Let’s face it, at its surface, the Antelope Valley is devoid of anything fun to do after your hundredth visit to the Boulevard and the thousandth time you have walked aimlessly in the desert, hoping to find an abandoned house or lone couch to entertain you. This issue is especially apparent as soon as you look for a place to take your significant other. You have been to the Boulevard together more times than you can count (though, for the sake of this article, I will be including the Boulevard Date), and you do not want to try to fight for a Valentine’s Day seat at a popular restaurant in the AV Mall circuit. For those of you who are lucky enough to have a date this Valentine’s day but cannot find fun or local date ideas, here are a few ways to spice up your love life. Mix and match as you like. You are only a teenager, and most of us are cash strapped, so these ideas are fairly inexpensive as well.

• The Boulevard Date

This one is the simplest date out there, but it’s also the one you can’t go wrong with. So many options, so little time. Take your partner to the Modern Tea Room to enjoy artisanal food and tea at a relatively low price (especially if you skip the meal, a sandwich can cost you around ten dollars, but an individual pot of tea is only six). If a more substantial meal is preferred, head  to The Lemon Leaf Café, a couple doors down, where you will find interesting yet hometown-esque selections. Then, you can walk to the MOAH; its art is sure to spark conversation, and interactive exhibits bring the opportunity for a more playful date experience. Scattered around the Boulevard district are many more finds, such as its numerous antique stores and locally-loved Voodoo Vinyl. Murals on the Boulevard can be found with a quick Google search, and a short drive down Avenue I or Sierra Highway brings you to classic mid-century neon art, allowing you to have a personal photoshoot with your partner.

2. The Foodie Date

One thing that is iconic in Los Angeles is its strip mall, hole-in-the-wall eateries, which have some of the best food out there. Sadly, though, LA is getting more expensive, and family-owned businesses are being pushed out, replaced by large commercial developments. This is not the case in the Antelope Valley, and though it might be hard to spot at first, an adventure awaits in the small restaurants around town. Make it a game, go driving with your partner around town looking for a hidden restaurant whose name you don’t recognize. Lee Esther’s Creole and Cajun Cooking in East Palmdale (a locally famous hole in the wall), Classico Tacos and Pizza on 50th Street West, Thai Palms Restaurant in East Palmdale, the list goes on. Most of the time, these are the best meals, and even if you end up with an unpleasant experience, you at least had an experience more memorable than BJ’s.

3. The Exploration Date

We have all been out driving in the desert, and we think we’ve seen it all. There’s more to the desert floor than you might think, though, especially with a romantic partner at your side. Take them on to Elizabeth Lake with a picnic and plenty of blankets, then wait for dusk to fall for a candlelit dinner. Drive to Bouquet Falls (ask around on how to get there) and step across the stones together to the other side of the waterfall. Take a short hike to the top of a hill to watch sunset fall upon the city. Drive out thirty minutes into the desert to look up at the clear night sky together. Explore the ruins of a long-forgotten structure, wondering who might have once lived there. Most importantly, make the date memorable to your partner, because otherwise, they might not remember you one day.