Next month my husband and I will be married for 38 years. We have been together for 40. When we were discussing marriage and having kids, one of the things I said was that it was important to me that we continue to have date nights. I felt it was necessary for us to keep our relationship with each other strong, especially after having the kids because eventually they would move on and have their own lives. Let’s face it, being together for 40 years is a long time and things definitely can get routine and mundane. Lots of outside pressures, financial, health, jobs, etc., can get to be overwhelming and without some release it would be easy to put the relationship on auto-pilot and take each other for granted.
While we haven’t actually set a “routine” for date nights and there were many years when dates were few and far between, I think we’ve done a pretty good job. We go to many concerts, baseball games and out to dinner or lunch at least monthly. In searching for something to write about for the A to Z, I came across a few lists for different activities that you could do on a date. Some of them we have already done, some I hope to do in the future and some we probably won’t do but I thought I’d include them anyway because you might like to do them. Are you ready?
A is for Aquarium. I mentioned the Aquarium of the Bay last year in my A to Z of San Francisco under the P for Pier 39, because that’s where it is. There is also the Steinhart Aquarium in the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park. We have been to that one many times on field trips with the kids. If you want to travel a bit further, there is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We’ve been to that one too and I was going to try and find the pictures but time got away from me.
Why is an aquarium a good thing to do on a date? Well, it is a good place to show off your knowledge of and/or love for animals. There are interesting things going on underwater sometimes too.
Another fun place for a date is an arcade. We haven’t been to the Musee Mecanique yet but there is an arcade area in Circus Circus casino in Reno. My husband loves to show off his skills tossing the ball into the milk carton and last time we were there he won this huge stuffed dog for me. Of course I was the one who had to carry it around for the rest of the day but before we left he found a little child and asked the parents if it was okay for him to give the dog to them. Thank goodness because I don’t really need a big stuffed dog.
Rounding off our A adventure is Amusement Park. We used to go to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and to Great America but haven’t been in a long time. Honestly there was a point where I was so overweight I was afraid I wouldn’t fit on the rides. Then hubby’s back injury happened and now I don’t want to go for fear he’ll hurt his back on a roller coaster. We went to Disneyland for our honeymoon and while you might not consider that a date, it was pretty romantic. Bill had never been there before so it was fun for me to see his reaction.
So there we have the A complete! I may or may not get more detailed as the letters go on. I tentatively have 3 examples for each letter planned but who knows what will happen!
And in order to save space on my site I’m only posting the A to Z badge once, in honor of Jeremy who was the graphics guru for so many years. Your turn. Any A ideas for great dates that I missed? Please make sure to visit others participating in this fun challenge!
Janet's Smiles 
Pingback: Reflections | The Dreamgirl Writes
Pingback: A to Z Reflection – 2022 | Janet's Smiles
We’ve not reached 10 years yet, so many congrats on you being 4 times that 🙂 We don’t tend to have date nights out much, as Himself is deaf in certain registers so crowded places are a nightmare for him. We love to get out with our cameras though, as many weekends as the weather permits. The only thing I could suggest starting with A is maybe an Art Gallery? I’m a fan, although Himself is more about tolerating the art to keep me company, so I often go alone too 😀
Debs visiting this year from
Debs Carey-NLP Coach
LikeLiked by 1 person
Art Gallery is another good one. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Happy to see you Smiley! We have date night on Thursdays… it’s grocery shopping night and Happy Hour night. The grocery store actually lets you sip and shop! It’s so much fun (course we always spend more than we plan to, but it’s still fun)!
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG drinking and shopping? That would be dangerous. But fun date for a routine job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking at you from afar, I’ll say you guys are doing a pretty darn great job at going out and having fun, pandemic permitting! I mean, Toto and Journey?!?!
Wonderful idea to make this your theme for A-Z 🙂
I love visiting Aquariums! Dolphins are among my favorite animals. I am not sure I’ve ever been at the one at the Bay.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d say we were really lucky to get those seats. We are doing a lot more since the kids are older for sure. Making up for lost time. Hubby just asked me when the last time I went to Japanese Tea Garden was. He was reading an article in the paper about it. Think we can go in time for J? LOL
LikeLike
Pingback: B is for Bowling, Baseball, Beach | Janet's Smiles
We will be celebrating 37 years this July. I loved your post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats! Thanks so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You always do such a great job with these!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks LA! I do have fun but it drains me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love these ideas!
Especially the arcade seems like an ideal date location!
Also I think once you’ve inserted a picture in the media library, you can use it multiple times and it won’t take up space.. Only if you upload new images onto the media library does it take up space!
Hopping in from the A-Z community,
Dream
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I think you’re right about that storage bit. I do try to go through and reuse now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s good!
This way you can save space but also have some visual component!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My husband and I have been married just as long as you have. Congrats on longevity! Our date nights generally consist of going out to dinner. Seems kinda boring when reading about YOUR adventures. You have some good ideas so maybe we’ll get adventurous now too. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lot of these you will see we haven’t done in a loooong time but maybe we can them again. Congrats to you too!
LikeLike
Happy Anniversary in advance! We only visit aquariums when we have visitors from out of town, but you’ve given me new ideas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi! Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.
LikeLike
Awesome date ideas. I would love to go to an amusement park again. It’s been quite a while though I don’t think I could ride the roller coasters anymore. Back in the day we had tons of fun doing that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right? Great way to huddle close together!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love aquariums!!! This looks fun! Happy almost anniversary 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
I haven’t been to any of these things for a long time. Maybe it’s time to have some fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Go for it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this post Janet, and your theme. My grandmother was a great fan of our local aquarium, and I remember with great fondness accompanying her on visits. In retrospect, the structure was quite funky, and has long since been rebuilt, but there was something quite magical about it. I liked imagining I was a mermaid and visiting all my friends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Imagining you are a mermaid is a terrific idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was going to say, these look like fun! Good start!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve reminded me that I need to work more on having date nights with my hubby. It’s been hard the past couple of years thanks to the pandemic but hopefully you’re going to provide me with lots of inspiration. Of these 3 the aquarium would probably be the winner for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! The pandemic certainly did curtail activities like this!
LikeLike
Janet,
I’d love to go back to the aquarium in the Smoky’s. It’s really nice. We went there when the kids were very young. It’d be nice to do it again if I can find a time that’s not slammed. I haven’t been in an arcade since the 80s. lol Those were such great fun. I’ve been to a few amusement parks but it’s something that I’ve never been nuts about and with the number of weird accidents that’s happen over the years going on an amusement ride isn’t something I’m interested in doing. Great start for the A2Z challenge, my dear!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Cathy! I think revisiting some of these things that we did with the kids on our own now would be fun. I hear you about the rides.
LikeLike
Absolutely awesome. Your letter ‘A’ activities sound like fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Ally! After I started writing I thought maybe I should explain WHY the particular activity was a fun one for a date and maybe I’ll add that from now on. I went to a concert last night and am slow thinking today. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person