even year it is.
Sleep soundly (or don’t):
The Sayre Mansion is the perfect place to cosplay that you are a classy rich person from the Gilded Age, which is what poets spend most of our waking hours doing, even when it’s not a holiday. It is the type of place that is so beloved by all who stay there, they keep coming back year after year. With big luscious beds and a complimentary breakfast in the morning, we can’t think of a better place to whisk yourself away to this winter.
Winter wonderland
Lock step on cobblestone streets
Our worlds intertwine
The #3 Best City to be in Love: Carmel-by-the-Sea (near the San Francisco Bay and Silicon Valley, accessible to Los Angeles)
Surprising no one, we have to give California recognition as home to some of the most iconic and romantic sceneries in the whole country. We are always beyond thrilled when we are invited to write typewriter poems at weddings anywhere on the California coast, but particularly in the mystical realm just south of the San Francisco Bay Area, where eucalyptus trees whisper, the mist hugs you close, and the waves hum an endless lullaby. If you want to make someone feel loved, take them to Carmel-by-the-Sea, the uniquely charming village where you can pretend you’re beatnik poets, mystic hippies, pro golfers, mermaids, or some combination thereof.
Let your taste buds fall in love:
OK so this is technically not in Carmel, but when you’re in this area you really need to check out all the little towns and villages and it’s just on the other side of the peninsula. And the name really says it all: Passionfish. California is known for an incredible hospitality industry, but Passionfish is in a league all their own of quintessential breezy yet ultra empathic and attentive service and staff. Honestly, the servers and kitchen at Passionfish are really culinary poets. If you and your date are the type of people who enjoy learning about what you’re eating and drinking, let them take you on a journey you will never forget.
Hold hands while enjoying:
17 Mile Drive, especially the Lone Cypress. As dedicated environmentalists, we don’t often promote personal vehicles or driving cars in general, but with an electric vehicle, a bike, or perhaps as a double (or triple?) date, gliding along this landmark road will make your heart soar both literally and figuratively. Make sure to take a stop at the Lone Cypress. Its profound grace and trepidatious balance will remind you that love is not all fun and games: it takes roots, grit, and a willingness to face the winds of change.
Sleep soundly (or don’t):
Villa Mara Carmel (a member of Leading Hotels of the World so you know they know how to make romantic hospitality happen) is a 1920s Italian-inspired villa that is pristine enough to make you think you are on a classic European film set or just having an elaborate multi-sensory dream experience. At Ars Poetica, we like to invest in the highest caliber of hospitality that we can, especially in celebration of love, so this well appointed botanical treasure trove fits perfectly under the budget line item of “spiritual self care.”
Pacific dreams melt
Like the salt in the sea spray
We wake in a fantasy
The #2 Best City to be in Love: Louisville
(a stone’s throw from Nashville and Cincinnati, approximately 6 hours from Chicago and Atlanta)
Louisville is an inclusion that may surprise you, unless you are already in the know about America’s best kept up-and-coming secret city. Louisville is mysterious, adventurous, fluid, and fascinating. Neighborhood enclaves are filled with local businesses, arts and culture activities, and of course, the beguiling bourbon abounds. And if your lover is a lover of nature, animals, and horses, please just book the flight already, which is oddly convenient to almost anywhere as it is placed at the point where the east meets the western frontier, and the north meets the south. This exchange and movement, paired with more bang for your buck in a region with a lower cost of living, make Louisville the perfect place to be a little decadent for a romantic getaway.
Let your taste buds fall in love:
Louisville is a very food centric town, with an underrated and ever changing culinary scene. It’s hard to choose just one place to top the Louisville Lover’s List, but since we’re in charge of this blog post we can break the rules and give you three recommendations if we want to. First off is 610 Magnolia, a fine dining experience that’s so understated from the exterior that we could almost call it a speakeasy. Chef and restaurateur Ed Lee is the mastermind here, and his exquisite creations are a far cry from the fried chicken and burgoo that you might associate with the state of Kentucky. Maya Cafe is another incredible option, located in Louisville’s hip “NuLu” neighborhood. Chef Bruce Ucán brings the flavors and sensibilities of his native Yucatán Peninsula into this gem of a restaurant. You will not find more intentional yet creative indigenous Mexican cuisine anywhere in the region. And finally, we have to shout out our James Beard nominated friend Chef Lawrence Weeks, who has taken Louisville dining up a notch at North of Bourbon. If you’re wanting a bit of a more quintessential southern flavor profile and some incredible bourbon to match, this is the spot for you and your date to indulge in our rich heritage and palette.
Hold hands while enjoying:
An Ohio River cruise on the Belle of Louisville will make you feel like you are traveling back in time, exploring the American frontier. Poets love water, and when we’re not close enough to the ocean, the river is a flowing source of inspiration and delight. Luckily for romantic visitors to Louisville (also known as the River City, by the way) our river is rich with thought provoking history often overlooked in our Manifest Destiny obsessed national narrative. Being on the river reminds you to respect the stories that have been forged in this nation: North, East, South, and West. It’s also just a beautifully restored boat, if you don’t want to get that deep (the river averages a depth of only 24 feet) about it.
Sleep soundly (or don’t):
The 21C Museum Hotel is a crown jewel of this fair city, and seven other locations in the region. Founded by one of the most aesthetically recognizable artistic entrepreneurs we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, this hospitality concept is refreshing, delightful, and never takes itself too seriously. Which is exactly how we think love can be. Bond with your beloved over the incredible (and complimentary) galleries, with permanent and rotating regional art that will make you wonder if you’re in Kentucky or at the MoMA.
This love’s not a race
You and I set our own pace
With a toast to savor
Every artform and new flavor
The #1 Best City to be in Love: Sedona AZ (near Phoenix and Las Vegas)
If you really want to commit to letting your highest self meet your partner without the hindrances and distractions of what some would refer to as “the real world,” then you’ll need to chart your course for Sedona, Arizona. Nestled in the bends of a river weaving through a high desert that just 300 million years ago was an enormous inland sea, Sedona is a vortex of mythical electromagnetic energy that will coax poetry from the mouths of even the most reserved lover. Indigenous legend speaks of King Montezuma, who built an eternal fire and planted a mystical tree there. Let your love burn like that neverending flame, and your affections unfurl as the leaves of a tree of transcendent healing. Personal opinion: this is an ideal locale to invite a soulmate or twin flame, to profess love for the first time, or to make spiritual commitments with your beloveds. This is definitely not a “one time thing” kind of destination.
Let your taste buds fall in love:
It’s no surprise that the Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill has already been named “one of America’s top 100 most romantic restaurants.” They encourage you to linger over your meal, to savor every moment, and take in the stunning vistas paired with their incredibly curated wine list. You’d be making a mistake if you didn’t try the dharma orange wine with your tuna tartare. If you go, tell Matthew we say hello.
Hold hands while enjoying:
Sedona is a place for making love to nature, and there’s no better place to start than at Lover’s Knoll. Love is an enormous feeling, and can make you feel infinitesimally small in comparison to the scope of your soul entwined with that of another human being. Don’t shy away from that feeling: embrace it. Revel in that realization that life is short, the universe is huge, and with so little time given to these mortal bodies, you still managed to find each other, and find this feeling. That is magic, and that is a gift that must be cherished.
Sleep soundly (or don’t):
While it is sadly no longer native-owned (we’ve been informed there are no longer any native-owned hotels in Sedona) we wanted to be sure to recommend a hospitality establishment that pays reverence to the enormous importance of the native peoples and natural environment of the Southwest region, and Poco Diablo does do that. Another wonderful option is Ambiente Sedona (another recommendation with the Leading Hotels of the World seal of approval) which has an explicit commitment to sustainable luxury and in building this hotel, an ancient waterway was restored. Again, trust the poets: water = romance.
A billion years of evolution
Brought us into this position
Sunset over stones of red
Warm the souls of cosmic beloveds
There are a million ways (and places) to fall in love - and poetry helps
We can only hope that this poetic journey through five distinct American destinations has inspired you to look for, give into, and celebrate love in some way this month. Not because Hallmark told you to, but because you feel a spiritual yearning to weave your story with that of another person, whether for just an evening, or for many lifetimes.
And of course, we represent romantic typewriter poets within a short drive from each and every one of these incredible love-filled cities, towns, and villages. So if you’re thinking of going to extra mile to show your love to a friend, a family member, a partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, or themfriend, a spouse, or a lover who defies all the laws and names of the terrestrial realm, we hope you’ll consider using poetry to show your truest feelings this Galentines Day, Valentines Day, and year round.
Love is receiving a poem together after over 35 years of marriage, while on a romantic getaway
Take a look at our special Valentine’s and Galentines Poetry Menu