Breakaway Adventures: After Valentine’s Day
Breakaway Adventures: After Valentine’s Day
After the Flowers & Chocolates, How to Keep the Magic Going
Photos / PDGA Media (Professional Disc Golf Association)
I do hope that everything worked out for you on Valentine’s Day and you showered your sweetheart with beautiful flowers and delicious chocolates! God forbid that you didn’t forget! There is nothing sadder than your day ending up like that infamous day back in 1929 at Chicago’s Lincoln Park instead of a romantic night in the Poconos.
Regardless, don’t let that magic of the day end with cupid emptying his quiver all for not! Unlike the start of the New Year when we all try to make life altering resolutions for ourselves, February 14th should be the kick off of new or a renewal of relationships! Here are some ideas to keep those passionate fires burning once the flowers and chocolates are gone and consumed.
Obviously, this column is ultimately about outdoor activities or indoor activities that enhance your outdoor adventures. Couples outdoor activities can take many different forms, from simple games that you can play in your backyard to outright expedition-level adventures to far off reaches of the world. You’ll have to decide what’s within your own physical abilities and skill and of course, budget.
Some activities look good on paper but in reality they are activities that are just as fun by yourself or in a larger group. Downhill skiing is such an activity. Other than sharing the lift chair, close contact with your partner is not advisable, especially while schussing down the slope at breakneck speed (called breakneck for good reason).
Cross-country skiing on the other hand can be a very friendly couples activity; requiring helping hands to get your partner back on their feet after a mishap, sharing an intimate rest stop, and don’t forget those romantic moments in the warming hut after pulling out that old wine skin. The slower pace and speed of cross-country can be easily regulated by you and not the g-force, g=GM/r2. So in conclusion, cross-country skiing is definitely a better intimate couple’s activity.
As spring approaches, another popular sport is golf! Everyone has probably played a round of golf at one time or another but it’s not a great couple’s activity. It’s more fun as a gender exclusive sport, in groups of all men or all women. In fact, the ladies tees are well apart from the men’s - segregation at its best! Golf is not for the first timers either as the speed of the game is determined by skill. The newbie or less-skilled player will totally frustrate experienced ones with the constant screaming of “Fore!”. Couples be warned, even seemingly well intended, helpful and positive criticism can seem like passive aggressive behavior!
As an alternative, couples should try a sport called disc golf instead. Relatively new as a competitive sport, it has its roots in tossing a frisbee in the park. Disc golf is modeled after real golf; same number of holes on a course, either 9 or 18, uses drivers, putters and everything in-between. Due to disc golf being new, most people/players are fair to middling. There is definitely a smaller skills gab between genders although there are both men’s and women’s tees as in regular golf. This is a great sport for couples! Instead of yelling “Fore!”, disc golfers spend most of their time looking for surprising hard to find discs that somehow landed behind the bushes. It’s always fun to sneak behind those bushes with your sweetheart, young or old, and steal a kiss!
Disc golf courses are generally free to play on, another plus after breaking the bank for a box of chocolates. Close to Ellicottville there is an 18-hole course in Olean 22 miles away at the Gargoyle Park behind Applebee’s and near St. Bonaventure. There are two excellent 18-hole courses at Houghton College in Houghton, NY, just 34 miles due east of town called the Woods and Field of Dreams.
As we continue down our list of possible good couples activities we’ll have to examine biking and jogging! Both come to mind as possible couples activities but then the inherent dangers of jogging or cycling on a busy roadway forces couples to travel one behind the other. Invariably you’ll see one partner trailing well behind the other, thankfully well out of ear shot and not hearing, “keep up honey”, or “slow down you creep, this is supposed to be a date”!
Now hiking on the other hand is the perfect sport for couples, never, or rather rarely, ending up with a push off a cliff. Nothing more romantic than taking in a breathtaking view for high on a hill top, or as we in Cattaraugus County call them, the Enchanted Mountains! Ellicottville is surrounded by countless places to hike, both in the summer and winter months. Running through town we have we have the Finger Lakes trail system and a short drive down the road with Allegany State Park offering more manageable trails for the not-so-outdoorsy. Hiking is great invigorating exercise yet still offers an intimate and beautiful experience for couples!
Finally, something that I really know something about and could be called an expert in the field, fly tying! Yes, fly tying is a craft-type activity to enhance your outdoor activity that is excellent for couples whether they are beginners or expert. Imagination and creativity are two elements that make fly tying fun and entertaining. The Houghton Fly Fishing Club regularly hosts fly tying evenings at the River Dog Fly Shop at 9673 Route 19 in Houghton, NY, located right next to Houghton College. Open to everyone these events take place the third Thursday of every month and the last Wednesday of every month as well.
The HFFC will be hosting a very special event on the last Wednesday, March 27th. This particular evening is for couples only! As with all of their meetings, they are free along with complimentary snacks and refreshments. With the trout season scheduled to open April 1st, this is a perfect opportunity to start your journey as a couple into the wonderful world of fly fishing.
The secret to all great relationships were couples seem to be in sync with one another is to know when to turn off the competitive juices. Slow and steady always seems to work better than fast and hasty when it comes to joint activities. Soak in your surroundings and enjoy those wonderful smiles that are created as a result!
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Indrek Kongats is an artist, traveler, outdoorsman, and business owner residing in Ellicottville. He operates River Dog Art Gallery in Houghton, NY, and his Breakaway Classic Adventures specializes in adventure travel destinations. Learn more about him at breakawayclassicadventures.com.