This year, we decided to give alphabet dating a shot.
Last year we managed to complete 52 unique dates, which was way too ambitious.
To clarify, coming up with something completely new and unique each week stressed us out, and it wasn’t fun when it became more about the idea than the actual date.
This year, we still want to keep things fresh and interesting. Most importantly, we don’t end up defaulting to a standard dinner and a movie, but we realized having repeat dates is perfectly fine too as long as you’re not stuck in a rut. No need to stress!
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Last Updated: August 29, 2022
A-Z ALPHABET DATING: Fun Date Ideas from A-Z
For alphabet dating, some people go in order from A to Z, but we’re going to give ourselves the freedom to go randomly.
We came up with a ton of ideas thanks the Scrabble Dictionary, and it only took me two entire days to read through every word in existence. Now I will dominate at Scrabble!
We broke them down into activities plus some places to visit since we focus our blog on travel. If you can’t travel there, you can also have a themed night at home.
The examples are all open to interpretation. For example, burgers can be going out to compare your city’s best burgers or staying in and making your own burgers or simply eating your favorite burgers.
A
Our Top 3: Afternoon Tea, Apple Picking, Archery
Activities: Abroad, Abseil, Acrobatic Classes, Acting Classes, Aerobics, Agate Hunting, Airboat, Airplane, Airport, Airstream, and Aliens (Area 51 Road Trip). Alpine, Amazon Wishlist, Amusement Park, Animals, Anime, Aquarium, Arcade, Arctic Cruise, Aroma Therapy, Art Gallery, Astrology, Astronomy, Auction, Audio Book. Author Talk or Signing, Auto Race, Aurora, Autobiography, and Aviation.
Places: Acadia NP, Alaska, Albuquerque, Amsterdam, Anaheim, Arches NP, Argentina, Arizona, Aspen, Athens, Atlanta, Austin, Australia, and Austria.
B
Our Top 3: Beach, Brewery Tour, Broadway
Activities: Baby Names, Backpacking, Bagels, Bakery, Bake, Ballet, Balloon Ride, Bamboo Forest, Banana Boat, Band, Bar Crawl, and Barista. Barre Class, Basalt Columns, Baseball, Basketball, Bat Flight, Battlefield, Bazaar, BBQ, Bed and Breakfast, Belly Dance, Bender, and Benefit. Berry Pick, Bike, Binge, Bingo, Birding, Bistro, Blimp Ride, Blog, Board Games, Boat Ride, Bodega, Bonfire, Books, and Bookstore. Boonies, Botanical Garden, Bouldering, Bourbon Trail, Bowling, Boxing, Brail – Teach Yourself, Brasserie, Breakfast, Brew Your Own Beer, (Boozey) Brunch, Bubble Bath, Bubbly, Bumper Cars, Bungee Jump, Burgers, Burlesque, Burritos, Busk, and Buskers.
Places: Badlands NP, Bahamas, Bali, Baltimore, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Belgium, Berlin, Big Bend NP, Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Boston, Boulder, Brazil, Bryce Canyon NP, Budapest, Buenos Aires, and Burbank.
C
Our Top 3: Choose Your Own Adventure, Comedy Club, Crabbing
Activities: Cabaret, Cafe, Cake, Camel Ride, Camera, Camp, Campervan, Candle Making, Candlelit Dinner, Candy, Canning, Canoe, Canvas, Car, Cards, Carnival, Carousel. Cartoons, Casino, Castle, Casual, Cat Cafe, Cave, Cellar, Cellist, Cemetery, Champagne, Cheap, Cheese, Cheesy, Chef, Chess, Chill, Chopped, Chopper. Christmas Lights, Cigar Bar, Cinema, Circus, Clamming, Classes, Classic Films, Climb, Cloudgazing, Club, Cocktails, Coffee. (Date Like You Were in) College, Color, Concert, Cooking Class, Cook a New Recipe, Corn Maze, Cottage, Couch Potato, Coupon, Cozy, Crafts, Create, Crepes, Cricket, Crossfit, Crossword Puzzle, Cruise, Cuddle, Culture, Cupcakes, and Cycling.
Places: Cairo, California, Cambodia, Canada (Calgary), Canyonlands NP, Cape Town, Capitol Reef NP, Carlsbad Caverns NP, Carson Valley, Central Park, Channel Islands NP, Charleston, Chattanooga, Chicago, Chile, China, Christchurch, Colombia, Columbia SC, Columbus OH, Colorado, Congaree NP, Connecticut, Copenhagen, Costa Rica, Crater Lake NP, Croatia, Cuba, Cuzco, and Czech Republic.
D
Our Top 3: Day Tripping, DIY Project, Drive-in Theater
Activities: Dance, Dapper, Dare, Darts, Deep Sea Fish, Derby, Detour, Dirtbike, Disc Golf, Disco, Dim Sum, Diner, Dinner. Dining in the Dark, Dinner Theater, Disney, Dive, DIY Project, DJ, Dodgeball, Dolphin Swim, Dominos, Donate, Donuts, Doodle, Downtown. Drag Show, Drama, Dramedy, Draw, Dream Date, Dream Home, Drinks, Drive, Driving Range, Drum, Duets, and Duck Tour.
Places: Death Valley NP, Delaware, Denali National Park, Denmark, Denver, Des Moines, Destin FL, Dominican Republic, Dresden, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Dubai.
E
Our Top 3: Escape Rooms, Eighties, Exotic Eats
Activities: Early Bird Specials, Eatery, Ebook, Ecotour, Edible, Eight Ball, the Eighties, Elegant, Emmys, Emporium, Escape Room, Estate Sale, Estuary, Evening, Exercise, Exhibit, Extreme, Exotic Eats, and Expo.
Places: Ecuador, Edinburgh, Egypt, El Paso, El Salvador, Ensenada, Ethiopia, Eugene, and Everglades NP.
More: Best Escape Room Games
F
Our Top 3: Festival, Flower Fields, Food Tour
Activities: Face a Fear, Facial, Factory Tour, Fad, Fair, Fall Foliage, Fancy, Farm, Farmer’s Market, Fashion Show, Feast, Felting, and Fencing. Ferris Wheel, Festival, Fiction, Fiesta, the Fifties, Film, Film Festival, Fine Dining, Firepit, Fishing, Fjord, Flea Market. Flight of Beer or Ice Cream or Coffee, Float a River, Flower Fields, Fly, Foam Party, Foliage, Fondue, Food Tour, Football, Forage, Forest, Formal, Fort, Fossils, Freebies, Frisbee, Frugal, and Fruit Picking.
Places: Fez, Fiji, Finland, Florence, Florida – Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, France, Frankfurt, and French Polynesia.
G
Our Top 3: Getaway, Gondola Ride, Glamping
Activities: Gala, Gamble, Game Night, Gaming, Garage Sale, Garden, Geeky, Gelato, Geocache, Geology, Getaway, Geyser, Ghost Tour, Gifts, Glacier Hike, Glamping, Gluten-Free, Go-Karts, Goals, Golf, Gondola Ride, Gorge, Gospel Brunch, Gourmet, Graffiti, Grocery, Grub, Guitar Lessons, Gun Range, Gym, Gymnastics, and Gyros.
Places: Galapagos Islands, Gates of the Arctic NP, Geneva, Georgia (state / country), Germany, Glacier Bay NP, Glacier NP, Granada, Grand Canyon NP, Grand Teton NP, Great Basin NP, Great Sand Dunes NP, Great Smoky Mountains NP, and Greece.
H
Our Top 3: Hike, Hot Air Balloon, Hot Springs
Activities: Habitat for Humanity, Haikus, Halal, Hammock, Happy Hour, Harbor, Haunted House, Hayride, Healthy, Helicopter Ride, and High Line. High Tea, Highway, Hike, Hobby, Hockey, Holiday Events, Hookah Bar, Home, Horseback Ride, Hot Air Balloon, Hot Springs, Hot Tub, Hotel, House Shopping, Hulu, Humanitarian, and Hunt.
Places: Ha Long, Haiti, Hanoi, Havana, Hawaii, Helsinki, Hiroshima, Ho Chi Minh City, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hot Springs NP, Houston, and Hungary.
I
Our Top 3: Ice Cream, Ice Skating, Improv
Activities: Ice Bar, Ice Climbing, Ice Cream, Ice Skating, Ideal Date, Igloo, Ikea, Improv Classes, and Improv Show. Indie Band, Indoor, Indoor Swimming, Inspiration Board, Island Getaway, and Italian Themed.
Places: Idaho, Iceland, Illinois, India, Indonesia, Iowa, Ireland, Irvine, Isle Royale NP, Israel, Istanbul, and Italy.
J
Our Top 3: Java, Jetski, Jigsaw Puzzle
Activities: Jacuzzi, Jams, Jam Out, Java, Jazz, Jeep, Jetski, Jewelry, Jigsaw Puzzle, Jog, Jousting, Judo, Juggle, Jungle, and Junk Food.
Places: Jackson, Jacksonville, Jamaica, Japan, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, Jordan, and Joshua Tree National Park.
K
Our Top 3: Karaoke, Kayak, Kite Flying
Activities: Karaoke, Kayak, Kebabs, Keg, Kinky, Kite Flying, Kite Surfing, Kickbox, and Knit.
Places: Kanab UT, Kansas (Kansas City), Katmai NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Kentucky, Kenya, Key West FL, Kings Canyon National Park, Kissimmee, Knoxville, Kobuk Valley NP, Kyoto, and Kyrgyzstan.
L
Our Top 3: Lake, Leaf Peeping, Eearth Travel
Activities: Lagoon, Lake, Lasertag, Leaf Peeping, Learn, Legoland, Leisure, Lessons, Lettering, Library, Lightshow, Limo, Line Dancing, and Literary. Live Music, Live Taping, Eearth Travel, Lodge, Loom, Lotto, Lounge, Luau, and Lunch.
Places: Lake Clark NP, Laos, Las Vegas, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lima, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Louisville, Lucerne, and Luxembourg.
M
Our Top 3: Meteor Shower, Murals, Musical
Activities: Magic Show (or Magic Castle), Mahjong, Mail, Make, Makeover, Marina, Market, Massage, Masquerade, Meadow, Meal, and Medieval Festival. Memoir, Mess, Meteor Shower, Mine, Mini Golf, Mixed Tape, Mixology, Mosaic, Morning, Movies, Mud Run, Murals, Museum, and Musical.
Places: Madrid, Maine, Manchester, Marfa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Melbourne, Memphis, Mesa Verde National Park, Mexico (Mexico City), Miami, Milan, Minnesota (Minneapolis), Missouri, Montana, Montreal, Morocco (Marrakech), Moscow, and Mount Rainier NP.
N
Our Top 3: National Parks, Nature, Netflix and Chill
Activities: Nails, Nap, Narrows, National Parks, Nature, Nerdy, Netflix and Chill, New, NFL, Night Market, Nightclub, Nineties, Noodles, Novel, Novelty, Nudist Beach, and Nursery (Plants).
Places: Nashville, Nevada, New Mexico, New Orleans, New York, New Zealand, North Carolina, North Cascades NP, North Dakota, and Norway.
O
Our Top 3: Observatory, Ocean, Orchard
Activities: Obligatory, Observatory, Ocean, Opal Hunting, Opera, Orchard, Ordinary, Origami, Outback, Outdoors, Outing, Oxygen Bar, and Oysters.
Places: Oaxaca, Ohio, Olympic National Park, Ontario, Oregon, and Orlando.
P
Our Top 3: Piano Bar, Picnic, Pinterest Project
Activities: Paddleboat, PADI, Paella, Pageant, Paint, Pajamas, Palace, Parade, Park, Party, Pasta, Pedicab, Performance, Petting Zoo, and Photography. Piano Bar, Piazza, Pickle, Picnic, Piercing, Pinball, Ping Pong, Pinterest Project, Pirate, Pizza, Plane, Planetarium, and Plant a Tree. Plateau, Play, Poetry, Pokemon, Poker, Polar Bear Plunge, Poledance, Pontoon, Pool, Popcorn, Popular, Porch, Potluck, Prairie, Pregame, Pub, Pumpkin Patch, Puppet, Putt-Putt, and Puzzle.
Places: Paris, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh), Perth, Peru, Petrified Forest NP, Philippines, Phuket, Pigeon Forge TN, Portland, Portugal (Porto), Prague, and Puerto Rico.
Q
Activities: Quadruple Date, Quarters, Quartz Hunting, Quiet, Quilt, Quirky, Quickie ;), and Quiz.
Places: Qatar, Quebec City, Queens, and Quito.
R
Our Top 3: Recipe, Rock Climb, RV
Activities: Race, Racquetball, Railway, Ramen, Ranch, Random Act of Kindness, Rappel, Read, Real Estate, Recipe, Relax, Remodel, and Rent. Replica, Repurpose, Reruns, Resort, Restaurant, Retail, Reunion, Ride, Ring Shop, Riverboat, Road Trip, Roast, Rock Band, Rock Climb, and Rocket Launch. Rodeo, Roller Coasters, Roller Skate, Romantic, Rom-Com, Rooftop Bar, Routine or Ritual – switch to your SO’s for the day, Rowboat, Rugby, Ruins, Rum, Run, and RV.
Places: Redwood National Park, Reno, Rhode Island, Rio de Janiero, Rocky Mountain National Park, Romania, Rome, Russia, and Reykjavik.
More: Mom’s Korean Recipes
S
Our Top 3: Salsa Dance, Stargaze, Subscription Box Dates
Activities: Safari, Salsa Dance, Samples, Sand Castles, Scavenger Hunt, Scramble, Scrapbook, Scuba Dive, Sea, Seafood, Seventies, Sext, Shooting Range, Shop, Show, Shower, Shuffleboard, Siesta, Sing, Sixties, Skate, Ski, Skinny Dip, Skydive, Skygaze, Skyline, Sled, Snorkeling, Snowboarding, Snuggle, Souffle, Spa, Spinning, Splurge, Stadium, Starbucks, Stargaze, Staycation, Storm Chasing, Street Art, Studio, Subscription Box Dates, Summit, Sundaes, Sunrise, Sunset (bonus if it’s sunrise and sunset in one day), Surf, Sushi, Sweets, Swim, and Symphony.
Places: Saguaro NP, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Sarasota FL, Saudi Arabia, Savannah, Seattle, Sequoia NP, Shanghai, Shenandoah NP, Singapore, South Africa, South Carolina, South Dakota, South Korea (Seoul), Spain, St George UT, and Switzerland.
T
Our Top 3: Tea Tasting, Travel, Tubing
Activities: Tacos, Tailgate, Takeout, Tandem Bikes, Tango, Tapas, Taping, Target, Tasting, Tattoos, Tavern, Tea Tasting, and Techno. Technology-Free Date, Teepees, Tennis, Tenting, Tequila, Test Drive, Theater, Theme Park, Themed Night, Therapy, Thrills, Thunderegg, and Tidepooling. Tie-Dye, Toons, Topless Beach, Tour, Tourist Attractions, Toy Store, Trail, Train, Transit, Travel, Trivia, Trampoline Park, and Trapeze. Treat Yo Self, Tree Climbing, Trek, Trendy, Trip, Tropical, Truffle Hunting, Truth or Dare, Tubing, Tunes, TV or Trashy TV, Twenties, and Twinning.
Places: Taiwan (Taipei), Tampa, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Tokyo, Toronto, Tucson, Tulsa, and Turkey.
U
Our Top 3: U-Pick Farm, Unplugged, Upscale
Activities: U-Pick Farm, Ukulele, Underground, Underwater, Unplugged, University, Unwind, Uplifting, Upscale, and Urban.
Places: Uganda, Ukraine, UNESCO Sites, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Utah, Uruguay, Utrecht, and Uzbekistan.
V
Our Top 3: Vacation, Vino, Volunteer
Activities: Vacation, Valley, Vampire, Variety Show, Vegan, Vegetarian, Viaduct, Video, View, Viewing, Villa, Vineyard, Vino, Vintage Shops, and Violin. Virtual Reality, Voice Lessons, Volcano, Volleyball, Volunteer, Vow Renewal, Voyage
Places: Valencia, Valley of Fire, Vancouver, Venezuela, Venice, Vermont, Verona, Victoria, Vienna, Vietnam, Virgin Islands National Park, Virginia, and Voyageurs National Park.
W
Our Top 3: Walking Tour, Waterfall Hike, Whale Watching
Activities: Waffles, Walk, Walking Tour, Waltz, Wander, Wanderlust, Water Sports, Waterfall Hike, Wedding, Weekend Getaway, Weird, Western, and Whale Watching. Whiskey Tasting, White Water Rafting, Wind Sailing or Surfing, Window Shopping, Wine Tasting, Winery, Wings, Wish List, Whirly Ball, Woods, Woodworking, World Map, Wrestling, and Writing.
Places: Washington, Washington DC, Wind Cave NP, Wisconsin, Wonders of the World, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Wyoming.
X
Our Top 3: Xbox, Xplore, Xtreme Sports
Activities: Xbox, Xplore, Xhibit, and Xtreme Sports.
Places: Xalapa, Xi’an, Xiamen, Xinzhou, and Xochimilco.
Y
Our Top 3: Yard Sale, Yelp a New Restaurant, Yes
Activities: Yacht, Yard Sale, Yellow – Go Out and Photograph Everything Yellow, Yelp a New Restaurant, Yes – Go All Day Saying Yes, Yoga, YouTube, and Yurt Camping.
Places: Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yellowstone NP, Yemen, Yogyakarta, Yokohama, York, and Yosemite National Park.
Z
Our Top 3: Zipline, Zoo, Zzzz’s
Activities: Zero Gravity Flight, Zipline, Zodiac, Zombies, Zoo, and Zzzz’s.
Places: Zagreb, Zambia, Zangye, Zhangjiajie, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai, Zimbabwe, Zion National Park, and Zurich.
No matter how busy or crazy life gets, Jacob and I have been challenging ourselves to make time for our marriage. Would love for you to join us in alphabet dating this year!
When’s the last time you made dating a priority, and can you think of some more dates starting with the letter E, Q, X, and Z? Those were the tough ones! Would you enjoy a challenge like this?
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Eearth Travel, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
