Second Date Ideas in Austin

Rent a stand-up paddleboard, a kayak, or a canoe and spend time on Lady Bird Lake together at Texas Rowing Center. Rentals run daily from 6am until dusk at its spot on the Hike and Bike Trail behind Austin High School.

Paddleboards and kayaks are $25 an hour, and canoes are $15 an hour.

Duckpin bowling, bocce ball, and giant Jenga fill Pins Mechanical Co., a South Austin bar built around games and a second-date pick. The 43,000-square-foot space also has electronic games, both vintage and modern.

Duckpin bowling is $8 a game per person Monday through Thursday and $9 Friday through Sunday, and the arcade is free.

Date night comes with creaky floors, velvet chairs, and bold wallpaper at Honey Moon Spirit Lounge, a cocktail lounge in a renovated old house near UT. Vintage chandeliers hang overhead, and there are wraparound bars.

The menu runs from Creole shrimp and grits to Seoul fried chicken.

Cozy up on a couch while vinyl spins at Equipment Room, a second-date pick and a listening bar in the basement of Hotel Magdalena on South Congress. Japanese listening bars inspired the concept.

The cocktail menu pairs classics called A-Sides with new creations called B-Sides, and a light bite is available if you want one.

Choose between a small renovated bungalow dining room and a garden where oak trees shade the tables at Lenoir, a wine-focused American restaurant in Bouldin. It is a date-night pick for wine and sitting outside.

Dinner is a la carte or a five-course chef's choice tasting menu of light, fresh, often spicy food made for hot weather. Lenoir is closed Tuesdays.

For a special night out, try Hestia, a Downtown live-fire restaurant with a Michelin star. A 20-foot hearth anchors the room.

The restaurant serves a la carte dishes or the chef's tasting menu, and it keeps a 400-bottle wine list. Celebrations, anniversaries, and nights for making an impression all belong here. Hestia is closed Mondays.

Shape hot glass together at Ghost Pepper Glass, a glassblowing and flameworking studio in North Austin. The Taste of Glassblowing crash course is made for beginners. Pick your colors, and an instructor helps you form the glass into a keepsake such as an ornament or a paperweight.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm to 6pm and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm if you want to browse first.

Hike to swimming holes at Barton Creek Greenbelt, a daytime outdoor date. The trails cover over 12 miles, and the hike to Sculpture Falls and Twin Falls is one to build the day around.

The terrain is rough and uneven, and lighting is limited, so wear good shoes and bring a light if you will be out near sunset. Entry is free.

Zilker Botanical Garden spans 28 acres, with bonsai, koi ponds, and pathways to wander. Monthly events include forest bathing and yoga.

From September through May it is open 9am to 5pm, with last entry at 4:30pm. It closes on the first two Austin City Limits weekends in October, so check the calendar before you go this month. Admission is $6 for Austin-area adults and $8 for non-residents.

Walk 284 acres of Texas's state botanical garden together at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. More than 900 native Texas plant species grow here, and a free TravelStorys audio tour gives you something to listen to along the way.

From September through May the gardens are open 9am to 5pm, with entry ending at 4pm. Adult tickets are $15 Monday through Thursday and $18 Friday through Sunday. Buying ahead is strongly encouraged, and parking is limited.