Romantic Getaways in the Valley

With this year's sweetheart holiday landing in mid-week, I've got a few suggestions to get you more mileage with your offerings.

Consider including a handwritten IOU certificate to your Valentine -- a promise to provide a special weekend getaway before the snow melts.

Keep the location a secret or build up to the event with hints of your plans. Nothing says "I love you" more than "I love to be with you … I love to do stuff with you."

You don't need to spend a lot of money or go very far to fulfill this promise. The Mat-Su Valley is home to cozy cabins and private bed and breakfasts to provide the "getaway" element.

Or, you can really "get away" and visit one of the many remote wilderness lodges only a 20-minute flight away. The advantage to making your plans before the snow melts is that accommodations are offering off-season rates and rooms are readily available. Your hosts are more than happy to indulge you in special requests.

A few suggestions that come to mind to get you thinking and imagining your getaway destination are Hatcher Pass B&B, Tollers' Timbers Chalets and the Last Frontier Guest Ranch near Matanuska Glacier. You can also impress your sweetheart and fly in to Bentalit Lodge which offers an indoor racquetball court or Winterlake Lodge, an official checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail in the Valley's backcountry.

Contact the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau at 746-5000 for a complete guide to accommodations in the Mat-Su Valley.

The purpose of a getaway is to relax and enjoy activities you yearn for in your busy day-to-day routine.

An afternoon hike with your sweetheart during which the only company you encounter are four-legged creatures provides a great opportunity for harmony. Several winter accommodations destinations offer snowmachine rentals to guests. Couples can spend an exhilarating afternoon discovering a remote region of our valley and return to the comfort of a cozy cabin and gourmet cuisine.

Another suggestion is to offer a great adventure on your certificate. You could share an afternoon skydiving and experience the thrill of a lifetime.

Or, instead of jumping out of an airplane, reserve a flightseeing excursion around Mount McKinley -- one of the highest-rated flightseeing trips in the world.

Gift certificates for guided fishing charters, horseback tours, whitewater raft trips and even rounds golf are guaranteed to be redeemed after the snow is gone. This makes your Valentine's gift lasting and something to look forward to in the months to come.

We are fortunate to live in a place others dream of visiting.

Take advantage of our accommodations and activities and treat your sweetheart to a "getaway" in the Mat-Su.