First date ideas near Cedarville that are not awkward

The hardest part of a first date near Cedarville is the pause when you both realize you have no plan. Good Cedarville first date ideas share two traits: something to look at besides each other, and an easy exit.

Here is how to choose, and which nearby spots fit. Check hours before you go.

What makes a first date awkward

Most awkward dates have the same causes. There is nothing to do with your hands, so you stare at the table. The setting is too loud to talk. Or the plan is so big (a long dinner, a drive an hour away) that neither person can leave gracefully.

A first date near Cedarville should be short, simple and a little active. You can always plan a second one.

Start with the village

Beans n' Cream and Orion Coffee and Tea are both on Main Street in downtown Cedarville. They are the usual first date near Cedarville for a reason. You can walk there, you hold a drink, and an hour feels natural. If one is crowded, try the other.

Mom and Dad's Dairy Bar and Grill is another short trip for ice cream or a burger, and Church Street Cookies is on Main Street too.

Walk and talk

Walking removes the staring problem. Indian Mound Reserve is right around the corner from town, with hiking and walking trails. Clifton Gorge and John Bryan State Park are about an 8-minute drive and have roughly 3 miles of trails. Conversation tends to come easier when you are both facing the same direction.

A place with something to do

Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, about 10 to 15 minutes away, has ice cream, mini golf, batting cages and animals. Mini golf is a good first date because the game gives you something to talk about, and losing is a built-in joke. It also works as a double date if a group feels safer.

Match the plan to the person

• Someone quiet: a walk or a trail, where silence is comfortable.
• Someone talkative: coffee, where you can actually hear each other.
• Someone you barely know: a public place in the village, with a short plan.
• Someone you have known for years: the drive to Yellow Springs, since you can handle a longer stretch.

Make the ask easy to say yes to

Name a place and a time. "Coffee at Orion on Thursday after class?" is easy to answer. "We should hang out sometime" is not. Offering an end time also helps, because it lowers the stakes for both of you.

Keep the first date short

An hour to ninety minutes is plenty. Leaving while the conversation is still good is better than running out of things to say. If you both want more, the second date can be longer.

Cedar Mingle, an independent app for Cedarville students (not affiliated with the university), is a way to find someone to ask. For more places to go, read date ideas near Cedarville.