Dream Dates
An extended, adventurous date is ripe with opportunity for exploration. As one of my long-term friends explains it, these novel experiences bring out unexpected and delightful parts of ourselves that we didn’t know existed.
Below are a few bucket list date ideas I have in mind for exploring the world, and each other, together.
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USA - featured escapes
Twin Farms, Vermont
Vibe: rustic and outdoorsy
Best for 48 hours
300 acres of serene birch forest awaits us at Twin Farms, Vermont, an intimate, all-inclusive retreat at the foothills of the Green Mountains. My favourite part about the restaurant at this farm is that there is no menu, and they cook for you based on vibes and requests alone. They also have a spa onsite, featuring a honey scrub-down from local honey. Just adorable.
Blackberry Farms, Tennessee
Vibe: rustic, southern charm, luxurious
Best for 48 hours
Let’s reserve a vintage convertible and head to Tennessee’s countryside for a weekend of wine tasting, horse riding, hiking, paddle boarding and farm-to-table fare. I promise I look adorable in overalls and braids! There’s also neighbouring cities like Chatanooga and Asheville to keep us entertained, or if country music is your thing, Dollywood is an hour’s drive away.
Southern Gothic in Savannah
Vibe: historic and spooky
Best for 48 hours or longer
Rich with history and culture, Savannah is top of my list to explore. Let’s check in to Perry Lane Hotel or the Mansion on Forsyth Park, take our time exploring the historic district, or join a guided ghost tour through cobble-stoned streets.
Romantic Weekend in upstate NY
Vibe: romantic and relaxing
Best for 24 hours or longer
Let’s head out of the city and upstate to Maker Hotel, a design lovers dreams with reportedly the best beds in NY. After breakfast at the Maker’s on-site bakery, we could wander down town for some antique shopping, explore the areas nearby waterfalls, or check out the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.
USA - city immersions
New York City
Museums: Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, Guggenheim, Frick Collection, Morgan Library (medieval manuscripts), Tenement Museum basement tours, The Cloisters (medieval art in park setting), NYC historical society
Dining: Eleven Madison Park, Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Per Se, Daniel, Ying Tao, L’Abeille.
Theatre/Ballet: Broadway theaters, Lincoln Center (Met Opera, NYC Ballet, NY Philharmonic), Life and Trust (immersive theater), New York Transit Museum
Historical: NYC Catacombs, City Hall Station (abandoned subway stop tours)
Day spas: Aire Ancient Baths, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Spa de La Mer at The Baccarat Hotel
Los Angeles
Museums: LACMA, California Science Centre, The Broad, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, ASU FIDM Museum, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Dining: Camphor, Manuela, Dante, Petit Trois, Somni, Republique, Providence.
Nature: Angeles National Forest
Historical: Architectural walking tour of downtown, Hollywood Hills Spiritual and Cultural Tour
Day spas: Surya Spa, Hotel Bel-Air Spa, Chuan Spa at The Langham, The Ritz Carlton Spa,
San Francisco
Museums: de Young Museum, Legion of Honor, Book Binders Museum
Dining: Atelier Crenn, Benu, Shizen, Anomaly, Acquerello, Californios
Theatre/Ballet: War Memorial Opera House (SF Ballet, SF Opera), Davies Symphony Hall (SF Symphony), Magic Theatre (experimental works), ODC Theater (contemporary dance)
Historical: Victorian architecture in Pacific Heights, walking tour of downtown SF
Day spas: Reméde Spa at The St. Regis San Francisco
Nature: Muir Woods
Boston
Museums: Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Harvard Museum of Natural History (glass flowers), MIT Museum, Boston Tea Party Ships, historical tour of Boston Public Library
Dining: Deuxave, Amar, La Padrona
Theatre/Ballet: Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boston Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Hall), Boston Ballet, American Repertory Theater (experimental productions), Boston Lyric Opera (smaller opera company)
Historical: Forest Hills Cemetery (sculpture garden cemetery), Boston Athenaeum (private library tours), Charles River Esplanade
Day spas: Mandarin Oriental Spa, Four Seasons Spa
Other: Boston Market District, Brattle Book Shop, Boston Public Garden
Seattle
Museums: Seattle Art Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass
Dining: Canlis, Altura, The Herbfarm, Willmott's Ghost, Surrell, Aerlume
Theatre/Ballet: Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet (McCaw Hall), Seattle Symphony (Benaroya Hall), On the Boards (experimental performance), Cornish Playhouse (interdisciplinary arts)
Nature: Discovery Park
Chicago
Museums: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Architecture Center, International Museum of Surgical Science, Driehaus Museum (Gilded Age mansion), Chicago History Museum's diorama room
Dining: Cariño, Alinea, Indienne, Oriole
Theatre/Ballet: Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra Hall), Lookingglass Theatre (physical storytelling), Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
Historical: Chicago History Museum, Architecture boat tours, Graceland Cemetery (architect-designed monuments), Gangsters and Ghosts Tour
Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park, The Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Day spas: Aire Ancient Baths, The Spa at Four Seasons, The Peninsula Spa & Wellness Center, The St. Regis Spa
Miami
Museums: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Pérez Art Museum, Frost Museum of Science
Dining: Le Bouchon de Grove, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Stubborn Seed
Nature: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Maurice A. Ferré Park, The Kampong, horse riding at Palamino Ranch
Day Spas: The Ritz Carlton
Europe - featured escapes
Venetian Carnavale
Vibe: historical, lively, creative
Best for 48 hours or longer
Let’s pretend we’re in Renaissance Italy and attend the Venice Carnivale. A mask-making workshop would be essential. After all, we’ll need it for masked ball, which, by the way, is held in a 15th century palace.
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Vibe: Luxurious, romantic
Best for 48 hours or longer
The famous Neuschwanstein is the inspiration behind the famous Disney castle, and for good reason too – it looks like an absolute fairy tale! While we can’t stay in the actual castle, we can always enjoy a luxurious evening or three at Hotel Das Rübezahl, with a suite that looks out over the mountains.
Exclusive Amalfi Coast Tour
Vibe: romantic and adventurous
Best for 48 hours or longer
There’s nothing more romantic than the south of France! Let’s reserve an exclusive Belle Époque villa at the Four Season in Cap Ferrat with panoramic Mediterranean views. After we’ve checked in, we could begin with a private yacht cruise along the coast, stopping for swimming in secret coves. Afterwards, we can return to the villa for a sunset cooking class with Michelin star chef Yoric Tièche, learning to make traditional Provençal dishes. Imagine enjoying our dinner on the terrace with a string quartet performing, followed by a private screening of a classic French film in the villa's garden cinema. Absolute bliss!
Countryside Escape in Oxfordshire
Vibe: luxurious, romantic
Best for 24 hours or longer
I might be the only girl I know who’s never stayed at Estelle Manor. Appalling that I’ve never been taken here, never gone on a forestry falcon walk, haven’t enjoyed their Roman baths, haven’t blown anyone’s mind in their gorgeous suites. Please, I beseech you, let’s remedy this immediately.
Champagne picnic on a glacier
Vibe: Adventurous, luxurious
Best for 48 hours or longer
Let’s take a private helicopter tour of the Alps, landing on a glacier for a champagne picnic. After, we could continue to a luxury mountain chalet, and enjoy some vintage wine by a roaring fireplace (pyjamas optional).
French Riviera Villa Soirée
Vibe: romantic and relaxing
Best for 48 hours
Did you know I’ve never properly been sailing? It’s very sad, I agree. Why don’t we remedy this in Positano? Or Capri? We could charter a private luxury boat along the Amalfi Coast for a half or full day, stopping at hidden coves for swimming. We could also have a personal chef prepare freshly caught seafood as we watch the sunset over the beach.
