While Rhode Island has no shortage of wonderfuly romantic getaways, there's no reason to limit yourself to its 1500 square miles when Valentine's day comes. After all, every Rhode Islander knows that Foxwoods, La Saulette, and the Gillette Stadium are actually part of the Ocean State that just happens to be technically out of the state's boundaries. Cape Cod should also be on the list of places outside of Rhode Island that should be considered rightfully ours. That's why a trip to Cape Cod's Falmouth village feels like getting away AND just like home.

Falmouth, for many Rhode Islanders, is at most an extension of Woods Hole, where the ferry loads up for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. But Woods Hole is actually part of the Falmouth township. The village of Falmouth was first settled in 1660. Early residents were farmers, with whaling and salt production becoming an important industry in the early 1800's. By the time the train tracks were built through the cranberry farms surrounding the town, it had already become a place for summer homes. Eventually, the township included several villages, including Woods Hole, but the town center has always been Falmouth Village. And the village is a wonderfuly romantic place for Valentine's day. It's a half-mile of classic New England village, with shops and restaurants lined up side-by-side.

When Linda and I visited the town, we stayed at the Palmer House Inn. It's a Queen Anne style Cape Cod Inn, rated four diamonds by AAA, that was orginally built as a spacious private home. It has been a B&B for the last 20 years, enhanced with additional rooms in a cottage and a guest house built in a former carrage house on the property. Linda and I stayed in the guest house in a room with a fireplace, kingsize bed, and a jaccuzzi tub. The fireplace provided a romantic focal point to the room, and watching the flames flicker was a wonderful way to fall asleep at night.

We also enjoyed relaxing in front of the fireplace in the main house, sipping hot cocoa surrounded by antiques that included an Edison cylindar record player. We also loved their sumptuous breakfasts -- they alternate savory with sweet breakfasts each day. The table settings included stirling napkin rings designed like carts pulled by billygoats.

Presently, the Palmer house inn is running a Valentine's Day special, with three romantic nights for the price of two in one of their inviting king bedroom with whirlpool tub. They'll give you a $50 gift certificate so you can savor a memorable meal at one of Falmouth's fine restaurants and then return to the Inn to warm your hearts by the fire or relax in a whirlpool tub sipping complimentary Champagne and chocolates. They'll even arrange for the long-stemmed roses for you to make the visit even more memorable.

The Palmer House Inn is at the west end of Main Street on Palmer Street, just two houses away from the restored historic homes called the "museums on the green". The village green is a triangle of land formed by the junction of Palmer Street and Main Street. It's no longer a parklike expanse of grass, so don't go looking for it, but there is a pleasant park farther along main street. In the park is a statue of Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote the lyrics for America the Beautiful. Her childhood home is at the west end of Main Street.

The shops of main street offered plenty of distraction. A store filled with what Linda calls "Diva clothes" kept her entertained for more than an hour. We both poked around a store that featured an upscale deli, local crafts, and Cape Cod knick knacks.

When dinner time rolled around, there were plenty of choices. Roobar looked interesting -- artsy and upscale. Cafe Villaggio offered Italian food. But it's Cape Cod, so we chose seafood at the Quarterdeck Restaurant. The Quarterdeck has a long history as a local favorite. We listened to live music as we ate chowder, scrod (they spelled it "schrod"), and Grapenut Pudding. The decor featured antique wood beams and stained glass salvaged from other buildings. And the waitress gave us friendly and attentive service.

After dinner -- more music and a nightcap at Liam Maguire's Irish Pub. Comfortable, pleasant, and obviously the place to be on a Saturday night.

We didn't make it to the Falmouth Artist's Guild before they closed; they only stay open to 3pm on Sunday. But a visit to a gallery would have been nice. Instead we poked around the toy store, ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing over unusual toys, debating the value of a 30,000-piece jigsaw puzzle for $150, and eventually settling for a couple of sparkly gizmos from their dollar bin.

Before we headed home, we stopped for coffee at the Coffee Obsession in order to check our email one last time and to get a quick snack. Then scurrying back north on 28 and west on 195, we were home in about an hour.

There's a whole lot more to Falmouth than the classic downtown Main Street, enough to keep you busy for a long vacation. But a weekend getaway or a Valentine's Day celebration can stay cozy and romantic entirely within the half-mile of the village.

About the author, Paul Pence: Not a life-long Rhode Islander, Paul got to Rhode Island as fast as he could. He has 25 years of writing experience and numerous publication credits including the Providence Journal, the East Greenwich Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, Travel Lady Magazine, Jackhammer, Your Skin and Sun, TravelNotes, TexWoman, and many others.

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