So You've Got A Date ... Where Would It Be Fun To Go?

Alright, so you’ve landed what appears to be a very promising date with the guy you ever-so-slyly gave your number to while at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with your girlfriend … NICE!  Here is a pleasant surprise, he just sent you a text and wants you to name three of your favorite things to do and he’ll surprise you with one of them. Good sign, in my opinion as it shows he can be creative and still sensitive to satisfying your desires for enjoyment.  Although some women may prefer a guy to do all the planning on the first several dates, I find that it’s empowering to be able to choose where you two will go.  Plus, it puts you in the driver’s seat and what venue you choose can give him a sense of your personality.  If you find yourself panicked though at the thought of being in charge of proposing where to go out together, below are ten of what I think are the most practiced as well as impacting to really kick things off on the right foot with someone:

1. “Locals” favorite restaurant that does not have a liquor license but let’s you bring in your own wine ...
I love doing this in a local little Italian spot near my house. What is so fun about it, is I’ll go first to my local wine shop, have the owner walk us through some selections to match what we think our meals are going to be and then head on over to dine. This really allows us to spend some time shopping, learning and eating together. Such a fun way to ease into a first date with someone … Now if you drink and he does not you should skip to the next idea and chalk this one up as just not for you; or you have serious budget constraints that is OK too as in wine there are many great bottles to share at price points for all wallet sizes.

2.  Outdoor concert ...
This kind of date is always fun and unique but of course more geared toward the warmer months of the year.  Many outdoor arenas have a summer concert series going on all throughout the warm summer months.  Dust off your picnic basket and tell him to put together some cheese and crackers paired with a nice bottle of wine and you’ve got yourself a nice romantic date under the stars!

3. Comedy club ...
I love this idea.  Try to find a time when a really good comedian is in town…there is nothing better than a good laugh on a date and it gives you plenty to chat about.  Also, a lot of the comedy clubs offer dinner before the show and drinks afterward so it’s basically a one-stop-shop-o-fun!

4.  Take a music lesson ...
Ever want to play the piano?  Ever think about drumming a guitar?  Why not try it out with your new date!  There are many starving musicians out there that are willing to give out lessons for a song (pardon the pun, of course!).  Try Cragslist or look into your community newsletter and I can guarantee that you will find someone willing to give you both an hour of music lessons for cheap.  Even if you both are completely tone deaf, you will most likely get a laugh out of each other’s skills (or non-skills).  Follow that up with a trip to the local coffee shop that has live music and compare your new-found talents with who’s on stage!

5. Random stroll down at boutique market ...
Take him to your local market and don’t bring any recipe or plan of what you two should cook up.  Just wing it together and take him back to your house (or volunteer his) for a cook-off.  Kitchen convo is always fun and it will be a blast to find out not only if he knows his way around a kitchen, but to also see if he has any culinary skills.  On this type of date, there are never too many cooks in the kitchen!

6.  Beach glow ...
If you live by a beach, this is a really fun creative date idea. First, go to a party store and buy two glow in the dark sticks and one frisbee that lights up when you throw it. Now tell him you want to go on a night-time date to the beach. When you arrive, pull out your glow sticks and frisbee. Give your partner one of the glow sticks and have him activate it. Now go to the beach, spread apart, and throw them at each other, trying to catch them. It's a lot of fun and creates a great "night glow" display. You can also throw the glow sticks as far as you can into the ocean. The waves will bring them back to you! And the glow they make in the water is also cool to watch.
Activate your light-up frisbee and enjoy throwing it to each other and watching it as it lights up the night in a multi-color display. When you're done with this night-time adventure, be sure to properly dispose of the glow sticks! And make sure you bring a flashlight to remember where you put your shoes. One of my dates and I spent 20 minutes looking for his shoes when I didn't bring a flashlight. There was no moon that night!

7.  Coin toss ...
Start at your date's house. Before you get to an intersection, flip the coin. Heads you turn right; tails you turn left. Use this technique to decide where to go to dinner (you stop at the first restaurant as determined by the flip of a coin).

8.  Nature hike ...
Nature is calling, and who better to answer than you? Suit up and take a leisurely, or intense, hike through a national park or preserve with your date. Feast on granola bars and feel the warmth of the sunshine as the two of you march to your own beat.

9.  Volunteer ...
Helping others is one of the most rewarding experiences available. Why not work together in a food pantry or soup kitchen? There are always charitable organizations in need of help and working for the greater good will break down any defenses and allow the two of you greater intimacy.

10.  Laser tag ...
Does your date have a competitive spirit? Arm yourself with laser guns and enter a full-out war in a special laser tag arena. It is always best to try and be on the same side as to avoid a full-blown confrontation in the first thirty minutes of your date, but if your date is actually up for laser tag, anything goes.

Any of these choices are bound to ensure that you will have a ball.  Even if your date is a dud, you can always be proud of the fact that you thought out of the box and suggested a date that you are not soon to forget.  If he is as wonderful as you hoped, you can guarantee that he will be bragging to his friends about what a creative and interesting date he just had.  So take charge ladies and by all means, have fun with it.

Hopelessly But Not Helplessly Seeking Love!
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