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(from msn.com)
Instead of simply going out to dinner (which can get old), try a restaurant crawl.
Head to an area with a bunch of hotspots, and start things off with cocktails and appetizers at a lounge. Then head somewhere new for the main course. Finish up at a cozy café where you can get coffee and dessert.
Download a map of your state (or your regional area if you live in a large state), each of you close your eyes, and simultaneously point your finger randomly on the map. Decide whose location looks more intriguing, and plan a day trip or weekend getaway there.
For an adventurous date that doesn't require much preplanning, go tubing together down a local river. The Website rivertubing.info lists a bunch of outfitters, or do an online search by entering in the name of your state plus the words river and tubing.
Invite your guy over (have him bring his laptop), and sit side-by-side on the couch. Now invent some fun rules that you won't see in the fine print — for example, if you lose a round, you have to give the winner a treat of his or her choice.
5. Have a Picnic
Throw together this easy, delicious garbanzo bean dip using basic ingredients you probably already have around the house, from Maneet Chauhan, executive chef of Vermilion in New York and Chicago: In a food processor, puree 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup canned roasted red peppers, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon each of capers and parsley, 4 garlic cloves, and salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Serve with crackers.
Then, pack it up along with a big blanket and have a picnic in the local public gardens or the park while you watch a concert, symphony, or play.
Hit balls at the batting cage, race go-carts, challenge him to a round of mini golf, and, if you live near a boardwalk, play a few games and try to win a stuffed animal. And you might be able to see fireworks even if it's not July Fourth. Check out fireworksguide.com, and scroll down until you reach the 2011 dates — the site aggregates fireworks displays happening all over.
Set up two lounge chairs side-by-side in your backyard or on your deck, along with a big blanket that you can share if it gets chilly. Download a great classic romance — like Casablanca or Breakfast at Tiffany's — and arrange your laptop on an end table so it will be at eye level when you're reclined. Open a bottle of wine, click "play," and enjoy.
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