Candice S.This year my hubby and I decided to do things a little different for our anniversary date. Instead of the usual romantic dinner at an expensive restaurant and getting all dressed up, we decided to do a fun outdoorsy anniversary date night.
B-cycle Bike Rental
A few weeks ago, the Hubbs and I were on a date and we decided to check out a new (new to us) greenway trail that began right next door to a grocery store that we frequent.
On our walk, we came across a B-cycle bike rental rack. If you’re not familiar with B-cycle, it’s a fee-based bike-share initiative backed by the Nashville Mayor’s office and the Metro Nashville Health Department. Lots of major metros have similar bike rental systems. Even my small hometown in Central NY has one. Nashville has B-cycle. There are 33 bike rental stations placed throughout the metro Nashville area. You can rent the bikes in 1/2 hour increments and it’s super affordable!
So, we checked out the pricing, scoped out the bikes and decided that we would try it on a later date. I told him I’d like for us to try them out on our anniversary. I thought it would be cool to do something different from what we’re used to.
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Prepping For Our Date
Before we left the house, I loaded up a big tote bag with a picnic blanket and hand wipes.
We took the kids to drop-in childcare, got them settled in and set off for our adventure.
First, we stopped at our local grocery spot and loaded up on food. I grabbed some cannoli and a hot meal from the deli. He grabbed a hot meal. Then, we loaded up the tote bag and left the car parked at the store, since the beginning of the bike trail was just next door.
It was so easy to pay for our bikes, stuff our bike baskets with our bags and hit the trails. Neither me or my hubby have been on a bike in years. I’m not even gonna tell you how many years because it’s just embarrassing lol.
Our Anniversary Date Bike Ride
It took a second getting used to balancing and navigating again. The rental bikes were a bit heavy in the front so maneuvering took some getting used to. Once we did, we were tearing up the trails…downhill. Uphill was another story lol. I can’t even begin to describe how out of shape I must be. My thighs were burning at some points. I actually had to get off to stretch or walk the bike. The Hubbs thought it was hilarious that I kept stopping. But it was a LOT of fun!
At some point, we found a bench and decided to take a break and eat. We talked and laughed. People kept passing us smiling and mentioning the good smell of our food.
This was exactly what we needed. Time alone and a new experience.
The trail was pretty dope too. It bobbed and weaved through a section of the city following a large stream and some railroad tracks. It also cuts around a golf course, so the views were great and the trail was full of people either biking or walking.
At a few spots closer to the train tracks, you could catch a glimpse of some colorful graffiti. There were lots of wooden bridges that twisted and turned. Nice clean paths. There were spots where we could stop and take breaks or sightsee. We even spent some time skipping rocks near a stream.
It’s was so nice to see my husband smile and laugh. He works long hours at his day job and is a musician so he rarely has a chance to just forget about it all and just bug out and have fun. Like we used to, before the kids and responsibilities of family.
I don’t ever want to take these opportunities to spend time together for granted.
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Sunset Picnic In The Park
After our bike ride, we decided we wanted to grab our stuff and just lay in the park. I wanted to go to Centennial Park so we could people watch. We headed there and noticed it was a packed house. Warm Saturdays are the perfect day to catch some interesting people at the park. Like the old dude wearing booty shorts and a purple wig, singing country lyrics to himself, as we sat at the light to make our turn.
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But hubby wanted to make a U-turn and head back to Elmington Park since there was hardly anyone there. He says chilling in Elmington is like going to a restaurant and asking for a quiet table for 2. He’s right. It’s always quiet and a nice peaceful spot to chill. So we turned around and headed there.
He found a nice patch of yellow flowers in the grass, so we laid out our blanket and snuggled up together. We had such a nice time laying out on our blanket watching the sun go down. It was relaxing and super quiet since there was only 1 other person there playing frisbee with his dog. Finally, they left and we were all alone, holding each other, looking up at the moon and telling jokes.
It was the best time.
It brought back so many memories of how we used to date. Simple and effortlessly.
Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy going to an expensive restaurant or trying out some new cuisine on our anniversary. But this time, I’m so glad we decided to focus on reconnecting through recreation. I’m looking forward to what our next bike ride and our next 16 years, is going to bring.
When’s the last time you had an outdoorsy date?
Candice S.
