When was the last time you rode a roller coaster without having to keep track of kids? Consider an outing with your husband, wife or otherwise significant other in the form of a day -- or even better, an evening -- at an amusement park. Stepping outside your confort zone and into a totally different environment is a great way to get rid of stress...or at least forget about it for a while. Silly? Sure. Useful: Absolutely. Psychologists say you need time together to make your own memories and concentrate on each other. Think of it: Maybe he'll win you a stuffed animal. Or maybe you'll share a …

We couldn't let the summer go by without mentioning one of the most fun summer dates of all time, the drive-in movie. Sure, it's old fashioned, but still kinda fun, don't you think? And this comes from the men at www.askmen.com, so we're guessing this idea is okay with at least some of the guys. What's the best/most romantic date you've ever planned/been on? Email mariella.savidge@patch.com or tell us in the comments. As they so succinctly put it, "The privacy of your vehicle creates wonderful opportunities as well: You can bring your own candy and popcorn, no one will shush you as you giggle…

Here's a date all packaged and ready to go. No calculations necessary: Take advantage of all the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail has to offer. Sure, it sponsors big events where all the wineries are represented, but very often the individual wine trail members sponsor their own events. Perfect! For example, this weekend at Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery in Breinigsville, the two of you can enjoy a segment of the 2012 Vineyard and Winery Tour Series. At noon and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday you can enjoy sipping and touring, and get a glimpse of the winemaking process. Cost of the "date" is $12 per …

I cannot tell a lie, this week’s summer date was inspired by a date I had today with the other men in my life – my 8-year-old son and his equally dapper 5-year-old brother. The boys and I spent a glorious afternoon mini golfing, complete with the requisite post golf game ice cream cone. Today’s outing got me to thinking about my very first date in life, which just happened to be on a mini golf course in my hometown in New Jersey and likely ended with that requisite ice cream cone. This little bit of nostalgia left me contemplating how nice it would be if my hubby and I could manage to sneak …

Here's an idea spurred by the folks at marieclaire.com: take your sweetie and show him -- or her -- where you grew up. Hear me out. This could be fun, and it doesn't take a lot of fancy planning or research. And there are no meteors involved. It's great if you grew up in the vicinity of where you live now, but it can still be done if you grew up in Jersey, New England, anywhere, really, though it depends on what kind of trip you want to make of this. Only you know the answer to that. What's the best date you've ever planned/been on? Email them to mariella.savidge@patch.com or tell us in the …

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…

This date may take a little work, but it will be totally worth it. If you can pull this off you can make wishes all night long. Girls love this stuff. She can wish, you can wish. It's all very romantic. Even more so if you're wishing for the same thing. What's the most romantic date you've ever planned/been on? Tell us in the comments. Here's what you do according to the experts at artofmanliness.com: "During the summer months look online for days there are going to be meteor showers. Then late at night go pick up your date and bring her somewhere where there is little to no light pollution; …

You know there's a difference between just "grabbing a bite" and really going out to dinner, but what do you do when even that gets a little old? Our friends at cosmopolitan.com suggest a restaurant crawl. And it doesn't have to be the gang affair of say, the St. Patrick's Day pub crawl. This one's just the two of you. For example, start with some drinks and appys at The Pub on Main (we hear the black bean nachos are fabulous). Done there? Head to The Farmhouse for your main course. Geez, it's been an age since we've been there. End the evening with coffee and dessert at Sweet Memories. …

The weather is so hot that you don’t want to move, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your love life has to cool off completely. Thanks to the innovative minds behind thenest.com, we’ve got a summer date idea for you that can keep you cool, won’t break the bank and has the potential for getting a bit hot when all is said and done…provided you take advantage of the scene we’re setting up for you. You and your date should don your sexiest summer duds (bikinis and Speedos are at the couple’s discretion) grab some buckets, sponges and soap, unwind that garden hose (no pun intended) and wash your …