Love Surprise Ideas

You know the story: you finally get up the nerve to ask that special guy/girl out. Elegant words are lost on you, but you manage to stammer out some kind of invitation... but now what? Sometimes, asking isn't the hardest part of date planning. Here are some good Davis-specific date ideas. If something isn't on here that worked for yourself, or you haven't used yet but you just know it is a great idea, then be sure to add it. Love could always use any help it can get.

Summer / Warm weather Winter / Cold weather Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas Anytime Makeout Spots

Summer / Warm weather

• Get ice cream at Ben & Jerry's and stroll through the Arboretum. Go to the back of the parking lot and you will see the bike path descend into the arboretum.
  

• Stroll through The Green Belt
  

• Try to catch a squirrel by the bike tunnel behind Davis Commons.
  

• Suntan on the shores of the Rec Pool.
  

• Go to the driving range (there are two)
  

• Picnic!
  

• Drive 15min to old town Sacramento and walk on the pier by the river!
  

• While you're there, catch a River Cats game at Raley Field (but don't park in the $11 lot)
  

• Ride bikes / drive to Stevenson Bridge (Russell W. 2mi to Rd.95A, turn left, 1mi)
  

• Bike to the Putah Creek Reserve (March/April) picnic/smooching. 1mi S. on Old Davis. Rd.
  

• Go jogging; there are nice trails west of campus.
  

• Play Disc Golf.
  

• Try to fly a kite.
  

• Go to the Arboretum and yell at people you see feeding the ducks.
  

• Bike through the Covell Greenbelt maze and/or the North Davis Fitness Trail, end up near Anderson Road where you have a lovely picnic prepared at the cute gazebo, tablecloth, food and all, and surprise your significant other with an improptu picnic date. Bonus points if you do this while the sun is setting. The view west is beautiful.

Winter / Cold weather

• Navigate the annual corn maize (aka maize maze) in Woodland.
  

• Get coffee at one of the many Davis coffee houses downtown and walk through the Arboretum. This may lead to snuggling.
  

• Splash in mud puddles
  

• Sneak out to Winters (15mi W.) for breakfast at the Putah Creek Cafe - served until noon on weekends.

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas

Roses at Mengali's Florist. Picture taken by MattJojola. Some guys are slow. So slow in fact, that they need saving at the last minute. If you find yourself in this predicament, it might be a good idea to select a couple of ideas from this list. Doing just one of these things might get you by, but two of 'em should give you plenty of breathing room! And remember... it's not necessarily money, but attention to detail that will really impress the one you love.

• Coffee, croissant, & a rose for breakfast in bed. Real simple.
  

• Pick up a bouquet of arranged flowers from Safeway. Don't just grab a bouquet... have baby's breath, etc. added! Make sure you don't cheap out, because women know how much carnations cost.
  

• Buy her or him a gift certificate for an deeply nourishing divinely relaxing massage ($49 for students) or amazing hot stone massage at Davis Massage Center - 756-6626.
  

• Forgot to make dinner reservations? Surprise your loved one with a homemade dinner. Keep it simple but tasteful to ensure success, e.g. steak, bag salad topped with nuts & pomegranate seeds, fresh asparagus lightly zapped in the microwave & topped with butter, champagne, and just two truffles and a rose for dessert. Make sure you clean the apartment and set the table with napkins, etc. End the evening with a romance-comedy DVD or movies.
  

• Call/IM her a couple times during the day just to let her know you're thinking of her.
  

• A Victoria's Secret gift certificate makes a great gift for both of you and ensures that you don't accidentally pick up the wrong size or something raunchy that just makes her shudder.
  

• Shave and dress up for her.
  

• Write something — anything from a heartfelt letter of love to a personalized poem, the pen is mightier than... well whatever
  

• Make several little love notes and hide them just before your sweetie comes home. Hide the notes in places they're sure to be discovered.
  

• Hey, it shouldn't only be guys showing the girls how much they care. Ladies for ideas how to show who much you appreciate your guy check out Aggie columnist Michael Giardina's Valentine's Day column.
  

Anytime

Let's be close.

• Catch a movie at the commercial theatres in Davis: Signature Stadium 5 and Holiday Cinema 6
  

• See what's on at the Varsity Theatre.
  

• Go to Campus Cinema or Robotmedia or Alternative Film Club — all are free or extremely cheap
  

• Drive over to Sacramento and into one of the last remaining Drive-In Theaters.
  

• Bowling or playing pool in the MU Games Area is a good idea especially if you are on Campus. This is quite popular among freshmen.
  

• Attend the Second Friday ArtAbout (occurs the 2nd Friday of every month)
  

• Go to Rocknasium and get all sweaty with your date :)
  

• Take your date to Ciocolat for High Tea. Make sure to make a reservation.
  

• Walk through the Farmers Market and pick out fresh food to cook (or microwave it, if you're cookingly-challenged). Then go back to your place and cook it. Adding aphrodisiacs is optional. Or check out the Farmers Market on a Wednesday night and catch some live music.
  

• Pick a wine together at Cost Plus World Market — they have descriptions of what's in each wine.
  

• Go to rummage sales and see who finds the most random object. You can find a list of rummage sales in The Davis Enterprise. If you're really cheap, go Dumpster Diving.
  

• Set up a formal dining situation (think white tablecloth, linen napkins, bubbly cider and wine glasses) somewhere where it's out of place... Like In-N-Out.
  

• Spend your hard earned cash at Upscale Restaurants.
  

• Play dinner bingo. Have a drink somewhere, have an appetizer somewhere else on the same street and so on.
  

• Skate in the rain, in the cold, in the heat... anywhere, anytime. Try the Death Star at night.
  

• Great cheap date: On a Tuesday night, eat a $2 bowl of Tortilla Soup at El Mariachi, have a $1 scoop of ice cream and then go to a $4 movie. Later entertainment will surely be free ;)
  

• If you both like to read/look at funky magazines, go to Newsbeat downtown. See who can find the most random picture.
  

• Go Geocaching
  

• Go Camping
  

• Share a Super Giant Burrito at Taqueria Guadalajara.
  

• Sneak onto an Amtrak train. Make love in the rest room while they collect tickets and then sit in the dining car and see how far you can go until they kick you off for not paying.
  

• Go play racketball/basketball/anykind of game at the ARC.
  

• Run around town with a camera taking pictures for the wiki!
  

• if the two of you are spiritually inclined, go to church or meditate.
  

• Rationalize sex as being the only necessary part of the date.
  

• Give her/him a marriage proposal :-).

Good places to swap spit...romantic, classy, and somewhat private.

• The dirt road on the intersection County Road 27 and CA-99
  

• The purple house on Sycamore Lane
  

• Lounge corner in Sophia's Thai Kitchen
  

• Behind In-N-Out Burger drive-thru where behind?
  

• The EC Gardens plenty of spots - but be careful, there may be lots of bugs!
  

• In the back of the Davis Cemetery "Oh f*$& no. Not into the gothic love scene tho...."
  

• In the Mee Room before ASUCD Senate meetings.
  

• The west end of the Arboretum.
  

• The Arboretum Gazebo is a good spot especially since the surrounding garden is meant to be viewed by moonlight.
  

• In the bathroom of Carl's Jr.
  

• In the basement of the Carl Gorman Museum
  

• The east end of the Oak Tree Plaza parking lot
  

• The construction site for the The Museum of Art at UC Davis
  

• The aisles of the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library
  

• The north east bench in Pioneer Park
  

• The dugouts at Playfields Park
  

• Behind the big oak at Cedar Park
  

• The cubby holes in the Death Star
  

• Under the fig tree in the Solano Park Gardens
  

• The Fitness Trail Gazebo
  

• Rainbow City
  

• In your own bedrooms
  

• On the Dave Pelz bike overpass at sunset.
  

• In the back of either of the two movie theaters located downtown.
  

• In the back areas of the Arc, when there aren't events in the ballrooms.
  

• In the catwalks at the Mondavi Center- see sex as well, seeing as you can't be seen.
  

• In one of the little-used classrooms in the basement of Wellman Hall (it is almost always open, just don't get caught by a custodian)
  

• On the play structures in the Big Kids Park between Castilian Hall and Thoreau Hall.
  

• On the half-way line of the rugby field