A typical date scene in a movie is a couple is dining at a fine restaurant on Valentine’s Day and the man hid an engagement ring in her dessert.
COVID-19 has changed Valentine’s Day. This year a romantic sitdown dinner inside a nice restaurant will not happen as restaurants are only allowed takeout, delivery or outdoor dining now. Movie theaters are closed. People need to find other things to do for Valentine’s Day this year instead of the traditional date of dinner and a movie.
As Valentine’s Day this year is on a Sunday daytime dates can be fun.
One idea is to go for a hike. Most parks are open and outdoor exercise is one of the permitted activities. A hike can be romantic. Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore with the hills and lake has great views of the landscape.
To avoid the parking fee, some people park on Del Valle road at the top of the hill and hike in. Another park is Sunol Regional Wilderness near Sunol. A good hike is to the Little Yosemite area with a small waterfall.
The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge south east of Tracy is a place that you might spot some wildlife.
A bicycle ride can also be romantic and fun if you have bikes.
Another potential activity is cooking dinner together. Cooking classes can be fun for couples as you learn how to cook a new dish and then you get to eat the food you cook.
One can take a cooking class, Kitchens on Fire is holding virtual classes for a fee on Feb.13-14. Other cooking schools may also do the same. If you don’t want to pay for a class one can record a cooking show on the Food network or even find a Youtube video.
If you are comfortable enough in the kitchen you can assign each course to one of you and make it a challenge on who makes the better dish. Shopping together for the ingredients can also be fun.
If all else fails one can order takeout or delivery from a local restaurant. Some restaurants may have a special Valentine’s day menu. One can pick up sandwiches or other items and have a picnic. Food always seems to taste better when eaten outdoors.
Drawing portraits of each other could be a fun idea. You can use cheap art supplies and a paper or canvas. The results can be really funny and now you have a picture of each other that you can hang on the wall.
Although your cooking skills are excellent, you might consider ordering a top class dinner. Maybe you planned to have dinner in that super elegant and cool restaurant, but COVID ruined your expectations. For this reason, you may consider ordering from the menu and creating a special elegant atmosphere in your place. It will be a different way to celebrate a special day with your partner during this weird period.
With some creativity a great Valentine’s Day celebration can be done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Have fun!
Photo by Alan Lewis
