Valentine’s Day is upon us and it’s time to start planning! Here is a quick run down of some of my Houston favorites: restaurants, bars, parks, activities and more. Mix and match to help you plan your ideal Valentine’s Day date.
Outdoors
Playful Afternoon at Hermann Park: Go to the zoo, ride the paddle boats, take a turn around the park on the miniature train! If the weather is really nice, play 18 holes at the Hermann Park Municipal Golf Course. Hermann Park is located at 6201 Hermann Park Drive (map).
Fun and Fitness at Memorial Park: Arguably the most popular park in the city for joggers. Burn off the calories from that romantic dinner before you even eat it! Looking for something more leisurely? Visit the Arboretum. Memorial Park is located just south of I-10 West at the 610 Loop near Washington Avenue (map).
Go Fishin’ at Eldridge Park in Sugarland: Just outside of the city of Houston lies the suburb of Sugarland. Visit the stocked pond at Eldridge Park (map) and drop in a line for a relaxing afternoon of fishing.
Music
Saturday February 12 at 7 PM: Enjoy an evening of jazz music and see My Jazzy Valentine with Michael Lington, Dean James and Althea Renee at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands (map). $40 general admission, $55 VIP seating.
Monday February 14 at 8 PM: Houston House of Blues (map) presents Plain White T’s. Tickets range from $12.50 to $25.
Monday February 14 at 7:30 PM: Clay Aiken at Jones Hall (map) in a one night only performance of “Tried and True”, standards from the 1950s and ’60s.
Sports
Monday February 14 at 7:30 PM: Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets at the Toyota Center (map) in downtown Houston. Read on for more date night ideas in downtown Houston.
Go Climbing at Texas Rock Gym: Work up a sweat and try something fun and different. Indoor rock climbing is great if your outdoor plans get washed out by the rain. Texas Rock Gym is located at 1526 Campbell Road (map).
Go Kart Racing at Houston Fast Track: Feed your need for speed at this go-kart track, voted #1 by the Houston Press. Houston Fast Track has video games and miniature golf, too. Located at 11440 Hempstead Road (map).
Theater
A Weekend with Pablo Picasso at Alley Theatre: There are no Monday 2.14 performances, but try Friday 2.11 through Sunday 2.13, or Tuesday 2.15 through the next weekend. Alley Theatre is located at 615 Texas Avenue (map).
Oh, the Humanity at Stages Repertory Theater: Possibly disturbing, definitely funny; if you love words you’ll love Oh, the Humanity at Stages. Stages is located at 3201 Allen Parkway (map).
February 10-12 Winter Mixed Rep at Dominic Walsh Dance Theater at 7:30 PM: Contemporary dance, innovative productions; Winter Mixed Rep has a short run so catch it the weekend before Valentine’s Day! Dominic Walsh Dance Theater is performing Winter Mixed Rep at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (map).
Cocktails
Anvil Bar & Refuge: I’ve written about Anvil and their Prohibition-era cocktails before, and their new winter cocktail menu has romance written all over it. Who can resist ordering a Drooling Date on Valentine’s Day? Located at 1424 Westheimer (map).
Wine at The Tasting Room: With a huge selection of wines, a delicious food menu, and three locations The Tasting Room is the perfect destination for a wine lover’s Valentine’s Day date. Uptown Park (map), West Alabama (map) and City Center locations (map).
Wine at 13 Celsius: 13 Celsius (map) is a reference to the perfect temperature for storing wine, and this wine bar knows how to do “perfection”. This is one of my personal favorites because in addition to a wonderful wine list they have to-die-for cheese and meat plates.
Dinner
Tacos A Gogo: Fun, laid back, affordable but most importantly Tacos A Gogo (map) has some of the most delicious tacos in town. I also love their taco salad.
Feast: Feast on Westheimer (map) is serious food for serious foodies, but in a homey atmosphere.
Quattro: Quattro is the restaurant at the Four Seasons downtown (map). Their take on Italian is both classic and modern. Quattro was recently honored by USA Today and Zagat as a top hotel restaurant.
Road Trip
A Weekend in The Woodlands (map) gets out–but not too far out–for a change of pace from city life. A trip to Galveston (map) might be in the forecast … as long as rain isn’t; nothing says romance like a long walk on the beach. Campers might want to venture to Big Thicket National Preserve to get out of the concrete jungle and commune with Mother Nature.
Image credit: SXC
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