Sweet Day

Valentine's Day is here again, with the sweet smell of dozens of roses and the sweet taste of chocolates in a heart-shaped box.

The line was nearly out the door at See's Candies in the Corte Madera Town Center around noon on Monday.

Chris Atkinson came out of the store with a large bag full of boxes of chocolates.

"See's is a Valentine's Day tradition," the Lagunitas resident said. "My wife and I are  spreading the tradition with our children now."

The prepacked boxes were a fast seller, but many of the customers opted to pick and choose their delights for a designer box.

"I heard the employees talking about how many people were coming in. Sounds like they're busy," Atkinson said.

Breaking stereotypes, there were just as many women as men looking for sugary treats for their partners.

"Chocolate is just such a classic and I wanted to go with something classic for our Valentine's Day," said Katie Links. "See's is such a classic. I mean, this is where the heart-shaped box started."

Flowers and cards were also big sellers. Several restaurants in the Twin Cities area reported they expected to be busy for Valentine's night.