I don’t know about you, but I’m really missing date nights out right now! We’ve gone on two or three over the last five months. But we’re used to one or two date nights out each month, so i’m going through a date night withdrawal. A lot of people don’t feel comfortable going out right now, and if they do, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what to expect depending on where you go and what their protocols are.
But we’re hoping to start venturing out of the house for more date nights, while our kids’ cousins tend. I put together a list of date night activities that you can do outside the house, while keeping yourself and others safe. Some are completely social distanced, and others are still in public but with social distancing protocols in place. I hope you get a chance to take advantage of some of these over the next few months.
Go hiking in the mountains
We’re lucky to live right next to some beautiful mountains with gorgeous canyons and trails to explore. How many waterfalls are hidden in the mountains of Davis County? I know of at least a handful of them you can hike to. There are so many great trails that I’ve been wanting to hike. Pick one each week to explore and enjoy getting to know where you live from a different view. Play in Davis has a great hiking trail series with details on each of them, over on their site; click here to access it. I’d also suggest clicking here to check out a full map of all of the trails in the area.
Related: Wild Rose Trail Sunset Hike
Put together your own taste off
One of my friends spent the first couple of months of stay at home time having taste tests with her husband at home. They’d pick up burgers or fries or drinks from a variety of popular restaurants near them, and determine which one was the best. It was a fun way to support local businesses and do something different together at home. You can grab any variety of food items from local restaurants and take them home or to a park to pick your favorites. Click here to read my post with some more fun suggestions for putting together your own taste off.
Take a walk together on one of the local trails
In addition to great mountain trails, Davis County boasts a lot of good trails down in the valley, right in the middle of where we live. Just a few blocks from our house is a great nature trail with gorgeous views, and I walk on it often. A few of my other favorite trails are at the USU Botanical Gardens in Kaysville and the Shorelands Preserve in Layton. Once again, the Davis County Trails map has all of them labeled and you can pick a new one to take a walk on as part of your date.
Grab takeout and picnic at your favorite park or in the parking lot
This has been one of the go to dates for a lot of people during this time. I’ve loved seeing couples get creative with their dinner set up in the bed of a truck or next to their car in the parking lot of the restaurant where they’ve ordered takeout. Whether you set up a full candlelit meal in an empty parking lot or take your dinner to a local park to eat in the pavilion or on a blanket in the grass. This is one of the greatest ways to get in a date, support local businesses and social distance at the same time.
People watch at Station Park
My very favorite place to go on a date is at Station Park. They have so many restaurants and other fun businesses that make a great date night. I love visiting Station Park in any season! But I especially love eating out on one of the patios or sitting around the fountains and people watching. We were waiting for takeout a couple of months ago, sitting at one of the tables and chatting while we watched people walking by. That might have been my favorite part of the date. The area is a lot less crowded than usual right now and you can sit somewhere and enjoy the fountains, the weather and the atmosphere while staying a safe distance from others.
Related: Station Park Date Night Ideas
Hunt for a geocache
You can find geocaches in a variety of locations. Sometimes next to the sidewalk on a busy street, other times in a park and sometimes on the trails in our mountains. It’s a fun treasure hunt to add to your next date. Click here for more tips on geocaching and some ideas for going here in Davis County.
Go stargazing on Antelope Island
Did you know that Antelope Island is ‘Dark Sky’ certified? That means that it has “exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment.” And in simpler terms, it’s one of the best places to see all of the stars! If you can get away for a night, it would be fun to camp out here. Or go for a hike, and end date sitting in the back of your car, enjoying the view. Click here to read more about Antelope Islands Dark Sky Park status.
Support local events and businesses
There are a lot of local events still happening, with social distancing protocols in place to keep people safe. You can attend free concerts in the park, a fun concert in the parking lot series, outdoor community theatre and food truck round ups. Click here to view our upcoming events calendar with details on what events are available and what they’re doing to keep people safe. If you feel comfortable supporting your favorite local restaurants in person, find out what their current regulations are and plan a dinner out.
In the event that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic when the colder temperatures hit, I’ll put together another post for ideas for those months! I hope these ideas have inspired you to find some fun and socially safe ways to get out for more date nights right now!