By Stephen F. Milioti
Finally, we can shed the itchy wool sweaters covering up our lonely hearts, and get ready for some long-awaited spring romance. As you mix and mingle and meet people, take advantage of the sunshine on your dates. A walk in the park can be a little too cliché, so get inspired and have fun. Here are some options that you’ll enjoy and that will impress your date with your creativity…
Take a yoga class. Rather than taking a standard exercise class at the gym—where it might easily become a competitive iron-pumping contest between the two of you—yoga is a good way to show your interest in wellness and get in sync with your date: “My perfect spring date would be a weekend morning yoga class, breakfast with good coffee and a walk along the waterfront where I live,” says David Bowen, a public relations manager who lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. (PS: If yoga class isn’t your thing, try another interesting class, like sushi-making or architecture—your local university should have plenty of listings for weekend classes in their adult-education division.)
Bike it. You could walk through the park, but it’s more interesting to wheel it. Put a little planning into the route, with a nice meal at the midpoint. Eric Robison, a real-estate professional who lives in Seattle, WA, explains how he does it: “I like taking a date riding up the Burke-Gilman trail out to the St. Michelle winery. Once we arrive at the winery, we’d relax in their gardens, have a picnic lunch and buy a cold bottle of Chardonnay to enjoy. Then, after a nice conversation lying in the grass, sober up and pedal back into the city.” That combination of exercise and talk time is a nice change-up for couples just getting to know one another.
Go antiquing. If you’re the type to incorporate a little walking around and shopping into a date, avoid the malls and hit the antique stores instead. It’s more substantial and special. Marc Haynes, a purchaser at a luxury hotel in Philadelphia, PA, enjoys going antiquing with his partner of 12 years, and explains how just-met couples can do this: “Go antiquing for an afternoon and then enjoy dinner at a sidewalk café. It’s so romantic after a day of treasure-hunting to unwind with each other over a bottle of wine, a beautiful dinner, and people-watching.” Feel like that’s too tall an order for a first or second date? Ramp it down a bit, and invite the object of your affection out to brunch and a quick spin through a nearby flea market. As you visit the stalls, you’ll discover each other’s taste—and have a fun time pointing out the most kitschy and bizarre finds that are for sale.
Be a tourist in your own town. This one works especially well if the person you’re going out with lives in a different town or neighborhood. You may not think twice about that little rowing pond in the park down the road or the seafood shacks at the harbor in your town, but these are great date destinations. Please, don’t drive to a dull mall for a dinner out. Take advantage of anything fun and outdoorsy right in your own backyard…Speaking of which, if you do have a backyard with a couple of comfy chairs, that happens to be a great place for a BBQ-for-two date, too.
Get a couple’s massage. Have you been dating for a while and are ready to ramp things up a notch? There are few things as simultaneously relaxing and romantic as a couple’s massage and a spa treatment. Some spas even offer outdoor massages—great for a spring afternoon or evening. The challenge here can be finding a place that’s welcoming of same-sex couples—some well-known spas aren’t very friendly in that regard. But, luckily, plenty of the best places are—like the Richel D’Ambra Spa at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Philadelphia, PA, which offers the Intimate Romantic Interlude: A 50-minute couples’ massage, followed by a pedicure for both of you—and a glass of champagne too. Sounds like a date. To find other spas that welcome gay couples, check out a gay travel guide to your area (look at the chapter on spas), or consult your local gay/lesbian community services center for leads.
Stephen F. Milioti is a New York-based writer and editor. He’s written for The New York Observer
and Salon.com. His favorite spring date is a sunset walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, followed by a pepperoni pizza at Grimaldi’s.