Summer Dates: Picnics

So we've come under some scrutiny here at Patch. We're hearing that no man would take the time or make the effort to chart out meteor showers. And washing a car together is just creepy.

Obviously not a "Cool Hand Luke" fan.

Okay. Maybe it's not for everybody. We'll try to take it down a notch while still trying to stave off boredom. Not that a nap doesn't make for a great date.

But we digress. This week let's try a picnic for which the good folks at artofmanliness.com offer some suggestions:

"The picnic has to be somewhere unique. A skyscraper rooftop is preferable, but a greenhouse, library, or art museum are fantastic options if you have the connections to make it happen," they say.

And there are some great suggestions there, for sure. As the child of a librarian, however, I must tell you that you're going to have to have some gargantuan connections if you think you're going to get your peanut butter and jelly near those books. Just a thought.

But that's not where AOM's date ends.

An activity should come next, and make it something stimulating.

What's the best/most romantic date you've ever planned/been on? Email mariella.savidge@patch.com or

They suggest a chocolate factory, vineyard, cheese maker, or carpenter. Any of these "allow for conversation, but also gives the opportunity to pause and reflect on the experience so you don’t feel pressured to have something to say all the time."

"If you’re super on-the-ball you’ll have an original way to get from the picnic to the next experience. Horse drawn carriage, limousine, helicopter, tandem bike or segways all are memorable," they say.

We may be drifting into meteor-shower territory here. But read on:

"After that there’s nothing left but a shared dessert. Any restaurant or grocery store can provide an opportunity for fun. This is a great place to get flexible, you can [provide] 3 sealed envelopes and ask [your date] to choose one. Each envelope has a different dessert destination," they suggest.

Nice save.

Source: http://artofmanliness.com