4 Romantic Spots Around Marion, Illinois

When you want to spend a romantic evening or weekend together in the Marion, Illinois, area with your loved one you have many options. Whether you want to stay in a secluded cabin surrounded by forest, sip wine while watching the sunset, or wander through meditative gardens, we can recommend these four destinations.

Blue Sky Vineyard

“Close-Up Photography of Wine Glasses” used with permission via Pexels by Valeria Boltneva

Feel like you’re in Tuscany, Italy, when you visit the stunning Blue Sky Vineyard located at 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd. in Makanda. The winemakers produce a variety of wines from grapes grown in their vineyards and enjoy showcasing the high-quality flavors and attributes of wine grapes grown in the area. Not only can you savor semi-sweet to dry wines in the tasting room, but you can also hire the property for a special event such as an anniversary, birthday, or wedding proposal.

On occasions, Blue Sky Vineyard offers live music and this is a fun way to spend an afternoon with someone special sipping wine. Order food from the menu with offerings such as artichoke and spinach dip served with Greek-style pita bread or a homestyle chicken pot pie filled with vegetables and a creamy sauce then topped with a golden-brown flaky crust.

Come to the Blue Sky Vineyard to spend the night inone of the gorgeous suites located above the tasting room in the Tuscan-inspired villa. You’ll have sweeping views of the rolling hills and forests of nearby Shawnee National Forest. As the sun sets, share a bottle of handmade Blue Sky Vineyard boutique wine while sitting on your patio overlooking the on-site waterfall. Each suite features a private bath with upscale bath amenities. The rooms are decorated with striking antique furniture yet are filled with modern conveniences such as a microwave, mini-fridge, and satellite television.

In the morning before you start your day exploring, relaxing, or taking a tour of the Blue Sky Vineyard’s barrel room, savor the European-style breakfast with freshly squeezed fruit juice, hot coffee, pastries, and cheeses.

Makanda Inn & Cottages

Take a romantic overnight or weekend getaway over to Makanda and stay at either the bed and breakfast or one of the private cottages at Makanda Inn & Cottages. The main area of the inn features a grand fireplace made from local stones and timber, and you can access free Wi-Fi in the lobby area.

Each well-appointed guest room has top-of-the-line linens with king-size pillow-top mattresses. When you stay at the bed and breakfast, a home-cooked gourmet breakfast comes with your booking. If you decide to stay in the cottages that come with their own kitchen, please note that breakfast is not included. However, you can cook your own food, and local-roasted Steam Shovel coffee is supplied free of charge. Enjoy the luxurious handmade natural soaps that you’ll find in your private bathroom as you relax after a busy day exploring the area.

This eco-friendly resort often uses re-purposed materials. The property also uses a high-efficiency heat pump for heating and cooling, and the solar array helps supply additional power as needed. All of the buildings are made with straw bale construction which provides excellent soundproofing and insulation so your stay will be private and comfortable.

Surround yourself with nature including the nearby woodlands starting with Drury Creek running through the property or access to the Shawnee National Forest is only an hour away. Staying at the Makanda Inn & Cottages is a great way to spend the night after a fun day having an adventure at one of Shawnee National Forest’s many attractions. You can find Makanda Inn & Cottages at 855 Old Lower Cobden Rd. in Makanda.

Mandala Gardens

Spend a romantic, relaxing, and mindful afternoon with someone special when you walk the labyrinths, gaze at the flowers, or have a picnic in the grass under a shade tree at the 7-acre Mandala Gardens.

If you’d like to book a special event such as a birthday or anniversary, you can make a reservation with the hosts. Spend the day under the gazebo by the pond and as twilight begins, sit around the fire pits and watch as the night stars begin to twinkle. Mandala Gardens is a wonderful location for special photo shoots such as engagements, betrothals, or other significant announcements.Find Mandala Gardens at 1704 N. State St. in Marion.

Scratch Brewing Company

Enjoy an evening with your date sipping and savoring handcrafted beer at Scratch Brewing Company in Ava. The team at Scratch Brewing Company focuses on farmhouse-style beers using naturally-grown and foraged ingredients from the nearby Shawnee National Forest. The brewery was named by Outside Magazine as one of the top four United States breweries that make foraged beer. What does foraged beer mean? It means that the brewmaster adds native ingredients such as elderberries, nettle, juniper berries, hickory, dandelion, and even chanterelle mushrooms that they have collected in the local forest to the beer.

When you visit the brewery, you can wander through the gardens, take a tour of the brewery and smell some of the foraged ingredients they use for their beers. When the kitchen is open, you can enjoy homemade food with your beer. You can also bring a picnic with you and spend the late afternoon together dining, enjoying the variety of beers the brewery offers, and gaze into the surrounding forest.

To learn more about beer making and some of the ingredients Scratch Brewing Company uses, pick up a copy of the Homebrewer’s Almanac that you can find online or in select book stores. The brewery and taproom are open Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stop by and visit Scratch Brewing Company at 264 Thompson Rd. in Ava.

We hope you will enjoy visiting these lovely spots near Marion. Let us know which was your favorite place to visit. What made them romantic for you? If you have another place that you would like to share with someone for a romantic date, we would love to know about them. Feel free to drop us a line and we’ll add your recommendation to our list.