What’s a nice low-key Valentine’s date? 

• Valentine’s Day 

Valentine’s Day is coming up! The day of flowers, red hearts, candy, appreciation and spending time with your partner. Searching for the perfect date for your loved one can lead to added stress. Well, you can stop losing sleep because here are some nice and not too intense dates for you and your person!

Cooking a small homemade dinner together: This is a great date for those who are more introverted and want to spend time alone. Cooking seems daunting but there are some college friendly recipes that will make you feel like a gourmet chef. Some fun recipes include: DIY pizza night or salmon date night, from Lauren Leone’s College Cooking column, or shrimp scampi.

Wine/cider/beer tasting: If you are of age, grabbing a drink together could be very fun. Most wineries or breweries have decent prices and have an intimate setting that can be very romantic for you and your partner. Eugene has an abundance of wineries/breweries nearby! 255 Madison is a calm wine bar that has a very laid back vibe with affordable drinks. For beer lovers, Ninkasi Better Living Room has the cutest bright blue decor with very tasty brews. 

Go on a hike: This may seem basic, but if you have a car and can get out of Eugene, there are some beautiful hikes that are about 1.5 miles outside of Eugene. A hike allows you to disconnect from other people and reconnect together. Some great hikes near here include Blue Pool, Tidbits Mountain and Diamond Creek. To spice it up a little bit, there are a few hot springs that are a nice place to relax. Belknap Hot Springs is about an hour out of Eugene, and it offers a serene view of the river with piping hot pools to soak in. A little closer in, McCredie Hot Springs is an off-road spot that is more trafficked but also very fun to dip in after a hike.

Surprise them with breakfast in bed: Now this is very intimate, but if you have that sort of relationship with your partner you can create a nice breakfast or brunch. This is a great date idea because it creates that intimate environment where you and your partner can feel close. Easy breakfasts to make are: waffles or pancakes with toppings, an egg omelet with avocado toast or a bagel and cream cheese. To add some flare, go ahead and give them a flower in an old drink bottle or write a cute little appreciation note.

Try a new restaurant: The goal is to spend time together, so trying something new can spark good conversation and hopefully a good time. Luckily, Eugene has some top-notch restaurants to try. For a full meal some great spots to try are: 1960 Cocina, Izakaya Meiji Company and Krob Krua Kitchen.

Craft Night:This may sound silly, but finding a fun craft to do together whether it’s painting, collaging or drawing can bring you close to one another. Even if you’re bad at crafts, doing the activity together can bring about fun conversations and allows you to create new and fun memories together. Whether that is crafting a fun art project or laughing about each other’s abysmal skills, Eugene has some great stores where you can buy craft supplies! MECCA is a local store that sells used art/craft supplies.

There is this myth that Valentine’s dates have to be extravagant. In reality, there are some amazing options that are cheap, fun and will make you appreciate the person you get to spend the day with. In the end, Valentine’s Day is about being with your person and celebrating the relationship you have built together.