relationships
It’s a
Date! 1. Bond over booze and brushstrokes with a super laid-back, but very fun painting class at Saratoga Paint and Sip Studio. 2. From The Crossings in Colonie to Congress Park in Saratoga, there’s plenty of green grass around for you two to park your picnic basket. 3. Grab a good pair of hiking shoes, hit the road and explore the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher Park together. 4. Head down to Hudson for antique shopping along Warren Street, dinner at Mexican Radio, then dessert at Swoon Kitchenbar. (One of the items on their menu at press time: brigadeiros and lemon ice cream with Brazilian chocolate caramel truffles. Swoon is right.) 5. Catch a double feature, ’50s-style, at the Malta DriveIn Theater for nine bucks. 6. Tour the many, many ice cream stands (or fro-yo spots) around
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healthylife
the area to find your favorite one. 7. Give Broadway prices the boot and snap up $23 tickets for a show at the lovely Curtain Call Theatre in Latham. (During intermission, try the desserts downstairs, imported from J.S. Watkins of Clifton Park.) 8. Support each other — literally — with a rock climbing session. Admission is $12 each at A.I.R., Albany’s Indoor Rockgym. (Get lost in their indoor cave system, too.) At The Edge in Halfmoon, an adult day pass is also $12. 9. Play a little Albany/Capital Region Groupon roulette. Have one of you close your eyes and point to the screen, then purchase whatever discounted deal you land on and make use of your voucher ASAP. 10. Relive your youth with some cotton candy and a ride on the Scrambler at Hoffman’s Playland. Bonus points for arcade time. 11. Open up mealeo.com and order
by melissa fiorenza
takeout from a place you’ve never eaten from before. Find out what drink pairs perfectly with your meal, and whip it up together. 12. Four words: Albany Aqua Ducks tour. 13. Unleash each other’s inner Top Chef by signing up for a cooking class at Different Drummer’s Kitchen (differentdrummerskitchen. com) or Spoon & Whisk (spoonandwhisk.com). 14. Bet who’s better at bowling; then take it to the lanes. Winner chooses dinner. 15. Get your education on with a history lesson or two. Make use of the New York State Museum in Albany (did you know admission is free?); then browse the fascinating exhibitions at the Albany Institute of History & Art ($10 for non-members). 16. Make gazing at the stars a little more interesting by shooting over to the Henry Hudson Planetarium in
Photos: Balloon, Eric Delmar/GettyImages; couple,Mark Bowden/GettyImages.
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ffordable date ideas a to shake things up and keep the fire burnin’