Fun Date Ideas in the Phoenix Area

• Plan a date that involves a shared activity. AE Pictures Inc./Digital Vision/Getty Images
  

  When looking for fun date ideas in the Phoenix area, rest assured that there are more options than a meal in a restaurant or popcorn at the movie theatre. Plan an out-of-the-ordinary date that will give your partner something to brag about.

Go for the Gondola

• Take your sweetheart to the Hyatt Regency Resort at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale to enjoy a gondola ride complete with serenading by a classically trained singer. Your handcrafted Italian gondola is steered by a singing professional along one of three routes on the hotel's seven-acre lake. Gondola rides operate until 10.30 pm each day, depending on the weather. A private trip for you and your date will cost you $60, or $10 each in a shared boat, as of 2010. Your gondola ride is complimentary if you eat at the Alto ristorante e bar.

Be Active

• Get get your hearts racing, literally, as you spend some quality time with your date in the great outdoors. Put on your hiking shoes, pack a luxury picnic and take your loved one to Piestewa Peak. Roam the trails and valleys of the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area and Dreamy Draw Recreation Area surrounding Piestewa Peak. The scenic area features a selection of trails and picnic spots for a romantic lunch. If you're feeling energetic, hike the 1.2 miles to the summit at 2,608 feet. If you're happy to enjoy the solitude and watch the sunset, take one of the less-challenging trails in the Sonoran Desert.

Head to the Beach

• Spend the day outdoors in the sunshine at the Big Surf Waterpark in Tempe. The park, open during the summer, features rides, slides, beaches and pools for that vacation feeling without the travel costs. Swim in the Waikiki Beach wave pool, rent a raft or lounge by the poolside enjoying each other's company. If you're looking for an adrenaline burst, follow each other down one of the three Hurricane slides or the dark Black Hole slide.

Share Paintbrushes

• Free your inner artist and create some lasting memories on a date to As You Wish Pottery Painting. Get to know each other while you create your own works of art. Choose a pottery piece from a selection of plates, mugs, frames and shapes, paint your own designs and return a few days later -- for a second date, perhaps -- to pick up your glazed and fired masterpieces. The pottery studio provides expert assistance, and the cost includes a studio fee along with the price of your pottery. As You Wish Pottery Painting is open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and there are a number of locations in the Phoenix area.