Dates to Remember
Elana Delozier, 23, watches her friend Devin Stewart, 27, scale the indoor rock face at the SportRock climbing center in Alexandria.
(Mark Finkenstaedt For The Washington Post)
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Dinner and a movie. A movie and drinks. Drinks and dinner. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Honestly, is this any way to conduct a Great American Romance?
During the winter, fine. You can blame the slush and frost for that dreary routine. But it's almost summer now, the season of fireflies and rooftops and tangerine sunsets.
The time has come to step it up. Break the cycle and go do something -- something fanciful or fun or, at the very least, interesting.
Luckily, the Washington area abounds with opportunities for good times and enchantment. The challenge, so often, is to figure out the "what" and "where" and "when," so we took it upon ourselves to do a bit of the legwork for you. (No, no, it was our pleasure.)
A few things to keep in mind: A wedding band shouldn't spell the end of wooing. Friends can be better than boyfriends. MapQuest is an outstanding invention.
So, off you go.
It's just three steps to Happily Ever After -- or at least a few great dates.
Mount Vernon
1. The estate. Okay, let's be honest -- when was the last time you stopped by to pay your respects to the nation's first president? If your last visit entailed a parent or a school bus, it's time for a return trip. Wander the mansion and grounds during late afternoon when the crowds have thinned. Swing by George's boudoir, note Martha's taste in flatware and enjoy a glimpse of the local landscape, sans development. (Construction marring the view from the manse is prohibited.) An hour and a half should be plenty of time to develop an acute case of house envy.
2. Head north on the George Washington Parkway to the Cedar Knoll Inn, a slightly kitschy, but divinely situated haunt on the banks of the Potomac River. Try to sit outside so you can watch the crew teams labor on the water as you enjoy a nice glass of white wine and a few Mediterranean tapas.
3. Continue north on the parkway to Gravelly Point Park, where you can watch the sun set and the planes land. If it's your first field trip to this Washington area gem, just a few hundred yards from the grounds of Reagan National Airport, you may worry that a Boeing 727 is about to land on your head. It probably won't, but you are close enough to feel vibrations from the engines and be freshly awed by the wonders of flight -- and hopefully each other.
MOUNT VERNON At the south end of George Washington Parkway, eight miles south of Alexandria. 703-780-2000,http:/
