Best Spots to Propose in and Around Roanoke, Virginia

Valentine's Day is coming up. The most romantic day of the year is one of the most common days to propose on. You've got the ring; you've got the speech down...now where do you go? Roanoke has several prime places to propose.

Perhaps you want to propose over a romantic dinner. One restaurant that would be a prime pick is Luigi's, which is located on Brambleton Road in Roanoke. Luigi's serves a variety of Italian cuisine. The menu brags of various pasta dishes, such as lasagna, manicotti, fettuccine, spaghetti and rigatoni, and cannelloni. They serve a delectable selection of seafood dishes, as well as veal and chicken dishes. Tables are beautifully and elegantly set, definitely construct a romantic environment. After she says yes, you can celebrate with a bottle of wine.

If you don't want to go the restaurant route, you can hit another hotspot. The Roanoke Star at Mill Mountain is a pristine location to stir up some romance and propose. Mill Mountain has an overlook with breathtaking views of mainly downtown Roanoke, but views reach all the way out to Valley View Mall and Roanoke Regional Airport. The observation deck is the perfect location to get down on one knee and ask her to be yours. The happy couple can then look out at the city where their romance started and they will start a new life together.

The Peaks of Otter is not technically in Roanoke, but in neighboring Bedford County. At its prime in the fall, the Peaks of Otter boasts of a lodge, two restaurants, a gorgeous lake, a wooded area with a stream, and several trails to hike. You can take a leisurely walk around Abbott Lake along the trail and propose, or can choose one of the more strenuous hikes. One trail takes you along the cascades on Fallingwater Creek. The Abbott Lodge has 59 rooms, and in Sharp Top Lounge, you can sit in the cocktail lounge that overlooks Abbott Lake. The lodge is a romantic place to propose. The beautiful scenery is amazing, and there are a plethora of locations at the Peaks of Otter to propose.

Perhaps you would rather take a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway spans the Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, and Roanoke is the largest city adjacent to the parkway. There are overlooks every 5 or so miles where you can park at and overlook different areas of Roanoke. For nature lovers, the scenery is immaculate, including trees, flowers, and there are many wild animals that could pop up during your drive. What better way to propose than on a beautiful drive with breathtaking scenery?

Maybe you want to do it up a bit? A hotel, perhaps? The most posh hotel in Roanoke would have to be Hotel Roanoke. Hotel Roanoke is a national landmark built in 1882. Its guest list boasts of Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and Hilary Duff (after a concert). They even have romance packages that include the room, strawberries and wine, breakfast for two (either in the dining room or room service) and a late checkout. Their dining area, the Regency Room, is elegant, and they also have the Pine Room Pub, and even a dance club. There are so many places you could propose in Hotel Roanoke.

Roanoke may not boast of big city living, but where it lacks in hustle and bustle, it makes up for in romance.