SWEET NOTHINGS

20 FREE Date Ideas in San Diego
No doubt, dating can be a bank-busting endeavor, especially for over-spenders who don’t know any better than to throw more cash into their plans and gifts, rather than more heart. Having a honey shouldn’t mean giving up the money, so here’s 20 free ideas that will make your date swoon, without putting you in the red.

• Share the Love. Find out what moves your sweetheart, whether that’s walking dogs with the Pit Bull Rescue San Diego, or offering up assistance to homeless veterans. Sign up a portion of your day to volunteer together and see how big your date’s heart really is. (Idea by Diego On a Dime reader, Audrey B. of Poway).
• Build your kingdom. Take your date to the beach and see who can build the grandest sand castle. Use whatever tools you need and see who reigns supreme. Competition can get intense, so make sure to kiss and make up afterwards.
• Satisfy your culture cravings and explore the lineup of museums in San Diego County that are always free of charge and change. From a botanical museum dedicated to all things green and growing, to a hotel brimming of rock star memorabilia, here are 16 free museums and exhibits that you and your special someone can discover together.
• Get pumped. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins keep you happy and glowing. That’s sexy. Period. Start the morning with Charity Workouts, a donation-only bootcamp held every Sunday morning in Balboa Park. Any donations made go to a local charity that supports programs for at-risk youth. Working out for a worthwhile cause? Breaking a sweat never sounded so good. (Idea submitted by Diego on a Dime reader, Olin H. of Del Mar)
• Get drunk on love. Stone Brewery in Escondido is recognized as one of the best breweries in the nation, brewing more than 50,000 barrels of beer annually. It’s also where you can get a free tour and get in the underbelly of the craft brewing process. You’ll top off the tour with comp tastings of their beers. Cheers!
• Flashback and walk down memory lane. If you or your date still live close to where you grew up, give each other a tour of your childhoods. Grab a camera and take pictures of your all-grown-up selves as you visit each landmark. Anyone from Paradise Hills?
• Free feast in the East (County). Never can decide where to go eat with your better half? Well, here’s an idea to satisfy both of your palates. Head east for some Las Vegas-style buffets and eat your tiny hearts out. Sycuan Casino and Valley View Casino both give you a FREE buffet (yes, you read right) just for signing up for their player’s clubs (also free). Prime rib, peel’n’eat shrimp, fresh fruit, Mexican, Asian, and Italian. You can even feast on all-you-can-eat eat lobster for Valley View’s evening buffet! Can I be any more enthusiastic about this?!
• Lace up, stretch out those leg muscles and take a hike out in Cuyamaca. Stonewall Peak is one of our faves, along Highway 79 on the way to Julian. The two-mile hike up is rewarded with 360-degree views of unspoiled countryside, so whip out your camera for some pretty special photo ops. When you’re ready to recover, add some extra romance to the evening — lie across the hood of the car and look at the stars. (Idea submitted by Diego on a Dime by Lani I. in Philly!)
• French for free. Free French language classes, that is. If Paris is the city for lovers, then bring your lover to Fabrison’s Sweet Café in Little Italy for these classes on Saturdays and Sundays at 2-3pm. Nibble on reasonably priced Nutella crepes or roasted chicken sandwiches while learning how to speak the language of love. If kissing ensues, so be it.
• Warm up over a cup’o’joe while catching an open mic. South Park’s Rebecca’s Coffehouse, loved by locals for its warms and scrumptious scones, hosts a Off Beat Open Mic on most Sundays. You might luck out with a great show, or you may find a mixed bag of angsty guitar solos and bad poetry — either way, you’ll have something to talk (or laugh) about on the way home.
• Fuel up for free. Get over the been-there, done-that dinner date. Show off your uniqueness and money savvy by taking advantage of FREE breakfasts offered by Mimi’s Café and Bamboo Lounge in Hillcrest. Just sign up for restaurant’s email list and they’ll return the favor by emailing you a free certificate to enjoy a breakfast. Straight from their hearts to yours.
• Taste fresh finds at the colorful Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, considered the best farmer’s market in the county. Sample the fruits and vegetables of the season, or munch on the hot food samples from the ethnic eats booths.
• Get high, eat low. Gather some goodies from your own kitchen, pack into a picnic basket and head to Mount Soledad. The 360-degree views of the county and the Pacific Ocean will be even more breathtaking with your sweetie by your side. Best time? Sunset, of course. (idea submitted by Diego on a Dime reader, Sandra M. of La Jolla).
• Be a kid again and paint, play and pillow fight at the New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego. Admission is free the second Sunday of every month. Yes, there will be lots of kiddies running around, but this also an adult-friendly playground.
• Take it to the highest level. See downtown’s cityscape from all angles by doing your own rooftop bar hop. Lounge by the pool at Hotel Solamar’s LoungeSix . Surround yourselves with style at Se San Diego’s Siren. Wiggle your toes together in the sandy bottom of Beach at the W San Diego. Hold each other tight while peering down into Petco Park from Altitude at the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter.
• Get, and give, some physical education. Teach each other a new sport, anything with a ball will do. Head to a nearby park (Embarcadero close to Seaport Village is a Diego on a Dime favorite since it’s surrounded by water), and show that you’ve got skillz. Working up a sweat together is always a good thing.
• Get roasty toasty. Grab some blankets and firewood and snuggle by a waterside bonfire in Mission Bay, Coronado or La Jolla Shores. Collect some nearby branches to roast marshmallow smores and take turns telling goofy stories for a fireside chat. (idea by Diego on a Dime readers, Brian E. of Mission Valley and Klaus P. of Santee)
• Heat things up in the kitchen. Take the ingredients already in your pantry and fridge to whip up a new recipe, or recreate your first dinner together. Spread out a blanket in your living room and have an intimate indoor picnic. No reservations needed. (Idea submitted by Diego on a Dime readers, Rosario C. of Mira Mesa and Tobi G. of La Mesa)
• Be local adventurers. Spend the entire in a neighborhood or region you’re never explored. Live in the South Bay? Meander through the cafes and boutiques in downtown Encinitas. Urban dwelling in downtown? Head to the hills and mountains of San Diego’s rustic East County for hiking or trail riding. Or simply drive to the coast and savor a SoCal day by cruising or biking the boardwalk in Mission Beach or romping in the water at Cardiff. Then stick around for the sunset and stargazing.
• Poke around San Diego tide pools during afternoon’s low tide and marvel at our coastline’s creatures. Our picks include Tourmaline Surf Park in North PB, which is a favorite amongst biology students, and Cardiff State Beach. Check out the San Diego Natural History Museum for a list of tide pools teeming with the most ocean life.