Get your groove on
There are plenty of places to go dancing in Charleston, and lots of different styles to try depending on your mood. If you want some down-home fun, FOOTMAD puts on square dances every second Saturday from September through April. If you’re looking for something more sensual, the monthly salsa dancing at Vino’s Bar and Grille is a good place even for beginners. And if you just want a pop song to bounce around to, be sure to check out Broadway on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Go to a yoga class
At Yoga Power, you can try your skill at anything from a beginner class to a slightly more adventurous aerial yoga. You can sign up for one week free if you just want to try it out for your date or you can pay-per-class. Afterwards, grab a coffee or drink at the bar in the lobby.
Yoga Power, 601 Morris Street, Suite 302, Charleston, WV, USA +1 681-265-9384
Pick some berries
About half an hour north of Charleston, Country Road House and Berries has fields full of ripe strawberries to explore. They also have rooms for rent if you want to make an overnight trip to the country.
Country Road House and Berries, 7 Kittyhawk Drive Clendenin, WV, USA +1 304-553-5761
picking strawberries | ©_Libby_ / Flickr
Have a picnic on Magic Island
Right near downtown Charleston is Magic Island Park. The green lawns are perfect for a relaxing afternoon picnic and views of the river are perfect for a little magic. If you get inspired to move, the space is also great for frisbee and soccer, or you can bounce a ball around the beach volleyball courts.
Sample some wine
About an hour north of Charleston, you can find Chestnut Ridge Winery. A relatively new winery making strides in the state, the tasting room has 14 different varieties to try, including meads and ciders.
Chestnut Ridge Winery, 15 Chestnut St, Spencer, WV, USA +1 304-377-5721
Take amazing photos at Wine Cellar Park
Technically in Dunbar, West Virginia just outside Charleston’s city limits, Wine Cellar Park is a spectacular little space that is amazingly green in the summer. Moss grows on the rock ruins of the pre-Civil War wine cellar, and you can enjoy a picnic in the park or take a walk around Anderson lake.
Wine Cellar Park, 1101 Dutch Hollow Rd, Dunbar, WV, USA +1 304-766-0223
Enjoy art
The Juliet Art Museum at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences will reopen after renovations in March 2018. The museum features a permanent collection of 19th, 20th, and 21st-century American Art and hosts nationally-touring temporary exhibits, the perfect place to contemplate beauty.
Make art!
At Uncork and Create, you can use artistic inspiration to make your own masterpiece. You are welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages, and under the direction of a teacher you can create wood signs with West Virginia themes or paint lakes, moons, unicorns, or even your own pet portrait.
Uncork and Create, 304-552-3331, 901 Quarrier Street Charleston WV, USA +1 304-552-3331
See Mountain Stage live
Broadcast nationwide on public radio, the Mountain Stage is the best place to hear a variety of local and touring musicians all in one place, in almost every genre imaginable. Enjoy being serenaded and then join the afterparty at The Empty Glass.
Take a dip in a swimming hole
The fresh mountain streams in West Virginia are the perfect place to escape in the summer. So pick up your sweetie in your pickup truck, and head out into the mountains. Glade Creek near the New River Gorge is a romantic (and fun) spot in the National Recreation Area.
Climb a rock
The geography around the New River Gorge is perfect for rock climbing, and only half an hour from Charleston, makes a perfect day-date adventure. At Appalachian Mountain Guides and Hard Rock Climbing, you can go out on private half- and full-day trips.
