Why Choose Lake Martin For a Fairy Tale Romantic Getaway

Mountain Laurel Lake Martin

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What do you look for in a romantic getaway? Is it delicious food, good music, and a quaint B&B? How about mythical beasts, castles, and quests? Perhaps it’s just a beautiful place to watch the sunset with the one you love. Would you believe us if we told you that a romantic getaway to Lake Martin, Alabama, has all these things and more? Either way, stay tuned, and we’ll prove it.

Lake Martin Boat Tour
Paradise BnB-40

Friday Night Serenades at Russell Crossroads

Friday nights at Lake Martin are a special time for its weekend residents. This is the time they leave their stressful corporate jobs in the city to retreat to their lake homes. It happens every Friday during the summer, like swallows returning to Capistrano. In fact, the opulence of Lake Martin might remind you of a bit of the OC, complete with live music, fine European food, and a fantastic wine selection. Of course, we’re talking about Friday on the Green at Russell Crossroads.

Most every summer Friday night, a revolving selection of musicians grace the state to serenade your sunset. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or blanket, but you can find all the fine provisions you’ll need at Catherine’s Market, located just off the Town Green at Russell Crossroads.

Friday Night on the Green Russel Crossroads-2
Friday Night on the Green Russel Crossroads

Feasting at SpringHouse

If you have a hearty appetite or enough self-control to restrain yourself at Catherine’s, fine dining awaits you at SpringHouse. This is the first of this weekend’s many ‘castles’ you’ll encounter. It offers upscale southern dining with a flavor-forward palette.

If you’re looking to live it up, buy a couple of bottles of wine and some hors d’oeuvres to warm up your taste buds at Catherine’s and make a reservation at SpringHouse for 30-minutes after sunset. Enjoy the ambiance on Town Green, including that bottle or two. It’s ok to indulge because it’s only a five-minute walk from the stage to SpringHouse. Pro-tip, park at SpringHouse so you can drop your lawn chairs back at the car before dinner.

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Taking the Plunge- Our First Solo Dive at Catalina Island
Springhouse Restaurant Russell Crossroads
Springhouse Restaurant Russell Crossroads-2

Romantic Nights at the Mistletoe Bough

In storybook romances, the prince and princess return to their palace after their magical evening. Then something horrible happens like they’re attacked by a witch, dragon, flying monkeys, or some such beast. Our choice of “palaces” was the 1890 Victorian charmer, the Mistletoe Bough Bed and Breakfast, located atop the tallest hill in Alexander City.

You’re steeped in Southern hospitality from the moment you first see this classic home to snuggling up to sleep in a bed of soft linen. Waking up to a southern-style breakfast is a storybook ending for sure, only without any flying monkeys. Pro-tip, show up early for the complimentary social hour from 4-5 pm. You can meet your hosts and fellow guests and get situated for the night’s festivities. The last thing you want to do mid-date is to check in to your room, so knock out the logistics early and leave the evening to romance.

Mistletoe Bough exterior
Mistletoe Bough-3
Mistletoe Bough
Mistletoe Bough-2

Sailing Inland Seas, Fighting Pirates, and Visiting Magical Beasts

Your romantic escape continues on the water Saturday. No matter how you experience boating Lake Martin, you’ll find romance and adventure. Options include boat rentals or even booking your own captain with Lake Martin Tours.

As you sail (or motor ) around this inland sea, which at one time was the world’s largest man-made lake, you’ll discover mysteries and magic. With stops that include the enchanted Jim Scott Gardens, fluffy encounters on Goat Island, and, of course, the swashbuckle of Pirate Island, a day on the water feels like a classic love story. Cruising by palatial waterfront homes only deepens that fantasy. Add in a bottle of wine and a charcuterie plate that you purchased the night before at Catherine’s Market, and you’ll be immersed in a nautical daydream.

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Lake Martin Boat Tour palatial homes
Pirate Island Lake Martin
Children's Harbor Lake Martin_-4
Goat Island Lake Martin-2

Sunset Over the Water at Kowaliga

When Hank Williams stayed in Lake Martin, he wrote Kaw-Liga, a country and western romance about a stoic wooden Indian who lost out on his one true love. Poor old Kaw-Liga, he never got a kiss. If you don’t get a kiss watching the sunset from Kowaliga Restaurant, your heart must truly be made of knotty pine.

The restaurant has exceptional waterfront views and locally sourced southern comfort food, including a wide assortment of fresh Gulf Coast seafood. It’s the perfect way to end the day. Unless, of course, you’re pining for something naughty, which we’ll leave up to your imagination when you return to your chambers at Mistletoe Bough.

Exterior Kowaliga
Kowaliga Restaurant-21

Sunday – Choose Your Own Adventure

All good stories end with a consummate climax. Hey now, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but we’re talking about a choose-your-own-adventure at Lake Martin. This is the part of the story where the prince and princess triumph in the face of adversity and pledge their eternal love. Who are we to argue with a tried and true trope?

Your options include:

  • Flying through forests at the Wind Creek State Park ziplines (aka Screaming Eagle Adventures)
  • Scaling castles (aka the Smith Mountain Fire Tower)
  • Braving rapids on the Tallapoosa
  • Exploring the Russell Forest on your trusty steed

A watched plot never foils, but your work and toils led you to this point. Choose wisely, or you’ll have to keep coming back to Lake Martin. Which actually isn’t all that bad, lol

Hiking Smith Mountain and Smith Mountain Fire Tower-2
Cowboy leading a trail ride
Wind Creek State Park zip lines
Picnic at Wind Creek Stat Park

Wrapping up Your Romantic Weekend at Lake Martin

We hope we have left you and your love yearning for a romantic weekend getaway at Lake Martin. We have two other articles that contain the logistics of boating on Lake Martin and things to do on Lake Martin without a boat. These articles have all the tools you’ll need to plan your own adventurous and romantic getaway, including interactive maps.

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Ghost Touring in Haunted San Diego

Also, be aware that the water level drops about 10′ in the winter on Lake Martin. Some years, this begins on September 1. Other times it’s extended until mid-October. The lake is usually at its summer levels by the end of April. Check the water levels if you’re heading out during the shoulder seasons and plan accordingly. However, if you’re coming to the Friday On The Green concert series, the lake will be at its summer level. Thanks for reading, and let us know if you try this getaway!

Disclosure: A big thank you to the Lake Martin Tourism Association for hosting us and setting up a fantastic itinerary! For more travel inspiration check out their Instagram and Facebook accounts.

As always, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own, and we only recommend brands and destinations that we 100% stand behind.

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Lake Martin Alabama at sunrise

Lake Martin shore at sunset

Children's Harbor lighthouse Lake Martin at sunset

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Meet Ed & Jenn

Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman, and together we are Coleman Concierge. It is our goal to inspire you to get out, expand your world, and to seek adventure, even in your own backyard.

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