Looking for ways to set the mood or impress someone special? It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to take your sweetheart on a special date. If you need some ideas, we’ve got you covered. Consider this your date night Colorado Springs cheat sheet for a date he or she won’t forget.
1. Listen to Live Jazz at Motif
Low lights, sultry music and fancy cocktails make for a romantic ambiance and unique experience. Motif Jazz Cafe has live music Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 11 p.m. With a full dinner menu, you can make an evening of it or stop in for a nightcap.
motifjazzcafe.com
2. Stroll Around the Broadmoor
If you’re not up for a full staycation, take a walk around the Broadmoor Lake. Those twinkling lights reflected on water are even better than candlelight. Afterward, stop by the Hotel Bar for a cocktail—a fireside seat beside the massive, outdoor hearth is perfect for cuddling. Or cross the street to The Golden Bee for a singalong and yard of ale.
broadmoor.com
3. Do Dinner and a Movie
Think it sounds cliché? Not when you head downtown for chic eats and an indie, arthouse flick. Head to Bonny and Read, and order the seafood tower, which is basically a mountain of lobster, crab, shrimp, and, ahem, oysters. Afterward, stroll a block to Kimball’s Peak Three Theater for cocktails and a movie in the small, intimate theater.
kimballspeakthree.com
bonnyandreadseafood.com
4. Get Things Cooking in the Kitchen
Cooking at home might feel like a chore, but taking a cooking class together can be fun, flirtatious and delicious. The French Kitchen Culinary Center offers a number of classes from bread making to full meals, but they recommend their Fix and Feast class for couples who may want to do more sampling than preparing. The class is three hours long, with about 1.5 hours of cooking and 1.5 hours of eating. “It involves less cooking and a lot of eating with cheese and wine and bread,” says owner Blandine Brutel.
tfkcc.com
5. Take a Ride in the Sky
Watch the sunrise light up the Front Range as you soar above the city in a private hot air balloon ride with Adventures Out West. Feeling extra romantic? You can pop the question or exchange vows in the air as you float over the beautiful Colorado scenery.
advoutwest.com
6. Spend a Couples Day at the Spa
Bliss out together with massages and champagne at Alluvia Spa at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Their couples packages include complimentary champagne, Swedish massages, and scalp and foot therapies. If you want to stay for the day, book an extra facial or pedicure to really get pampered. Decide you want to get a room after all? You’re in the right place, as long as there’s availability.
cheyennemountain.com
7. Melt Their Heart With Fondue
What’s sexier than a bottle of wine and molten chocolate? Head for the Mona Lisa in Manitou Springs, and order the four-course experience to sample more of the menu in the quaint, cozy restaurant. Insider tip for those on a budget: Forgo the main dining room, and dine in the cellar between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. for $5 glasses of wine and 40 percent off cheese and chocolate fondue, the latter being the true star of the fondue experience anyway.
monalisafondue.com
8. Hike in the Moonlight
You may need to dress for cooler weather, but hiking Colorado Springs after dark can be intimate and romantic. Steal a smooch in front of the Kissing Camels formation at Garden of the Gods, or break out the hot chocolate and stargaze from the gazebo on the lake at Fox Run Park. Most parks are open until 9 p.m. during the winter, some later in the summer, but check park hours before you hit the trails.
gardenofgods.com
tinyurl.com/mtepqxm
9. Get That Swing (Dancing)
Whether you’re a novice or an advanced dancer, kick up your feet every Wednesday night with East Coast swing dancing at The Loft in Old Colorado City. “You don’t have to have any knowledge [of swing dancing] to come,” says Olivia Dodson, dance manager at The Loft Dance. Beginner lessons start at 7:30 p.m. and are free with the cost of entrance. If you want to make it extra special, go dancing on the second Wednesday of the month, which always features a live jazz band.
loftmusicvenue.com
10. Step Out for the Theatre
Sometimes it’s important to go all out. Dress to the nines, and catch a classical concert or Broadway show at the Pikes Peak Center. Or skip downtown altogether, and take in a dance or theater performance at the recently opened Ent Center for the Arts—after having martinis and prime cuts across the street at Cowboy Star, of course.
pikespeakcenter.com
uccs.edu/entcenter
cowboystarcs.com
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Great Dates in Colorado Springs for Valentine’s Day and Beyond
