N.J.’s 25 most romantic spots for Valentine’s Day

Why Valentine’s Day falls in the dead of winter is shrouded in mystery. Some credit (or blame) ancient Romans, who celebrated the feast of Lupercalia on Feb. 15.

The holiday moved, with the rise of Christianity, to Feb. 14, a saint day that celebrated several Christian martyrs named Valentine. What that has to do with love or romance, who knows.

Unless you’re jetting off to St. Barts — 78 degrees and sunny as I write this — you’re going to be stuck home with your honey, likely with piles of snow outside. Time to get out of the house and liven up your love life!

Here are New Jersey’s 25 most romantic places, with several off the beaten path or with a decidedly Jersey spin.

The Mile Square City may be Hipster Central, but calm, collected refuges like Amanda’s remain. The elegant but unstuffy dining rooms are the perfect place for that special night out, and its Sunday brunches are the stuff of mid-morning legend.

New Jersey is chock-full of adorable inns and B&Bs, and arguably the best time to spend a weekend at one of them is now, with less crowds and traffic to deal with. I stayed in several terrific B&Bs on my somewhat-epic Shore walk, including the Inn at Ocean Grove; the Inn at Rivers Edge Marina in Forked River; the Atlantis Inn, Ocean City; the Colonnade Inn, Sea Isle; and the Carroll Villa Hotel (more an inn than hotel) in Cape May. I recommend them all highly.

At Cafe Matisse, colorful impressionist-style paintings and chandeliers create a playful, inviting atmosphere of simple elegance. The restaurant, which is BYOB and offers various tasting menus, is situated in a historic building that was originally a horse and buggy firehouse. It was named among the 100 most romantic restaurants in the U.S. by OpenTable.

There are many romantic towns along the Jersey Shore, but there is only one Cape May. The Victorian jewel, filled with impeccably maintained B&Bs, is a great place to jump-start — or rekindle — a romance. Cape May is a diner’s delight; it was named one of the country’s top 20 dining destinations by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Among the most romantic restaurants: The Peter Shields Inn and the Washington Inn. The entire town exudes a charm and gentility nearly impossible to find in this manic world.

There may be no more postcard-pretty sight in New Jersey than the Red Mill, perched on the South Branch of the Raritan River. I once lived in an apartment above a shop on Main Street, falling asleep to the soothing sound of the falls. Clinton itself is one of the state’s most charming small towns. During the day, there are shops and beautiful Hunterdon County to explore, or you can just sit in front of the falls in your lover’s warm, welcoming embrace.

This sprawling, 685-acre park contains picnic areas, fishing spots, picnic tables, tennis courts, bocce courts, paddle boats, a softball field, a golf course — and one remarkable rose garden. The Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, with 3,000 roses, 325 varieties and a fragrance and sensory garden portion, may be the state’s sweetest-smelling spot. It’s home to roses, orange mint, lemon balm and pineapple sage. My favorite plant name? Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea.

No, not the (great and twisted) horror movie, but a cabin at Mohican Outdoor Center, on a lake in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The fabled Appalachian Trail is nearby, and civilization is not that far away in case you miss it. Two great destinations: Buttermilk Falls and Walpack Center, the town that time forgot. The center is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The photo shows canoeists on Catfish Pond at the Mohican Outdoor Center.

New Jersey was the birthplace of the drive-in movie, and hundreds once dotted the landscape. But sadly there’s only one left — the Delsea Drive-in in Vineland. Two screens, a snack bar and you listen to the sound on your radio. Warm summer nights don’t get any more romantic than this. Note: The drive-in, currently closed, expects to re-open soon.

Nearly 20 miles of walking trails and 12 miles of cycling trails can be found at lush, lovely Duke Farms. Tropical and subtropical orchid displays can be found at the Orchid Range. The “great falls,” a tiered waterfall to the side of Duke Reservoir, goes off four times a day. Note: The property is open to the public Monday-Friday, but closed on weekends during the winter.

It starts with the view, an unparalleled sweep of the New York City skyline. The 408-acre Essex County park features the 40-mile Lenape Trail skirting the eastern edge and the county 9/11 Memorial. The Highlawn Pavilion, one of the state’s more acclaimed restaurants and the host of many a storybook wedding, is here.

History, old-world charm, understated elegance: The Franklinville Inn is a prime example of a category New Jersey does so well: colonial inns/restaurants. It started as a stagecoach stop in a town once known as Little Ease. There’s an award-winning wine list, although the Southern Pink Flamingo (coconut rum, peach bourbon, pineapple juice, Grenadine) seems a sure-fire winter blues chaser. The inn was named one of the 100 most romantic restaurants in the U.S. by OpenTable.

This may be the state’s least-known romantic spot, an oasis of peace and quiet beauty minutes from the Garden State Parkway. The 13-acre property was deeded to the township by the late Warner “Bud” Brackett. Mike Mitchell, who takes care of its 500 or so rose plants, was there when I stopped. “Roses are the prima donnas of the plant world,” Mitchell said. “Anything that can go wrong goes wrong.” He smiled. “And they complain all the time.” The roses are in a gated garden, but make sure to explore the entire grounds. Don’t go looking for an official website or Facebook page — there isn’t any.

Gazebos are romantic, especially when you have them to yourself, and it’s sunrise or sunset. The Lavallette Gazebo has the additional treat of being on the water in Bayfront Park. You can rent it out for two hours for your wedding photos. There are a few rules: no confetti or rice is allowed, but “bubbles,” according to the borough website, “are permitted.”

There’s nothing like standing at the top of Jersey to get your heart racing. You can do that at High Point State Park in Sussex County. Hike to the monument marking the state’s summit (1,803 feet is not much, but at least we’re higher than Missouri, Ohio and eight other states). There are 50 miles of trails within the park.

For diner lovers, there is no more romantic place than a late-night diner in the Diner Capital of the World. There are so many to choose from, but I’ll take Angelo’s Glassboro Diner, New Jersey’s quintessential small-town diner. It boasts a classic feel and look — swivel stools, fluorescent lighting, grill out front — that no modern diner can possibly replicate. It’s a timeless slice of Americana, where everyone in town, or so it seems, eats.

The Knife & Fork Inn started in 1912 as an exclusive men’s drinking and dining club. The second floor included a “ladies lounge” where women, who were not permitted at the bar, waited to be summoned. A 2005 renovation aimed to recapture the Prohibition-era mystique, with its rich mahogany millwork, hand-painted ceilings and lushly appointed dining rooms. The restaurant has long been regarded as one of the state’s premiere dining experiences.

Liberty State Park is busiest during the day, but you’ll want to head over there at night for an unforgettable, impossibly romantic view of the glittering Manhattan skyline. It’s the perfect place to ask The Big Question. Have drinks or dinner at the Liberty House or Maritime Parc; stroll hand-in-hand along the promenade later on. Not in the park, but a personal favorite with great waterfront views: Batello, one of 10 finalists in our N.J.’s Best Italian Restaurant Showdown.

OK, that doesn’t sound very romantic, but bear with me a minute. You and your significant other climb 200 or so steps, and at the top, you’re weary and winded and collapse into each other’s arms. Can’t get any more romantic than that. My favorite lighthouses: Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City and Barnegat Light (in photo) on Long Beach Island.

“Long walks on the beach” is a romantic cliché, but walks on the beach in the winter have two advantages — you’ll have the beach to yourself, and the brisk weather gives you a great excuse to snuggle up with that special someone. LBI is no more peaceful and beautiful than it is in winter.

America’s greatest love affair? With its cars! New Jersey’s most romantic road is not the Parkway or Route 80, but Route 519, a winding, whispery highway that stretches from Colesville, at the top of the state, to Stockton. Along the way are Harmony and Hope, plus antique stores, horse farms and vineyards. Nearby is the Green Sergeants Bridge, the state’s only true covered bridge.

The setting is stupendous: a 19th-century British novel come to life, as restaurant reviewer Teresa Politano aptly put it. Ninety Acres, on a 500-acre estate known as Natirar (Raritan spelled backwards), sits regally on a working farm. In fact, it was once owned by a king — King Hassan II of Morocco. “It just makes you feel special when you eat here,” @ryanjmarshall said on Twitter. “I can’t think of any other restaurant like it in NJ.”

It sounds so Jersey, doesn’t it? More a pond than a puddle, it’s located between the Cook and Douglass campuses and is as much a Rutgers tradition as the infamous grease trucks, which unfortunately are no more. Legend has it that if a male student from Cook College and a female student from Douglass College hold hands and walk three times around the pond, they’ll get married. The Puddle is nationally known: It ranked sixth on a list of the nation’s 25 most romantic college campus spots.

Long regarded as one of the state’s landmark restaurants, the Sergeantsville Inn started as a private residence in the 1700s in what was then Skunktown. The post office didn’t much like the name, so it was changed to Sergeantsville. There are fireplaces in the dining rooms, and the ambitious menu includes Icelandic cod, pork cassoulet and Shenandoah Valley organic honey lavender chicken.

Nothing says romantic like a colonial inn, or town, especially lit up at night — and at this time of year, with the crowds gone. Smithville, minutes from Atlantic City, makes for a great year-round getaway, with its collection of 60 cute shops around a duck-filled pond. Inside the Colonial Inn there are double soaking tubs, muffins and juice in a basket in the morning and an “endless’’ supply of cookies in the afternoon. You had me at cookies.

Sunset Beach boasts the state’s most romantic sunset. Wait, you say, don’t all sunsets look the same? Not the one at Sunset Beach in Lower Township. There’s something about watching the sun go down at the end of New Jersey, and the sunken concrete ship Atlantus just off the beach, that adds a spooky, spectral side effect. There’s a gift shop and restaurant, and parking is free. Nearby are Cape May Lighthouse and the World War II Lookout Tower, part of the wartime coastal defense system.

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Peter Genovese may be reached at [email protected].