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Location, Location, Location
Loudoun has more than its share of romantic settings: The saying "Location is everything" may not be completely true when it comes to having a romantic evening, but it's certainly a major factor.
Loudoun is overflowing with places, settings, entertainment and ambiance that will fan the embers for lovers old and new.
There are the crackling flames in the huge stone fireplace at Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg, where one can dine on elegant cuisine with an international flair. Or couples can enjoy the quiet dignity of fine French cooking in an intimate setting at the Eiffel Tower Cafe just up the street and around the corner.
There are wine tastings at all of Loudoun's wineries, the number of which is growing each year. Some of these wineries also offer music; some offer gourmet meals with the proper wine served with each course. Some offer still ponds and lakes with the backdrop of mountain vistas, perfect for a private picnic for two.
There are the secluded cabins overlooking the Potomac River at Algonkian Regional Park and there is high-rise Lansdowne Resort with a spa equipped to pamper and please at every turn.
During the month of January, the Go section asked readers to submit their favorite romantic places in Loudoun. The results proved enlightening. One eastern Loudoun couple found romance in picking apples together in western Loudoun; two other couples are willing to take a long drive to enjoy the panoramic view and excellent food of a restaurant at the northwestern tip of Loudoun; and another suggestion was a mansion in central Loudoun where, for a while at least, a couple can enjoy the lifestyle of the rich and historic.
Crooked Run Orchard
Joe and Joan DeSantis of Ashburn found one of their favorite places was Crooked Run Orchard in Purcellville.
"With our hectic work schedules, plus the time we spend with our daughter at the ice rink, there's little time to enjoy a relaxing getaway,” Joan DeSantis writes. “We've discovered that the most memorable moments are those spontaneous outings -- like a scenic walk or picking apples at the orchard. The best destinations are close to home -- without the stress of planning, packing and hours of traveling. After picking several buckets of delicious apples and strolling through the orchard in the fresh autumn air, who could resist pausing to enjoy a rare moment?"
Oatlands Plantation
Katherine Farley is the special events manager at Oatlands Plantation on U.S. 15 just south of Leesburg. She has seen, first-hand and often, just how romantic Oatlands is, whether lovers are wandering the gardens in spring or ascending one of the two sweeping staircases at either end of the first floor in colder weather.
"I wish I had some quotes from our wedding clients handy. They comment on the amazing beauty of the property and the wonderful memories of the event. ... Breathtaking views surround you. Terraces of formal English gardens cascade around you in graceful beauty. There is magic in the air when you visit the reflecting pool or stroll down the secret garden paths. The grandeur of the historic mansion and the gleam of the stately columns envelop you. During late spring and early summer, the scent of magnolias fills the air. The charm of the historic landscape beckons you."
The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
Two couples have discovered a romantic restaurant that they enjoy enough to drive two hours to get there.
This is The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville.
Emily Luisa Raynor lives and works in Washington, D.C. One of her co-workers and friends is Chuck Billand. Billand, with his wife Beverly Morton, owns The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm.
She indicated she and her husband, Wesley Raynor, consider it one their favorite places to be together.
"The setting is fantastic," Raynor said. “It’s out at this farm, way up on a hill overlooking the river. It's a really, really pretty setting. The service is great. The food is fantastic. But it's the setting that makes it romantic.”
Attorney Susan B. Bastress works in Washington, D.C., and lives on Kent Island, Md. She and her husband, Peter Behringer, share the Raynor's enthusiasm for Patowmack Farm.
"The food is some of the best in the D.C. region," Bastress said. “It's a favorite restaurant of ours. ... It's stunning. The setting is on a ridge that overlooks the Potomac River, and it's in a glass, greenhouse-type room, a very elegantly done room that enhances your ability to be part of the outdoors. ... They’ve just furnished it nicely and simply.”
David Crouch of Leesburg is eyewitness to the romance of Patowmack Farm every day. He describes himself as a jack of all trades, doing everything from cutting herbs to serving food to busing tables. There are many couples, Crouch said, who have found Patowmack so romantic they've proposed there, held their weddings on the grounds and celebrated their first anniversaries there.
"Basically it's mostly during summer and springtime we get a lot of proposals," Crouch said. “Once every two to three weeks we get a proposal. It's not rare at all.”
Crouch reported there are seven to eight weddings a year at the restaurant.
"Then they have their one-year anniversary here," he said. “We get to know a lot of people.”
Patowmack, Oatlands and Crooked Run Orchard are among the right places for those looking for love.
Contact the writer at ecarlton@timespapers.com
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