It was easily the most peaceful night of the whole summer. The sky was clear, the wood frogs were singing, and our kids had been tucked in hours ago. My wife and I had stayed up way too late curled on the swing on our deck, just savoring the last night of summer vacation. I sighed, looked down at her, and said, “I can’t believe it’s almost over.”
When I was a kid, the end of summer vacation was a hard day because it meant the end of sleeping in and summer adventures. As an adult who gets summers off, heading back to work means the end of days spent with your wife and kids. These last weeks of summer are an important time to invest in your marriage. If you want to make the most of these days with your wife, here are 11 end-of-summer date ideas.
1. Look for a beautiful sunset.
Depending on where you live, a great sunset can be hard to find. So go looking for one. With the days getting shorter again, taking a drive out to the country or looking for a rooftop where you can watch the sun go down might solve that for you.
2. Have dinner under the stars.
The temperature is still nice enough to eat outside. You could take advantage of a restaurant patio before it closes for the winter. For a thriftier option, take advantage of your backyard seating and grill some burgers for just the two of you.
3. Take a mock camping trip in your own backyard.
A great end-of-summer date idea would be to create a mock camping trip in your own backyard. Set up a tent in the backyard, and after roasting marshmallows around the fire, play Scrabble on your sleeping bags, or just talk, dream, or listen to music. And if you don’t want to spend the night too far from your bathroom, head inside after the game is over to sleep in your bed.
4. Find a new favorite at a farmer’s market.
Head to your local farmer’s market and see what they have to offer. Maybe you’ll find your favorite fresh veggies or pie, and maybe you’ll discover something you’ve never tried before. The key is to wander through the market together and see what’s new or exciting.
5. Take in a cheap game.
In many towns, you’re likely to find minor league baseball and football teams with cheap tickets. Buy a pair of tickets to a game and soak in the whole experience together: popcorn, ice cream, the giant foam finger.
6. Find what’s unique in your community.
Search Google for activities that close in the fall. In Edmonton, we have an old riverboat and a corn maze that make unique and seasonal date nights. Search up what your community might have to offer and get out to enjoy it.
7. Take a soak in a hot tub.
Many of us don’t have a hot tub at home, so look for a hotel or Airbnb that offers one. You could even go to your local swimming pool and relax together in the hot tub there. The key is to find a hot tub and spend some quality time with your wife.
8. U-Pick whatever you want.
Spend an afternoon picking berries at a local U-Pick farm. When you get home, you can get a second date out of this when you turn those berries into jam or pie or something else that’s delicious.
9. Get out on the water.
For another end-of-summer date idea, go find some water. If you like fishing (or even if you’re willing to try), get a couple of fishing rods, go stand on a dock, and see what happens when you cast your lines. You could also rent a canoe and paddle around a local lake together before the weather turns.
10. Have a three- or four-course food truck meal.
Make a list of the different food trucks in your area. Plan a multi-course menu that will make you drive around town to sample from different food trucks. You could even make different menus and try twice as many foods.
11. Have a backyard game tournament.
From badminton to ladder ball, bocce ball to the classic cornhole, there are dozens of games people love to play in their backyards. Buy or borrow a bunch of these and create your own triathlon or pentathlon of games. Keep score and make it an annual tradition!
Sound off: What are some other end-of-summer date ideas?
Huddle up with your wife and ask, “What’s something you love to do together in the summer?”