Leapin’ Lovers, It’s Almost Valentine’s Day!

Every year, lovers both young and old look for new and unique ways to propose marriage to their significant others on Valentine’s Day. Some go through elaborate steps like having a restaurant put a ring in the dessert, while others might broadcast their proposals on the scoreboards of sporting events. Well, folks, you know at Stuckey’s we like to do things a little different, too, so if you’re one of those couples looking to take the leap this Valentine’s Day, we’ve got just the thing.

Did you know that there are no less than 35 places known as “Lovers Leap” in America where, as legends have it, you can join the countless others that have come before you and take the leap in the name of love. Now, don’t get us wrong. We’re not asking you to do anything drastic, but quite the opposite. You see, many of these locations offer spectacularly romantic views where you can take a “leap” of faith and ask you’re beloved to marry you. Imagine what a great story you’ll have when people ask you where you got engaged and you can tell them you took the plunge at Lover’s Leap. Pass the tissues! 

More often than not, the tales of how these acrophobia-inducing cliffs earned their “Lover’s Leap” monikers involve Native American princesses who leap to their deaths after their fathers refuse to let them marry outside their tribes. Nevertheless, Americans find these heartbreaking tales actually heartwarming – and some even romantic – so much so that they will drive for hours to take a gander at the scenic countryside while they hold hands, kiss, and sometimes buy souvenirs.

So, if you’re looking for some fun things couples can do on a road trip, here are a handful of the many places you can go to express your undying affection and maybe even take the leap into marriage by proposing to the one you love while you’re there. (Just don’t stand too close to the edge, lest your love story becomes a tragedy, too.) 

LOVER’S LEAP PARK // Hannibal, Missouri

Hannibal’s favorite son Mark Twain, once said “There are fifty Lover’s Leaps along the Mississippi from whose summit disappointed Indian girls have jumped.” One has to wonder if he included his hometown in that figure as Hannibal’s Lover’s Leap looks out across the Mississippi and has its own Native American legend as well. In the story of this Lover’s Leap, however, an Indian maiden leapt to her death to avoid marrying someone she did not want to marry, thereby distributing herself among the rocks below.

ROCK CITY // Chattanooga, Tennessee

We did a story on Rock City not too long ago, and yes, that whimsical place full of gnomes and fairy caverns  and tales of Mother Goose left out one story. You see, that overlook from where you can “See Seven States” is called Lover’s Leap because of the Cherokee legend of two young lovers – a brave named Sautee and a beautiful young Indian maiden named Nacoochee. Unfortunately, they were from two feuding tribes, so it was kind of like a Hatfield boy meeting in secret with a McCoy girl.  Eventually the two were caught and Sautee was captured and tossed off of Lover’s Leap. Nacoochee became so upset that she followed Sautee off the cliff of her own volition. No worries though, because today you can take in the beautiful view atop Rock City and kindle a little romance of your own at the beautiful High Falls.

CAMERON PARK // Waco, Texas

These incredible sculptured cliffs offer a spectacular view of the Bosque River and an even more fantastic tale about  a Waco Indian maiden named Wah-Wah-Tee who clandestinely accepted a proposal of  marriage proposal from a rugged and handsome Apache brave.  However,  the rugged and handsome brave just happened to be from, you guessed it, a tribe that was feuding with Wah-Wah-Tee’s tribe.  However, these two didn’t hang around and wait to get caught; rather, they tried to elope. Nevertheless, they got caught and instead of the Apache brave being the one tossed off the cliff, they both decided to jump into the swollen river below and take their chances. Unfortunately, they were later found, still locked in their eternal embrace on the banks of the river close to where they first met.

NOCCALULA FALLS PARK // Gadsden, Alabama

Noccalula Falls is a beautifully breathtaking – kind of like how the jump from atop the falls must have taken Indian princess Noccalula’s breath away after her father refused to let her marry a boy from a warring tribe and nearly forced her to marry another until, well, she jumped into the waters below.  There’s even an eleven-foot tall bronze sculpture depicting Noccalula ready to take the plunge.

BLOWING ROCK //  Blowing Rock, North Carolina

The Blowing Rock’s legend actually has a happy ending to it. One day a Chickasaw maiden was sitting on Blowing Rock daydreaming when all of a sudden she spotted a really cute Cherokee brave walking in the  wilderness below. She decided to flirt with him by shooting an arrow in his direction and apparently it work because soon he showed up at her wigwam, hanging out and stuff.  Not too long after,  they were doing all of those romantic things that a Chickasaw girl and Cherokee boy are likely to do – walking hand in hand in the woods and swimming half-naked in creeks and stuff. 

One day,  however,  the sky was unusually red, and the brave was thinking maybe this was the Great Spirit telling him to go back to his tribe on the plains. He was kind of an emo Cherokee boy and became sad at the thought of leaving this beautiful girl that almost killed him with an arrow because that was her idea of “flirting”. Anyway, he was so distressed that he jumped off the rock because he couldn’t live without her. However, when he jumped, a strong wind came up and blew him back into his lover’s arms. Ever since that day, there is a mighty wind that always blows from the valley below and it’s said that anything you throw off of the rock will return back to you. We don’t know what happened to the two Native Americans after that, but they probably got married and stuff.

WILLS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK // Cumberland, Maryland

We’re not really sure about the legend behind how this Wills Mountain  Lovers’ Leap got its name but we’re guessing it goes a little something like this: Two Native Americans fell in love; however, they both were from warring tribes, so the father of the girl would never accept the boy. Finding out they plan to marry, the father or brother or uncle of the girl throws the boy off Lover’s Leap; or they both get caught and decide to jump together; or the father sends the boy on his way and tries to force his daughter to marry another, so she leaps to avoid getting married. The great thing about Lover’s Leap at Will’s Mountain State Park is  you can make up your own story; however, each scenario ends the same as there is never a wind strong enough here to blow the lovers back to the top. Instead, they meet their untimely death on U.S. Route 40 below.

So, there are just a handful of places you and your lover can visit this Valentine ’s Day and make the leap into the happily ever after.

However, before you jump into the arms of holy matrimony, why not hop on over to your nearest Stuckey’s location and pick up some candy for Valentine’s Day. This year, give your sweetheart what they really want – our special Valentine’s Day “Bless Your Heart!” gift box that includesall the great Stuckey’s memorabilia that your Valentine has been in love with for years like our  world Famous Stuckey’s Pecan Log Roll, Pecan Pralines,  Pecan Divinity,  and much, much more including Cinnamon Cube Pops, Birthday Cake Popcorn, a Candy Shoppe Coffee Mug, a “Bless Your Heart” Funny Button and  Stuckey’s Logo Plush Teddy Bear.

On the other hand, if your Valentine’s is real Southern Belle or has all the charm of a Southern Gent, then why not treat them to our Sweet Southern Goodness Box? It includes our deliciously iconic pecan log roll, a bar of our mouthwatering pecan divinity, a bag of crunchy Honey Roasted Pecans and our even crunchier peanut brittle, and our Stuckey’s branded Candy Shoppe Coffee Mug to serve as a warm memento to your lover every time your Valentine uses it.

It’s the perfect gift for that special Valentine who loves Stuckey’s!  Visit our website at stuckeys.com  for more gift ideas and have your Stuckey’s merchandise delivered to that special someone just in time for Valentine’s Day!

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