DESI CADE | staff writer

Easy ideas to spice up your dating life while saving some change.

CANYON ROMANCE
Here’s a new, and cheaper, twist to the ‘ole dinner and a movie routine.

Pack a picnic dinner and load up your car with a charged laptop, a romantic comedy and some blankets and pillows.

Take a drive up Azusa Ave. into the canyon of the foothills. This time of year the landscape is green and vibrant, but make sure to check the weather forecast before leaving.

Once in the canyon, there are designated parking areas along the road. Pull off at one of these areas and set up your picnic, load the laptop with a movie and enjoy.
It will be refreshing to get away from everyday life and be able to enjoy the simplicity of nature and solitude. Go just before sunset in order to take in the sky’s metamorphosis of colors, or during a clear night when the stars and moon are vivid. And the best thing is this creative date can be compiled from the contents of your own apartment.

A HEATED DINNER
Il Forno, Italian for “the furnace,” is a convenient Italian restaurant located within six blocks from campus.

“It is great for APU students because it is a local neighborhood restaurant. We have fabulous food, and in comparison to other restaurants, our food is much more reasonable,” restaurant owner Sammy Zaribaf said.

Zaribaf has been an Azusa resident for 24 years and opened Il Forno in hopes of bringing a sophisticated ambience to downtown Azusa.

Inside Il Forno stands a sleek black bar which has a mature wine list and 12 excellent beers on tap. Mediterranean-style artwork hangs throughout the exposed brick dining area. The dimmed lights set a romantic undertone.

Il Forno is open for lunch and dinner and provides take out and catering. With most dishes under $15, the prices are reasonable compared to restaurants of its nature. Call 626-804-7777 for reservations. The restaurant is located at 619 North Azusa Ave.

GOODWILL HUNTING
If you are looking to really spice up your date nights, try this idea on for size. This works best with lots of people, so insist on some double or triple dating action—the more the merrier.

Choose a basic dating event, such as catching a movie or going out to dinner, but set aside about one to two hours before the reservations or movie time. Take a trip to your nearest thrift store.

Once at the thrift store of your choice, split up the sexes. Guys head towards the ladies’ section and ladies to the guys’ section. Each person has to pick out an outfit under $10 for their date. Everyone will then wear that outfit for the duration of the date.

After the outfits are chosen, don’t forget to capture the moment on camera. Then continue on with the planned evening and enjoy the embarrassing moments.

Goodwill is located on the corner of Foothill Blvd. and Lone Hill Ave. AmVets is located west of APU on Foothill Blvd. about half a mile away and Salvation Army is a mile south of APU on Citrus Ave.