When you're dating someone, you typically want them to be a massive part of your life. You want them to be there when you're sipping vanilla milkshakes at your hometown diner, and know all the hilarious stories you have from your high school days. Sure, you could recap everything while casually hanging out in your apartment. But taking your partner on cute and unique hometown dates will make for ultimate bonding.
They'll get to see all of the spots around your town that you talk about on the reg, and put faces to important names. They'll watch your face light up as you drive by the pizza place where your best friend sneezed and soda came out of her nose, or the park where you used to hang out after school. All of it will give your love a better glance into who you are as a person, and why certain things — like Taylor Swift albums, skateboards, and home fries — are so special to you.
Now, you could always take some notes from the Bachelor franchise and plan hometown dates that revolve around meeting your family or going to a restaurant that looks great on camera. But these 10 dates are totally unique and a great place to kick things off.
As a fun and totally unique date, you could take your partner to the local bar and play pool. Together, you could sip a few beers — if you're both 21 or over, of course — laugh, and learn the best techniques for getting the balls in each pocket. You could chat and cue up some more plans, too.
It seems like every hometown has a diner or particularly good breakfast spot. If that's the case for your hometown, take your partner there for chocolate milkshakes, home fries, and stacks of blueberry pancakes. You two will adore bonding over the menu (which you have memorized) and the vintage-looking jukebox.
Growing up, you may have loved zipping around the skatepark with your best friends or siblings. You might have taught yourself tricks and launched yourself down the ramps fearlessly. Show your SO this side of yourself by bringing them to the bowls for a sweet date. Captions for skateboarding pics will be required.
Hometown dates, as the Bachelor franchise has taught some of us, can be a great time for your partner to get closer with your family. Plan an afternoon or weekend night when you can go bowling with your love and your siblings. It'll be a good way for them to bond, and a unique thing to add to your itinerary.
Going for a drive will never go out of style — especially when it comes to showing your partner around your hometown. TBH, it's probably the ultimate way to show them where you used to hang out, from the ice cream shop to the parking lot outside of the bowling alley. Put on some tunes for this simple — yet epic — date.
When you were a kid, you might have gone to countless birthday parties that included laser tag. So much so that you became a pro at finding spots to hide at your hometown's arcade. Take your SO there for a friendly round, followed by games and lots of cheesy prizes.
Hosting campfires and doing outdoorsy things may have been your jam in high school. That means your SO needs to experience what it's like to chill by a fire pit and make s'mores with your BFFs, too. It'll be a great opportunity for them to get to know your hometown BFFs, and an adventure-style date to look back on
Are you and your SO considered the outdoorsy couple of your friend group? If so, then you should go on a rock climbing date in your hometown. Pack up the necessary gear in a backpack and take your SO to the well-known spots for this activity.
Catching a movie with your partner can be fun, but cliché. Spice things up by heading to the drive-in theater in your town for a particularly cute, vintage, and unique date. Watch a film that just came out, or an animated movie you both love. Don't forget to take a few pictures for Instagram too.
Some of the best sights and experiences are just outside of your hometown. These might include incredible hiking trails, dreamy waterfalls, or trendy restaurants. Take a day and tour those places for the ultimate date and bonding experience with your partner.
