So your Tinder date turned out to be the real deal, but there’s just one thing you missed: while your photos show you hiking the Appalachian Trail and trying parkour, she’s frequenting art galleries and restaurant openings. She sips mountainside yerba mate post-climb; he swills cocktails at the trendiest new bars. You sweat; she sashays. He has a collection of skinny jeans; you have an assortment of climbing shoes.
The warm fuzzy glow of a new relationship tends to obscure differences. Once you start to travel together, however, those spectrum-spanning interests come into the spotlight. How can you vacation without clashing? Only with careful planning. Here are some options for both hardcore adventurers and low-impact city folks—so you can bond over the great outdoors, and then go all-out X Games while your honey relaxes at the spa.
1. Rock Climbing ? Hiking
Yosemite National Park, California
Chilnualna Falls Photo via Flickr/Jayson
One rock climber Mecca, Yosemite, also offers hiking trails amidst the stunning scenery that inspired naturalist John Muir. For a quiet climb, scale the West Ridge of Mount Conness. It’s fairly easy, so you might be able to talk your adventure-averse girlfriend into trying it. Not happening? For a still thrilling and scenic hike, go the Chilnualna Falls route. Both spots are accessible from the charming Blackberry Inn Bed & Breakfast, surrounded by the Stanislaus National Forest.
2. Whitewater Rafting ? Stand-up Paddleboarding
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee River Photo via Flickr/Andrew Steele
While Tennessee’s Ocoee River offers top-notch whitewater rafting, you can stay in the heart of Chattanooga and enjoy a more laid-back experience on the water: L2 Outside, right by the city’s famed Aquarium, rents stand-up paddleboarding gear for nice, slow paddle down the Tennessee River. Stop by Rembrandt’s Coffee House to reward yourself and your worn-out boyfriend with a cafe au lait and a cookie in a romantically European setting.
