6 Valentine's Day Dates That Aren't Cliché

While still recovering from the mega block of November/December holidays, Valentine’s Day has a tendency to sneak up on you — which may help explain why we’re all such clichéd basic bitches when it comes to the one holiday expressly for celebrating our special and unique love for our significant others. Honestly, you’d think Valentine's Day dates like dinner and a movie (with the third act obvi back at home) would be a last resort instead of a go-to V-Day date. Well, I got news for you, folks: You’re better than that, and I believe both you and your partner deserve more… the sky’s the limit! (Jk, we all know the credit card’s credit limit is the actual limit, but mountains of debt are NOT an aphrodisiac, so keep that in mind.)

The point is, there’s nothing basic about the way you feel for your beloved (and if there is, get out now!), so stop thinking about your Valentine’s Day plans that way. Of all the seven billion people (and counting) on this planet (seriously guys, we need to stop breeding), you chose each other. That’s really special!

So without further ado, I present for your consideration these six non-cliché Valentine’s Day activities you could do with your sweetheart on Saturday. (And for even more inspiration, check out the Valentine's plans of these Bustle readers and editors!)

1. A date at the zoo with your boo #sorrynotsorry

Check out your city's zoo and see how the other animals do love. You might even catch some randy monkeys getting their V-Day bump and grind on. Who knows, maybe you'll pick up a few new moves... or at least be motivated to hightail it back home and into bed as soon as you guys are done in the primate section. Vicarious foreplay? Check!

2. Head to the museum for a scavenger hunt... or create your own

To celebrate Valentine's Day this weekend, Watson Adventures is conducting "Naked at the Getty" scavenger hunts at the famed Getty Center in L.A. Join in their fun, or find a group scavenger hunt in your neck of the woods. Or — perhaps the best idea — create one just for your SO. Think about it: Nobody knows your partner better than you do, so put all that insider intel to good use. Hide clues at his favorite haunts, or pick places where you guys had milestone relationship moments — and watch your normally calm, collected beau turn into a teary, grinning maniac as he careens around town realizing that every clue says exactly how much you love him. Awww!

3. Stay in and make a romantic dinner together

Anecdotally speaking, I think most of us would agree that restaurants are THE WORST on Valentine's Day: they're busy, they jack the prices up, the servers assigned to work are usually pissed about it, and you have to watch the couple in the booth across from you make dinner an X-rated affair. No thanks! Cooking together can be super romantic. Or pending nice weather, head outside and make it a starlit picnic... which could lead to a starlit dessert, if ya know what I mean.

4. Check out an open-air cinema event

Sure, hoards of couples will be heading to the movies this Valentine's Day, but they'll be heading to the regular old indoor movie theater for squares. Not you and your sweetheart! Nope, you're opting for a road less taken... Pull into a nearby drive-in for maximum kitsch, or find an outdoor café that throws movie nights. Or take in a glam screening event like Cinespia's Breakfast at Tiffany's at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre.

5. Work up a (totally PG) sweat

I don't know about you, but I love love love when ladies show up at my group exercise class with their man in tow. There's something so vulnerable and sweet about watching each other fail miserably while trying to hold your best plank... it definitely offers something to laugh about! Plus, you know who's not going to be at your class or gym on Valentine's Day? EVERYBODY ELSE. So get your boo a guest pass, and take advantage of all that extra room! And the extra-special bonus is that getting your heart rate up makes you feel more amorous — which means both of you will be begging for your second workout once you get home.

6. Take a sunset stroll

Absolutely nothing beats walking and talking with your favorite person as the sun is going down. Yes, that's right — the cheapest and easiest thing on this list is also, in my opinion, the most romantic. In the crazy hectic years of early adulthood and starting your career, it can be hard to carve out quality time with your significant other. Sometimes all the hubbub makes connecting feel superficial. Which is why a stroll with your bf or gf — just the two of you, the settling air, and the sites and scenes of your chosen route — may help open the floodgates to some of the most deep and meaningful conversation you've had in a while... a true heart-to-heart. And let's face it: that's what Valentine's Day is all about.

Images: Fotolia; Getty (3); bfurlong, samantha celera /Flickr; Giphy (1)