30 days of...Great Dates Week 4 - Get your heart racing! GIVEAWAY!!

"I feel the need...the need for a speed!" said Maverick and Goose and they boarded their fighter plane in the movie, Top Gun. We all have the need for some speed and sharing the experience with the person you love is exciting. Dates #23 - #30 feature exhilarating activities to get your heart racing together!

Plus there is a FREE GIVEWAY mentioned at the end of the post so read on.

23. Hot Air Balloon Ride - In the city of Temecula, you can take a hot air balloon ride over the wineries. The trip provides gorgeous views from high up and as you descend you can reach over and touch the tops of the trees. This journey begins before the sun comes up and ends just in time for breakfast. Wilson Creek Winery offers champagne and a continental breakfast after the ride.

24. Palm Springs Aerial Tram - This should be one of the great wonders of the world. Within 10 minutes you experience the desert climate then mountain climate. During the winter, be prepared to play in the snow and sled down some hills. The rest of the year allows for great hiking and overnight camping. Either time it is a great time to share together.

25. Disneyland, California Adventure - this place is an even happier place when you leave the kids at home. Book a reservation at the California Grand Hotel.

There you can dine at a 5 star hotel, get a massage, lay by the pool, enjoy a band at the House of Blues, and ride California Screaming as many times as you want.

26. Skydive - Jumping out of a plane together will get your heart racing for sure. I did it once and had a blast! To see how I survived, view the video.

27. Planetarium - When I think about how big our universe is, it gets my heart racing. There are so many free telescope shows and exhibits you and your date can see in every state. In New York at the Museum of Natural History, the COSMIC COLLISIONS exhibit is a spectacular immersive theater experience, which launches visitors on a thrilling trip through space and time—well beyond the calm face of the night sky—to explore cosmic collisions, hypersonic impacts that drive the dynamic and continuing evolution of the universe.

28. Trapeze - Have you ever played the game, "Trust me?" You fall back into the person arms and see if they will catch you. If they don't catch you, then dump then right then and there. (That is after you get up.) In San Diego, Trapeze High is a trapeze training facility for people of all ages, abilities and skill levels. You and your date can do acrobats with each other high above the ground.

29. Go 180mph in your own RaceCar - At the California Speedway and other select tracks, you and your dates can ride in race car yourself or with an experienced driver. It will give you a whole new appreciation for the sport. And yes, racing is a sport, it isn't just a bunch of men turning left. (At least that is what my husband insists!)

30. Eat on the Top of the World - My best date was 11 years ago when my husband asked me to marry him. He took me to dine at the TOP of the WORLD in the Stratosphere Hotel. You could tell his heart was racing the whole night. In most major cities there is a High Rise Restaurant worth experiencing for the view and the food. Takami Sushi is located 21 floors above Downtown LA's Financial District, and is considered one of the most unique restaurant concepts Southern California has ever experienced. The Carnelian Room in San Francisco, features surrounding views of 360 degrees with award winning cuisine.

GIVEWAY!!! I am always looking for creative, romantic, and adventurous dating experiences. Please share your best date or share your idea of a perfect date. You will be entered to win 2 tickets to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. Random drawing takes place on March 30th.

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30 days of...Great Dates Week 3 - Get Down and Dirty

Dates 16 - 23 involves a little dirty behavior.

Now, get your mind out of the gutter for this is a

G-rated blog. When I say dirty, I literally mean dirty, as in covered or marked with an unclean substance. I happen to think getting dirty "with the methods described below" is the best way to laugh and let loose, getting you closer to each other. So have fun on any of these dirty dates below.

16. Do the MUDRUN - This is the World Famous Mud Run at Camp Pendleton! The Mud Run is a challenging 10K run with hills, tire obstacles, river crossings, two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides, tunnel crawl, slippery hill climb, and the final 30-foot mud pit. Along the course there will be 6 water points with personnel staged at each. This is the most fun you can have running a 10K! Register early becuase this event sells out at least 4 months in advance.

17. GEOCACHING - For those of you who love the amazing race, this is a fun adventure you and a date can do anytime. All you need is a GPS! Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

18. Bury each other at the beach - A day at the beach can not be beat. What better way to taunt your date than to bury them in some dirty sand. Take a picture and cherish the memory forever.

19. Get a BODY Massage in MUD - If a towel and a massage table suits you better than a 10-mile obstacle course, then opt for an all-body mud pack at your favorite spa. Better yet, pick up a bottle of Dead Spa Mineral Mud for $25. Put it on each other, sit out in the sun and get cracked-up while you are dirty.

20. Play Golf together - This is just a fun activity to do whether you can play or not. If you can't play, chances are you will end up in the sand or water. Actually that will happen even if you can play.

21. Play Paintball - Get your aggressions out in 37 acres of playing fields designed solely for paintball tournaments and escapades with your date.

22. WINE FESTIVALS- For I Love Lucy fans, the smashing grapes scene is unforgettable. Now, you too can smash grapes with your bare feet at your local winery. The Ponte Winery in Temecula hosts an annual festival and a WINE STOMP tournament in the Fall. Afterword, keep your shoes off and sit those bare-grape-stained feet and enjoy a picnic lunch in the middle of the vineyard. Bellisimo!

23 . HOT SPRINGS RESORT- After all the dirty dating you have participated in, a nice change is to visit one of California's Hot Springs. When one bathes in these luxuriant waters, after 3 - 4 minutes, millions of tiny bubbles cover one's skin. The CO2 and water penetrate one's skin and rapidly dilate one's capillaries, giving an incredible feeling of calm, warm, peace and tranquility. For a list of ALL the Hot Spring Locations throughout the Western United States, buy the guide, Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest, at AMAZON.com.

Now it is time to do some dirty dating. Please share any specific locations that would be of interest to other readers in the comments below.

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