Wait, a watermelon?

Outdoor · ~$10–15

Head to Rock Canyon Park with a watermelon and ten plastic water bottles (or anything else you think might work). Fill each bottle with a few inches of water so they stay upright on the grass, set them up in a triangle at the end of a flat stretch, and use a watermelon to bowl down the hill. A full-size watermelon rolls pretty unpredictably. Eat whatever's left of it after the last round (its still good, don’t worry). This is the kind of date that’s best if you have a group so that you can have time to talk with your date.

How to ask: "I'm going to Rock Canyon this Saturday with a watermelon and some water bottles, which is exactly what it sounds like: we’re going bowling. Can you come?"

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Adventure · ~$12–20 per person

The cave is 1.5 miles up a steep switchback trail from the visitor center, give yourself an hour up and 30 minutes down. You can book tickets using the link below. Do it before the weekend because they fill up relatively fast. The guided tour inside is 45 minutes with a ranger, and the formations are quite cool, including helictites, stalactites, and cave bacon (probably don’t lick it though). Bring a jacket because it stays 45 degrees in there year-round, regardless of the weather outside. This is the kind of date that requires actual planning to pull off (and we just did most of it for you).

How to ask: "I booked Timpanogos Cave tickets for Saturday. It includes a whole hike and tour, are you free / wanna come?"

BUY TICKETS HERE →

Unusual · Free

Scheels in Sandy has a full-size Ferris wheel installed inside the sporting goods store, free to ride. It goes slow, which puts you side-by-side 30 feet above the shopping floor for about three minutes per lap. The store itself takes a real hour to walk through: two floors, a large freshwater fish tank, wildlife mounts, batting cages, and every outdoor category you've heard of. This is a strong first date option because the location is genuinely memorable and it costs nothing, which means you chose it because it's good, not because it was cheap.

How to ask: "Scheels in Sandy has a free Ferris wheel inside the store. That's the whole pitch. You in Saturday?"

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Food · ~$15–20

Take six or seven stops around Provo on Friday evening, ordering only fries at each: McDonald's first to set the baseline, then Crown Burger, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Arctic Circle, Guru's, and one wildcard she picks. Small orders only. Judge on crunch, salt level, thickness, and dipping ability. You can keep the tier list in your notes app. There definitely is a best fries place, so keep your eyes out for it.

Cast your vote here:

How to ask: "Fry tour of Provo on Friday. Seven spots, one tier list. Come be my co-judge."

SEE MORE RESTAURANTS HERE →

Animals · Free

Wheeler Farm in Holladay is 30 minutes north of Provo and free to visit. It's a working farm with a petting area where the goats and sheep will follow you as long as the quarter-fed dispensers have something in them. Give yourself an hour to actually walk through it. It is hard to stay guarded around a goat that won't leave you alone. This date does the social work for you. Best on a weekday when the school groups have cleared out.

How to ask: "Wheeler Farm in Salt Lake has a free petting zoo. I want to feed the goats. Are you someone who does that kind of thing?"

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Here's something nobody tells you:

If you had a good time, say so. You don’t need a paragraph, and you don’t need to wait two days; just one text that night: "I had fun, we should do something again sometime soon" That's it. It costs nothing and it tells her you're not running some playbook. The people who wait for the right moment to follow up usually just miss it.

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Until next time,