we are in the process of making best date history. just to recap ..
we’re taking your date on a scavenger hunt of sorts, to all of their favorite places. as you can imagine, a lot of planning takes place behind the scenes. don’t look at it like that. just take it one step at a time. I’d start with plotting where you two are going to go. truly, pick your favorite places. need inspiration? you can see mine here. after you’ve decided on the plan, you need clever clues to get your date to guess where you’re taking them. don’t let this part intimidate you. you can do it! inside jokes are appreciated. make ‘em think. for help, you can read my clues here.
[side note: we have a restaurant called django here in des moines. and I thought it’d be so clever to reference the movie “django unchained” in my clue. bad idea. my husband is a movie buff. he got it instantly. this is where I tell myself: know your audience].
once you’ve planned your route + cleverly created clues, it’s time to have fun!
the love hunt.
our first stop: el bait shop. for a beer. [if you ever find yourself in des moines, put this place on your list. especially if you like craft beer].
our second stop: the hessen haus. this german bier hall, housed in an old train station downtown des moines happens to be one of our favorites. and because they’re so healthy, we love the armadillo eggs. so I figured that should be our first food item ..
our third stop: malo. it’s a fairly new latin-inspired restaurant, that we’ve been to a few times and really love. the food is fun + delicious. I prompted the husband to order an appetizer of his choice and 4 tacos. [side note: we order tater tots. they came with a jalapeno ketchup that I’ve been dreaming about since. and saying ‘I like ketchup’ is a stretch].
our fourth stop: django. for my husband’s dirty martini. I have zero evidence we were there. it was so crowded. which is why I recommend beginning early in the day, or getting reservations for those places you’re hitting at peak times. [I didn’t get a reservation at django, because we only wanted to grab one drink]. onto the next ..
our fifth stop: up-down. an arcade bar, that truly resembles your grandparent’s basement. minus the large bar strategically placed right in the center of it all. this was our first time there, but I thought it’d be a fun. I brought a stack of quarters for us. and we played ninja turtles until our quarters ran out.
do not let the date end there. hand them a clue that leads them back home. once there, ask them to wait outside for a second. I purchased two cupcakes, chilled a bottle of wine, and set out fresh flowers ..right next to a little note I wrote my husband. see all of that here.
I hope you didn’t even get to the bottom of this post, because you were so excited to start planning your own love hunt date. believe me, they will appreciate it + have so much fun.