Two men standing in a forest, holding bicycles. They are smiling and wearing casual clothing, including plaid shirts and backpacks. Trees and sunlight can be seen in the background.

9 ‘New’ date-night ideas to spend QT with your OG


By Mikey Rox

If you’ve been with your partner a while, it can be hard to come up with exciting date ideas. Maybe you’re stuck in a dinner-and-a-movie rut – if you’re making time to “date†at all – or perhaps you’re so active that you’ve already done everything. Or so you think. Relight the fi re in your hearts by spending quality time with that ol’ gayngsta you call boo with these full-of-fun, new-to-you date nights.

1. Group Pedacycle

Traditionally a pedacycle refers to any motorized bike, like a moped, but more and more places, like my own town of Asbury Park, are introducing pedacycles built to hold upwards of 15 riders who hop on board to jointly mobilize the vehicle with only their burning leg power. This isn’t just a trip around the block, either. Most of these rides have a purpose, like a food or booze tour of an area to get you good and snockered. Great as a just-you-two date if you like meeting other couples, or get your whole squad together for this tipsy cardio workout.

2. Datebox

Once a month you’ll receive a box in the mail (based on your likes and dislikes determined through a preliminary personality test) that contains the makings of a memorable date designed to rekindle the romance. Could be a date night in with curated activities and snacks or you might venture out to explore never-before-visited places in familiar territory. Choose from four options – Serious, Steady, Flirting, and Digital Only – that range in price from about $33 down to $8 per month. Datebox is a monthly subscription that renews automatically, but you can cancel at any time with no penalty.

3. Hatchet Throwing

Stressed out? Hurtle your aggression across a room with a mini ax! Joints like Stumpy’s Hatchet House in New Jersey (but popping up in more locations across the country) arm you with a sharpened weapon to aim toward a target that awards points for where the hatchet lands on the board. Love it enough and you could make it a weekly event by joining a league. Beats boring ol’ bowling.

4. VR Experience

Virtual reality for public consumption has been around for a few decades, but it’s become quite sophisticated in the past few years, so much so that facilities dedicated to the experience, like Ctrl V, are now opening. There are more than 20 games from which to choose at many locations that allow you to explore mountain ranges, venture into space, and become a soldier in fully immersive scenarios that give players an hour in a variety of games for about $25 per person.

5. Fun with Science

You’ll get a hands-on education during a visit to a science center. Places like the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami offer plenty of interactive activities to do with your partner, like kissing underneath the stars in a planetarium, making paper airplanes, petting stingrays and studying the human body. Consider the last one a refresher course.

6. Make-and-Take Activities

Huge fan of make-and-take activities over here, and I’m always looking for the next best to-dos. Recently my boyfriend and I participated in Plant Nite – an off shoot of the very popular sip-and-stroke Paint Nites – where we designed our own succulent terrariums. We’ve also rolled up our sleeves to make candles, blow glass and create DIY projects in the free workshops offered by Home Depot.

7. Fitness Challenges

My guy and I participate in the Rugged Maniac race every summer – it’s a great workout with a lot of teamwork and even more laughs – and we sign up for other fitness challenges when we’re feeling competitive, like Cupid’s Undie Run, billed as the nation’s largest pantless party. That’s reason enough for us.

8. Period Dress for a Road Trip in a Classic Car

Get dressed like you’re going to a sock hop, rent a ’57 Chevy, and roll into an unexplored town like you just drove through a hole in the space-time continuum. You’ll turn a few heads for sure.

9. Campy Camping

Upscale camping becomes even more accessible thanks to companies like Hipcamp and Glamping Hub, which helps wanderlusters find the beyond-cool accommodations they never knew they wanted. Like this 1930s Navy bunker on Mare Island Preserve in Vallejo, California. If you prefer a little more luxury and fi lth in your vacay, check into Club Getaway’s Camp John Waters (there’s currently a waitlist), offering a weekend in the woods of Kent, Connecticut with everyone’s favorite pencil-’stached homo-con and featuring activities like Hairspray karaoke, burlesque lessons, a JW film marathon and a one-man show from Mr. Counter Culture himself.

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

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