Five Great Dates: Outdoorsy Date

Face it: Mittens, snowshoes and frozen noses just aren’t sexy, even after the good ol’ whiskey warm-up. Skip the frustration and frostbite—but not the whiskey—and celebrate Colorado with a little outdoor lovin’ in Longmont.

Start with late-brunch beignets or eggs Pontchartrain and chicory coffee at Lucile’s Creole Cafe, or scarf chicken and waffles or honey vanilla waffles smothered in blackberries (and other brilliant breakfast specials) at Two Dog Diner.

After the succulence settles and the caffeine kicks in, head for the hills—but not literally and not in the winter. In the summer, the 8-mile hike to Chasm Lake offers up beautiful photography of the lake, Columbine Falls and Longs Peak. However, come the first heavy snowfall, the St. Vrain Greenway boasts all of the sunset sparkle and none of the avalanche risks, which makes it the perfect winter picnic setup. The walk averages four miles round trip, but nothing dictates that anyone circle every pond or even go all of the way out. Bring a camera for the sparkly sunset shots.

Find the perfect icy-lake view and lay out the little-used picnic blanket. We love the uber-gourmet baskets from Cured in Boulder and the simple-but-savory baskets by Lafayette Florist. Incite the appropriate oohs, ahs and mmms with a thermos of hot cider and Stranahan’s, or experiment with Leopold Bros Rocky Mountain blackberry or peach whiskies in a hot toddy. (Hey, we never said you wouldn’t want whiskey.)

As the sun winds down, pack up, hike out and use ice skating at Roosevelt Park as an excuse to hold hands and snuggle in public. The rest…well, that’s on you.

Lucile’s Creole Cafe: 518 Kimbark St., 303.774.9814

7am-2pm Monday through Friday; 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday

Two Dog Diner: 645 Tenacity Dr. A, 303.772.2364