UA Arboretum

Whether it’s packing a bottle of wine and a picnic basket and finding a sunny, grassy area together, admiring the scenic view hand-in-hand on a treetop lookout, or sneaking off into the depths of the Tuscaloosa forestry for some alone time, the Dallas Arboretum is a great place for a Valentine’s Day date. It gives you a chance to do something healthy and different while also enjoying the beautiful Tuscaloosa sunshine. Plus, we’re college students, so we all know that money is an issue, and it is absolutely free. Get in touch with your wild side and go the arboretum for your Valentine’s date. The arboretum, located off Veterans Memorial Parkway, is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. For more information, visit arboretum.ua.edu.

PieLab

If you’re looking for a more alternative Valentine’s date, PieLab might be the place for you. Though it’s a bit of a drive – about 40 minutes from campus to Greensboro’s Main Street – the prices alone make it worthwhile, with homemade pie for $2 and coffee for $1. The combination of café, forum for discussion and design studio provides a casual atmosphere for you to spend a few hours chatting with your date. PieLab is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carpe Vino

For the 21-and-up crowd, you can save some money by cooking together or picking something up then going out for drinks. Carpe Vino is a wine bar on Greensboro Avenue where you can conveniently bring in your own dinner and pop open a bottle of wine. They offer a wide selection of wine from around the world, and with more affordable $10-$15 bottles, you can choose one based on your budget.

Kozy’s/Opus

If you’re looking for the traditional dinner date (and looking to splurge on your significant other), both Kozy’s Restaurant, located at 3510 Loop Road, and Opus, in Northport, are offering special Valentine’s Day dinner menus Monday night for $79 per person. Each menu will have four courses with four selections for each course, featuring items such as pan-fried oysters, rosemary encrusted rack of lamb and pomegranate crème brulee. Both restaurants will be open from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. Reservations are strongly recommended for either restaurant. You can reserve a table by calling Kozy’s at 556-0665 or Opus at 722-2191.