This year February 14 is on a Saturday, making Valentine’s Day the perfect time to spice up a special holiday with exotic chocolate and some casual weekend travel. You’re even covered if you don’t want to set foot out of the house. Yes, there really is a site where you can sample online chocolate tours and get a line on Midwest locations of the real thing at working chocolate factories.
Be forewarned, though. Looking at all that chocolate may entice you to hit the road to find the real stuff. You might start with Chocolatea at 7642 South Westnedge. Browse through the selection of loose leaf teas, gifts and chocolates. You can even sample their sipping chocolate, claimed to be “the expresso of chocolate.”
Go a little further down the down the road (you choose which one), and you’ll encounter a location of the South Bend Chocolate Company. Their corporate office, chocolate café and outlet store is in South Bend, IN, of course, at 3300 West Sample Street. There is another chocolate café in downtown South Bend and one at Memorial Hospital.
Other Indiana locations include Indianapolis, Valparaiso, Shipshewana, Mishawaka, Greenwood, Michigan City and a couple of locations along the toll road. You’ll also find South Bend Chocolate outlets in Michigan (St. Joseph, New Buffalo and South Haven) and Ohio (Put-In-Bay). You can find complete addresses and phone numbers for all of the locations on their site.
On the tours at the corporate location, you’ll see rare chocolate molds, antique chocolate tins and boxes and lots and lots of chocolate. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Tours are usually Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 800/301-4961 for details.
If by this time you’re in the mood to do this Valentine’s thing right, start now because these take a little more planning and preparation. You can go east or west. If you aim your car east, head for the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, MI. The hotel offer a Romantic Encounter Package for Valentine’s Day. I don’t want to ruin any surprises by giving away what it includes. So you’ll just have to call 248/642-7900 to see for yourself.
Want to go west instead? Okay, head for Chicago. An obvious choice here is one of the delightful Chicago Chocolate Tours (312/929-2939). Choose a seated tasting or one of their thoroughly enjoyable walking tours of chocolate retailers. They have several routes from which to choose.
If you had something more exotic in mind, consider the chocolate buffet at The Peninsula Hotel. We’re talking serious chocolate here. To learn more, log on or call 312/337-2888.
If you’re in the Windy City and are looking to make Valentine’s Day truly memorable, I mean memorable as in unforgettably spectacular, you might ponder Soul Spark Parties & Events. One of this outfit’s signature events is the Chocolate Extravaganza Party. It entails them coming to a home, business or facility of your choice and setting up a full chocolate buffet. Intrigued? Visit the site or call 630/779-9301. Although it is pricey and generally tailored to larger groups of 20 or so, it might be ideal for a family reunion, a women’s group or several couples traveling together. Enjoy.
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