Sure, romantic dinners are nice, but you know what's even better? A romantic couples selfie! Check out some of our favorite Valentine's Day Fotospots in Southern California.
LessAcross the street from Micheltorena Elementary School is this 78-step staircase. If you stand back several feet at the bottom of the stairs, you can see hearts carefully painted on the vertical part of the steps. Gaily colored in rainbow hues, this hidden staircase in Los Angeles is a lesser-known part of the Silverlake neighborhood.
A giant boulder accessible via an unmarked trail from the White Tank Campground has a natural formation in the shape of a heart. It's about 10 feet tall, rising out of a landscape strewn with boulders. Getting there might be tricky since there is no official path. The easiest way would be to first find Arch Rock and then find a path that will lead you northeast to Heart Rock. In a straight line Heart Rock is about 1,500 feet (1/4 mile) away from Arch Rock.
Dinny and Mr. Rex are billed as the World's Biggest Dinosaurs and possibly the most famous. They made their silver-screen debut in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" in 1985. Now they are joined by a few dozen other fake prehistoric creatures and the establishment charges $12 per person for admission. If you want to skip the fee, snap a few pics from outside the grounds where the dinosaurs are still highly visible.
The iconic photo of an overjoyed sailor romantically kissing a slender nurse was captured in a 25-foot sculpture form. A mere 20-minute walk from the Gaslamp Quarter, this larger-than-life symbol of American victory has a perfect home in the naval town of San Diego.
The Love Wall: It looks like a giant sized piece of Valentine's Day wrapping paper but it is one of the most photo-worthy spots on Instagram especially for lovebirds and marriage proposals. The bright red backdrop on which "love" is uniformly scrawled in silver more than a dozen times is an eye-popping splash of color on a grey concrete block.
Known for his cutting-edge men's suits with the ever-popular slim fit, Paul Smith is probably more well-known in L.A. for the boutique wall that graces the corner of the modish Melrose Avenue. It was famous for its eye-catching shade of Pepto pink but one side has recently been redone in a rainbow of stripes acknowledging Pride 2017 and the area's diverse demographic.
Orange Street Alley: This entire marketplace haven in downtown Redlands is photo worthy. You won't have to wait to snag a shot of the perfect Instagram moment. There are plenty to go around. From the colorful suspended umbrellas hanging overhead to the old-fashioned brick-facade buildings, Redlands has designed a romantic avenue that comes alive every night.
On the way to Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear is Heart Rock Falls in the Valley of Enchantment. Sounds like the perfect place to take your honey for Valentine's! The actual falls are about a one mile round trip hike, suitable for mostly anyone - and here you will see the heart-shaped pool embedded in the rock created from the force of falling water. In summer, you can even take a dive in the swimming hole below the falls.
The Other Love Wall: If there are too many lovers at the Love Wall on Higuera Street, here is your second option. You might have better luck as this one is hidden away in an alley parking lot behind a cafe. The white backdrop with the colorful outlines of hearts splashed all over is a subtler version of its bright red sister wall but it's just as romantic.
California finally got a LOVE sculpture in 2018, 48 years after the first one was installed in Indianapolis. This one is installed in the unlikely city of Rosemead, donated by Andrew and Peggy Cherng, owners of the famed Panda Express. The sculpture with its recognizable Didone font and slanted O can be found outside the entrance of the Panda Restaurant Group Support Center.