Date ideas

JCbride2015

So V-day is right around the corner, and Fi and I will celebrate 11 years together on the 17th.  Both of us are trying to think of something to do, and it's sort of pitiful, but we are having a tough time.  We put some money aside so we could do something really fun, and now we're chock out of ideas!

Broadway is an option, but we just went and it wouldn't feel that special.  No concerts around here that look good.  We love being active and hiking but it's freezing cold... we also love to eat though, so food-centric date ideas are definitely sounding good.  I'm thinking maybe a cooking class?

Can anybody help a girl out with some thoughts?  Or share your own V-day plans!

emmyg65

Maybe a dinner at a really splashy restaurant? That's our favorite date thing.

JCbride2015

@TwoDimes That sounds amazing!  Just checked it out and they aren't near us yet.  We're in NYC.  Maybe there's something similar around here though.

lyndausvi

Drive to the country and go to a B&B?

Our v-day plans are the same every year.  DH works and I sit at home alone drinking wine.

SmileDamnit

JCBride2014 said:

@TwoDimes That sounds amazing!  Just checked it out and they aren't near us yet.  We're in NYC.  Maybe there's something similar around here though.

@JCBride2014 ~ looks like NYC has "Paint Along", which is the same concept. They are tons of fun and would go well followed by a nice dinner out...

ETA - Have you heard of Sleep No More (click)? You mentioned Broadway so I assume you like theater and this is a different take on it. I've tired to go the past two times I was in the city and it was sold out. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

firebabe6519

I have to go in for my shift that night so FI and I will probably just do a nice lunch. Our anniversary is the 13th so V-day usually gets rolled into that.

JCbride2015

Niccirf said:

JCBride2014 said:

@TwoDimes That sounds amazing!  Just checked it out and they aren't near us yet.  We're in NYC.  Maybe there's something similar around here though.

@JCBride2014 ~ looks like NYC has "Paint Along", which is the same concept. They are tons of fun and would go well followed by a nice dinner out...

ETA - Have you heard of Sleep No More (click)? You mentioned Broadway so I assume you like theater and this is a different take on it. I've tired to go the past two times I was in the city and it was sold out. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

Sleep No More sounds AMAZING and totally up Fi's alley!!  I'll look into that.

MyNameIsNot

Our place with that concept is called Sips & Strokes.  Maybe they are near you?  

My MIL is coming to visit that weekend.  So V-day is going to involve me drinking wine on the sly.  Luckily, I think V-Day is silly, so we won't be missing out.  

MrsDeRuyter87

Have you been to a molecular food restaurant? That would be fun and different. Even if you are just going for a dessert. Last year H and I went to an intimate fondu place for dessert. We had a heath bar fondu with angel food cake, fruits, pretzels, and brownies. SO GOOD.

sarahufl

FI and I did a cooking class last year- it was really fun!

pumpkinsandturkeys

shrekspeare said:

I'm sure there's a 'Dark Dining' place around there. Those are super fun and sensual. I've probably never laughed so hard in my life.

We have a similar restaurant near us! All of the servers are blind and it's such a neat experience.

I think I might ask FI to go to our fave restaurant -- they focus a lot on uncommon meats like bison and beef tongue, and the food is fantaaaaaastic. We have a lot of fun there trying new things, and everything is made to be a small, sharing plate, which adds to the experience.

EverAfer

I can't stand restaurants on V-day, the V-day special is ridiculous and the wait too long and then they just want to turn over the table.

We just went to a bread baking class, gift for FH because he loves bread. Great time and we took home at least 6-8 different kind of breads. Salsa class- loved it now that we had 2 classes. Welding class, another one that FH loved (me eh.) Does he like certain food? Ie, pizza tour or chocolate tasting? Comedy shows?

I did make/but him a date book off of a Groupon. They use a picture of your head and his head on the cartoon/drawing. It is pretty funny graphics. Each sheet is a date and you pick them. I made a book of 20, ranging from tame-movie night in, useful for him- I pump my own gas, fun-we go somewhere neither of us have been, and a few racy ones. And there's an image to match each activity he can choose from.

Cookie Pusher

FI and I are super lame. Even though Valentine's Day is on a Friday this year, our plan is to... sit on the couch and watch television. I'll probably make dinner like I usually do, maybe we'll crack open a few beers. Considering the season we're having so far, I would not be shocked if we had 2 feet of snow preventing us from going out anyway!

AshleyNicole1218

FI (and I) love love looove penguins, so last year I 'adopted' a penguin from a NJ aquarium. We got an adoption kit with aquarium passes, adoption certificate, picture of our little guy and a replica stuffed penguin. The cost ($75) benefited the aquarium, so it was nice doing something that helped something else. We then went to visit our penguin, which was cool because his 'wife' (haha!) had a baby chick!

What I want to do this year is go to a Make Your Own Wine place by us. It's about $300 but you make and bottle your own wine at their facility, so no need for your own equipment or storage. They guide you every step of the way. I think you need to make 3 trips there - one to make the wine, one to try it and design your label and another to bottle it up. You get around 28 bottles. I plan on doing it this year since we'll have 2014 wine, the year we're getting married.

Good luck! I hope my ideas inspire you a bit!

P.S. We rarely do anything on the actual day. We usually just do it the weekend before/after for less stress and pressure. It's so crowded at everythingggggon Feb 14.

Edited: spelling

hellohkb

A cooking class sounds like a good idea! You could even make a super romantic meal for each other and not worry about how crazed the restaurants get.

We may go out to our favorite bar and then just hang out. Or get wings or something.

JCbride2015

@AshleyNicole1218 What aquarium-- was this Camden?  We are in NJ too and Fi loves penguins.

pinkcow13

JCBride2014 said:

Niccirf said:

JCBride2014 said:

@TwoDimes That sounds amazing!  Just checked it out and they aren't near us yet.  We're in NYC.  Maybe there's something similar around here though.

@JCBride2014 ~ looks like NYC has "Paint Along", which is the same concept. They are tons of fun and would go well followed by a nice dinner out...

ETA - Have you heard of Sleep No More (click)? You mentioned Broadway so I assume you like theater and this is a different take on it. I've tired to go the past two times I was in the city and it was sold out. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

Sleep No More sounds AMAZING and totally up Fi's alley!!  I'll look into that.

We went to Sleep No More for my birthday 2 years ago, and it was pretty awesome. It is actually a few blocks from us. The only thing is that you can't go through it together. You go through it on your own, and maybe you will bump into each other at some point. 

I think a cooking class would be cool. I got a groupon a few weeks ago for pizza making class with wine, but I think I am going to save that for the spring.  We decided  yesterday to take Friday off, since it is a holiday weekend. So we don't know yet what to do during the day yet. But, for dinner, I made us reservations last week. We both love steak and love going to nice steakhouses, so I made us reservations for Old Homestead Steakhouse in Chelsea. Originally, when I thought we were going to work I thought maybe we could grab drinks somewhere beforehand, but since we have the day off we might do something else. If not, it will probably just be drinks and dinner.

JCbride2015

@pinkcow13 What do you mean you go through it alone?  Like, they release people into the performance area one at a time?  I'm really interested in what this is actually like.  Can you describe in a little more detail?

jdluvr06

On our last date night we went to this little park in the area that is super pretty and had a picnic... Wow... I think we're due another date night.

pinkcow13

Sure! So it is set in an "abandoned hotel" which is about 5 stories or so. You start out in a lounge area and kind of hang out there, you can get a drink if you want, and mingle. They then give everyone a card to pick from, which will have a character. That is what they separate you by. So I had the Joker Card, I think FI had the Queen. You go into an elevator in a group, and they let groups out on different floors based on the cards. (I forgot to mention that you are given a mask to wear the entire time once it is time to enter the performance area). After that, you pretty much follow the actors. So there is a lot of walking/ running  involved, since you are following different actors (or the same actor) all over this hotel. The performance itself is based on Macbeth. 

It is dark, and pretty creepy. If I remember correctly, talking is not allowed. FI didn't like it so much, but I enjoyed it. It can be a bit confusing as you pretty much are thrown into the action, therefore a scene may have already occurred, and you may see scenes occurring again, as you roam the hotel. So IMO, depending where you are dropped off, it won't be a straight timeline of the performance. Which isn't a big deal since in a way it is as if you are a part of it. 

JCbride2015

Sounds really cool, although I don't see why they split up the couples.  Maybe just to disorient you?  I love Shakespeare and especially Macbeth so this sounds cool for us.

Did you eat at the attached restaurant?  They have a price fix for $48 which sounds pretty good for the area.

pinkcow13

Yea they split all groups up, unless you are lucky enough to somehow get the same character card. FI found each other after close to an hour maybe. And obvs, cell phone use is not allowed. Maybe they separate people to keep it creepy?

That night we went to a Spanish restaurant in the village because I was craving sangria and stuffed lobster lol. What's the name of the restaurant?

MollyandD

Our plans are to go to a burlesque and variety show. We went for New Year's Eve and had fun.

I want to go rock climbing soon as a date also.

JCbride2015

The restaurant is called The Heath and it's part of the whole show they have set up.  It's presented as if it's the hotel restaurant.  Menu looks pretty good, but obviously that wouldn't include booze and tip.

JCbride2015

Molly&Domenic said:

Our plans are to go to a burlesque and variety show. We went for New Year's Eve and had fun. I want to go rock climbing soon as a date also.

Oooh, rock climbing would be another good one.  We need to hit the gym more though before we could handle that, I think.

pinkcow13

How have I never seen this restaurant?? It looks awesome!! I don't even remember it seeing it when we went to Sleep no More, I wonder if it's new? I just yelped it and it got 4 and a half stars! Now I'm dying to check it out lol.

Rock climbing also sounds like a lot of fun! In this weather I would opt for indoor rock climbing myself lol.

cruffino

FI and i love to go on short weekend getaways. how about the poconos, AC or philly? or a b&b in the hudson valley?

sarahufl

@JCBride2014- there is a bar attached to the hotel as well- Gallow Green. I have never been to Sleep No More, but the bar is fantastic. Although I was there in the summer, so I don't know what it is like in the winter because it is on the rooftop.

ElcaB

Do you have an indoor rock wall near you to try out? They're a blast, although they definitely don't compare to the real thing. 

Valentine's Day is on a Friday this year. Assuming you both have weekends off, why don't you take a trip to a B&B? 

JCbride2015

We were thinking about doing a weekend away.  It's just so damn cold and snowy, I'm not sure what we would do if we went to a B&B.

Fi just put in for vacation time for the entire week of my spring break, and we're planning to drive to FL and visit our grannies who both live there.  So we might save our money and take just a 3-day cruise while we're down there in March.

AshleyNicole1218

@JC - the aquarium we went to was Jenkinson's...on thr boardwalk. It's pretty small, but we spent about 2 hours just watching the penguins! haha