Green Dating Ideas for Spiritual Singles

With many spiritual singles in the dating scene, we thought it would be a great idea to put together this list. More and more, we are realizing that spirituality and religion do not go hand in hand, and that it is possible to live a spiritual life without any kind of religious involvement. Spirituality is available to anyone, has no limits or boundaries, and can be experienced at any moment, in any space.

Spirituality is a personal path, one that can take many years and many experiences to discover, and can be further enhanced when shared with someone special. Try these spiritual date ideas and let us know what works for you.

Nature Walks

For many spiritual singles, the best place to reconnect with a spiritual path is in the deep folds of unadulterated nature, as it has existed for millions of years. There is something timeless about wandering through a mountainous forest or along a secluded beach, where the only sounds are from natural elements. For those of us who live in the urban environment, it can take awhile to find pure nature, but the trip provides you and your date a great opportunity to get to know each other better.

Read the rest of the post here:Green Dating Ideas for Spiritual Singles

Green Dating Ideas for Organic Food Lovers

We're launching a new series of blog posts to help our green singles plan an ideal green date. We're starting off with some date ideas for our organic food lovers that helps you celebrate the scrumptious beauty of natural, homegrown and home-loved foods.

Stroll through an outdoor farmer's market
Farmer's markets are a goldmine for organic food lovers. Not only do you have access to the juiciest, freshest and tastiest organic foods available anywhere, but you're directly supporting local businesses and reducing transportation resources to get the food to table.



Farmer's markets already exist in almost all eco-friendly cities and regions, so unless you're an EcoDater in rural Texas, you should have access to a farmer's market nearby. Local Harvest is a fantastic resource to help you find your nearby farmer's markets. Just take a look at the map on the homepage - infested with farmer's market locations all over the US.

Outdoor picnics
Once you've picked out your produce from the farmer's market or nearby organic food store, it's time to pack it up and find a scenic spot to enjoy consuming it. Outdoor picnics are great for eco friendly singles because they're free and don't depend on the resources expended at a restaurant, and immerse you in a beautiful natural environment that just seems to make food taste better.



Don't forget to bring a blanket, containers to ward off insects, and reusable plates, utensils and cups (not glass though). When you're finished, recycle all your waste - many parks have recycle containers available for just this purpose. Our favorite organic picnic foods include baguette and brie, mozarella and tomato, sliced peaches and nectarines, and a nice organic wine to wash it all down with.

Dinner at an organic restaurant
Organic dining has definitely attained gourmet status in some of the finest restaurants in the country. With top chefs turning their skills and attention to organic food preparation, many organic meals at good restaurants can go against (and often beat) traditionally prepared meals in similar non-organic restaurants.



These days, you can find a decent organic or vegetarian eatery in just about any major population center in the developed world. We recently posted a list of some of the best organic and vegetarian restaurants in the US, so if you happen to live in one of the cities listed, you'll do well to check out one of the eateries mentioned.

Start or tend to an organic garden
Certainly this is a long-term endeavor, but tending to an organic garden at any stage is a great way to connect both with your green date as well as with the earth itself. There are also many community organic gardens that accept volunteers to help with planting, watering, fertilizing and other necessary garden chores.



Starting your own organic garden can be as simple and easy or complex and intensive as you want to make it. In the context of a green date, start with simply buying some tomato seeds (an easy plant to get going), and together you can get the pots ready, mix in some soil and fertilizer, plant the seeds and water. Make the plants symbolic of your budding green relationship and watch them both grow naturally and organically.

Organic coffee break
If you're pressed for time or don't want to commit to a full-scale outing, an organic coffee break could be your answer. You can prepare a thermos of organic coffee at home in the morning, agree to meet your green organic date at a convenient time and then pop out of the office or step away from your errands to meet up and enjoy a nice cup of organic coffee together.



Sustainable and organic coffee is an excellent way to express your eco friendly side - buying coffee from sustainable, eco friendly operations is also not buying coffee from all the other players who care only about the bottom line. Coffee beans are harvested and processed in some of the poorest and most depressed parts of the world, so buying organic, sustainable coffee really helps the people who need it the most.

Candlelit organic home-cooked meal
Find an organic recipe online and pick up the needed ingredients from your local farmer's market or organic food store. Salads are a great way to start off a meal using fresh organic ingredients. We love homemade pizzas mostly because of the huge variety of ingredients you can use - you can even make each side with different ingredients for you and your green date.



Meal preparation is as much an opportunity to connect with your date as eating it afterwards is, so consider inviting your date over before you start preparing the meal. Recognizing the effort that goes into a delicious meal always makes it taste a bit better, and who knows, you might find out that your date is a talented organic chef!

Best Eco-Travel Destinations for Green Singles

Summer is nearly here and thousands of eco traveling singles are taking to the air and road, seeking out the world's best eco travel destinations. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the ancient ruins of Cambodia, eco-travel opens up a mind-blowing world of culture and natural beauty to green singles looking for adventure.



Here are our favorite eco-travel destinations for eco-friendly singles, with a fair balance of budgets. Let us know if you've traveled to any of these places in the comments section, or where you plan to go this summer.

Costa Rica
Costa Rica has benefited from a strict conservation policy that has preserved huge swaths of pristine jungle, filled with amazingly diverse wildlife and awesome natural sights. Ecotourism was born in Costa Rica with its two coasts, a rugged interior mountain range, and thriving ecological systems in between.



Costa Rica Eco-Activities for Green Singles
Visit the Monteverde cloud forest, one of Costa Rica's world-class gems. Walk along suspension bridges high in the forest canopy and absorb the incredible energy of nature all around. Take a boat trip along the canals of Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast, Monteverde's swampy equivalent in terms of biodiversity. Stay in one of the eco-lodges along the Sarapiqui River and see what true natural conservation can achieve.
 
New Zealand
Long associated with eco adventure, New Zealand has thoroughly developed its ecotourism industry and now offers arriving green singles with a huge array of activities. The benefit of traveling to New Zealand is that it also offers a vibrant urban option for singles who want to take in some nightlife along with trekking and beachcombing. Wellington on the North Island and Christchurch on the South Island are both hopping with bars, restaurants and clubs.



New Zealand Eco-Activities for Green Singles
No eco-trip to New Zealand is complete without a visit to Queenstown, a world capital for outdoor adventure. Go rafting down the Shotover River, or cruise along Milford Sound and watch for dolphins, seals and penguins. Spend a week or a month working at one of many of the country's organic farms and mingle with green singles from all over the world. Strap on a backpack and go hostelling around the country, walking along a network of beautiful nature trails.
 
Alaska
It's too bad that most Americans will never see this phenomenally beautiful state… but maybe the latter couldn't happen without the former. From the pearl-string Aleutian Islands to the endless Bush that dominates most of the state, it's easy to get lost in Alaska's rugged wilderness. Ecotourism development has opened up a wide range of eco-travel activities to almost anyone with a reasonable physical fitness level.

 

Alaska Eco-Activities for Green Singles
Hike along one of the state's majestic glaciers and feel time stand still. Venture into Denali National Park, the eponymous home of the continent's highest peak. Explore the famous Inside Passage by canoe or cruise ship, and keep an eye out for grizzly bears and whales. Take a kayak out on Kachemak Bay, with one of the richest marine ecosystems in North America.

Ecuador
With magnificent Incan ruins, untouched jungle preserves, fascinating local culture and the world-famous Galapagos Islands, Ecuador is a popular eco-travel destination. More adventurous green singles are attracted to Ecuador eco-travel since its tourism infrastructure is not as developed as say, Costa Rica's. Ecuador's three main regions - La Costa, La Sierra, and La Amazonia - each offer a unique palette of eco-travel options and each demonstrate the natural beauty of this ancient land.



Ecuador Eco-Activities for Green Singles
The Galapagos Islands are where Darwin sprang his theory of evolution and is home to one of the most diverse ecological systems on earth – well worth a visit. On land, visit Yasuni National Park and its huge range of floral species and stay with the Huaorani, the warm indigenous people of this region. Visit a local shaman and partake in a healing session, the practice of which has been going on for centuries.
 
Kenya
While Africa offers some of the pristine and timeless ecological environments anywhere in the world, access to most of them remain very undeveloped and are the domain of only experienced eco-adventurers. Kenya has come the furthest in establishing a proper eco-friendly system for accessing its awesome natural highlights. A number of ecotourism organizations operating in Kenya succeed by enlisting the involvement of the indigenous population to provide access and improvements for visitors.
 


Kenya Eco-Activities for Green Singles
Go on safari with an eco-friendly tour operator who will ensure that you experience the animals on their terms. Stay in a Masai village and experience tribal culture the way it's been for many hundreds of years. Join the flocks of birdwatchers who come here for the largest variety of bird life anywhere on earth. Work with a conservation organization in the seaside city of Diani to preserve Kenya's Colobus monkey population.
 
Maui
Arguably the most eco-friendly island of the Hawaiian chain, Maui has a thriving eco-tourism industry that attracts green singles in droves. Whether hiking high mountainous terrain or reef diving off the coast, eco-travelers to Maui enjoy a full complement of eco-travel activities with a number of responsible eco-tour operators.



Maui Eco-Activities for Green Singles
Visit Haleakala National Park and hike up to the desolate summit crater with its incomparable views, or descend toward the ocean and find a tropical waterfall or two. Visit the "forbidden" Kahakuloa Valley and check out the ancient village and spectacular scenery that surrounds it. Dive off the coast and look for Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, abundant in these Maui waters.

Cambodia
While still emerging as a top eco-travel destination, Cambodia is rapidly getting attention for its spectacular ruins, diverse wildlife and beautiful natural scenery. Travel and accommodation remains very cheap in Cambodia, making it ideal for green singles on a budget. It is also near many other exciting destinations in Southeast Asia, making it easy to spend a long time in this part of the world.



Cambodia Eco-Activities for Green Singles
Birdwatching is huge is Cambodia, and whether or not you're a birdwatcher yourself, there is a lot of volunteer preservation effort going on that could use your involvement. Visit Angkor Wat of course, but stay with a local family in a traditional wooden house and come to appreciate the pace of Cambodian rural life. Stay with a community development program along the Mekong and get a chance to see local wildlife up close, like the rare Irawaddy River Dolphin.

Top 7 US Restaurants for Vegetarian Dates

Vegetarian singles are thankfully becoming spoiled for options when it comes to dining in most major American cities. Top chefs around the country have made vegetarian dining a gourmet affair, going far beyond the basic ingredients like tofu and salad greens that have long been associated with vegetarianism.



Here is a list of EcoDater's favorite vegetarian restaurants around the country. Take your green date to one and prepare to have your taste buds enlightened.

Greens Restaurant, San Francisco
Chef Annie Somerville
The aptly named Greens could well be regarded as the flagship vegetarian restaurant of the entire nation. Opened in 1979 as an affiliate of the San Francisco Zen Center, Greens fulfilled several important missions: to elevate vegetarian cuisine to fine dining standards, and to provide an outlet for Zen students to engage in Buddhist practice in the workplace. On both counts, it has succeeded enormously.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
Much of the the restaurant's fresh produce comes from its sister facility, the Green Gulch Farm, so you can be assured of high quality ingredients. Try the Mesquite Grilled Brochettes, skewers of mushrooms, peppers, garnet yams, fennel, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and marinated tofu with charmoula and served on cherry-pistachio couscous. The Mung Dal Fritters are also mouth-watering.

Pure Food and Wine, New York
Chef Scott Winegard
This raw food eatery is showing New Yorkers with their typically high standards that even when foods are presented in their most natural state, they can still be delicious - in fact, even more so! You won't find anything refined or cooked anywhere in this restaurant. Nothing ever reaches a temperature higher than 118 degrees, which preserves the natural enzymes in the food that helps with digestion.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
Soups don't get much better than the Rosemary Infused Butternut Squash Soup with spiced pecans, medjoul dates and miso coulis. And for dessert, the coffee sake almond Tiramisu has been making waves in the hugely competitive pastry sector of the New York restaurant industry.

Watercourse Foods, Denver
Chef Daniel Landes
At the top of Denver's vegetarian dining pyramid is the perennial local's favorite Watercourse Foods. Not only does Watercourse serve delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes but the restaurant's owners take operations to the next level by recycling absolutely everything that can be recycled, including the fryer oil that is converted into bio-diesel, offering water only when asked and using biodegradable containers for to-go orders.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
Try the Tempeh Scallopini, with marinated tempeh dredged and fried in its own mushroom gravy and served with mashed potatoes and steamed chard. The Morelo Salad is outstanding, with green leaf lettuce mixed with black beans, tempeh chorizo, pico de gallo, avocado, crisp corn strips, jack/cheddar blend, and chipotle ranch.

Chaco Canyon Cafe, Seattle
Chef Lois Maykut
Offering both raw and vegan food as well as organic smoothies, fair trade coffee and tea, Chaco Canyon Cafe is where Seattle vegetarian singles go to meet and get to know each other. Located in the hip University District, the restaurant has a variety of yummy sandwiches that can be taken on the go.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
The Cilantro Pesto Pizza is a house favorite and is made with a dehydrated crust of sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds & flax, topped with classic oregano sun-dried tomato pizza sauce, housemade cilantro-walnut pesto, marinated red onions and herbed macadamia cheese. The Green Goddess smoothie with cucumber, celery, kale, fennel, and ginger tastes amazing and recharges your body for a walk around the very walkable neighborhood.

The Farm Cafe, Portland
With reviews as strong as "the epitome of an affordable romantic dining experience" and "as fresh as fresh gets," the Farm Cafe has built a loyal following and a sterling reputation as Portland's top vegetarian restuarant. Almost all ingredients come from the state of Oregon, right down to the New Deal Portland 88 Vodka.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
Locals rave about the Farmhouse Cheese Ball, a blend of 3 cheeses, chive, parsley, horseradish and spices, rolled in toasted hazelnuts and served with bread. The Farmhouse Veggie Burger is about the best in the business: a burger-style sandwich made with eggplant, bread crumbs, cheese and spices,   served with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, Dijon mustard and lettuce on a rustic bun with a mixed green salad.

Green Zebra, Chicago
Chef Shawn McClain
Green Zebra is an excellent example of the culinary heights that vegetarian dishes can reach. Dining at the restaurant is a self-described sensuous experience, with plenty of time between dishes to get to know your green date before the next exquisite creation comes out from the kitchen. The menu is constantly evolving as the seasons change and different ingredients become available in the local area.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
All the dishes at Green Zebra are small so the idea is to order a variety of styles to get the full experience. We love the Foraged Mushroom Dumplings, served with tofu, Thai basil, baby bok choy, and star anise broth, as well as the Olive Oil Confit Fingerlings with dijon mustard, parmesan, and truffle. For dessert, it's hard to beat the Vegan Chocolate Cake with crispy peanut butter, banana sorbet, and salted caramel.

Cru, Los Angeles
Chef Rachel Carr
With influences including Italian, Japanese, Tunisian, Thai and Indian, Cru has earned a reputation as one of the most authentic vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles. The restaurant, located in the hip and eco-friendly Silver Lake neighborhood, also offers classes including the very popular "Raw Around the World" class.



Favorite Dishes for Veggie Daters
The sushi-inspired Dream Roll is excellent, made with kim chee, spicy Portobello mushrooms, avocado, jicama rice and wakame seaweed wrapped in collard leaf. And the raw Pesto Wrap is our favorite entree, made with cashew cheese, pesto, cabbage, field greens, sweet onions, cucumber, caesar dressing and sprouts in a collard leaf.

9 Favorite Activities for Outdoor Singles

With temps warming up and summer almost here, outdoor singles are going through their garages and attics and pulling out their favorite summer activity gear. Whether it's raging down Class V rapids, carving down a perfect groomer, biking from inn to inn or hiking up a mountain, outdoor singles are happiest when they are outside doing what they love... and what better time to make a connection? So grab a paddle, ski or bike and get outside!



Here's a list of 9 favorite activities for outdoor singles and where to find the best of each activity.

Hiking, Camping and Backpacking
There's probably no easier way to experience the wilderness areas of the world than simply walking right into them and setting up a tent somewhere. Most countries have an established network of hiking trails and backcountry camping sites, which makes access and navigation easier, as well as setting up some opportunities for mingling with other outdoor singles.



The techniques for safe and responsible hiking and camping are simple for anyone to grasp - don't start fires except wherever they are specifically allowed, don't camp in high exposed mountainous terrain, don't use water sources as your personal kitchen or laundry room, minimize your impact on the land and respect nature. There are numerous books on the subject, like this one on ultralight backpacking.

Where to Find Hiking, Camping and Backpacking Singles
Any eco-friendly city worth its salt will be an easy drive from scenic hiking and camping, so stick to these areas for the best chances of meeting like-minded outdoor singles. The Sierras are the backyard playground for all the California coastal cities - Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks and Lake Tahoe are the big attractions, but don't forget the beautiful California coast itself with many hiking trails.

Closer to the cities, their Mount Tamalpais near San Francisco and Malibu Creek near Los Angeles. Vancouver's North Shore Mountains provide the backdrop for Canada's most eco-friendly city and offer a nearby network of great trails and campsites. Try camping along Howe Sound for unbeatable scenery.



Colorado's Rocky Mountains are a haven for outdoor singles of every stripe, and you'll be sure to find many of them plying the trails along the Front Range near Denver. Check out the trails in the hills above Boulder, home to one of the greenest and most attractive outdoor single communities anywhere. In the Northeast, the Adirondacks and Catskills of New York as well as the Green and White Mountains of New England are spectactular in the Fall, and are within a couple of hours' driving of all the major northeastern cities.

Britain's network of trails - or Ways, as they're locally called - is among the most established of any country. Many of them have historical significance and are very popular in the summer. The Pennine Way is an excellent place to start and chock full of hiking singles from Britain's major cities. The French Alps draw a huge array of people from all over the world, and the high mountain inns and lodges are perfect for meeting other hiking, camping and backpacking singles in the area.

Kayaking and Rafting
While this is one outdoor pastime that lets you sit down for the most part, it's anything but tame. Raging rapids all over the world draw kayaking and rafting singles to their waters. Luckily, there is a good range of options for all level of expertise, which is ideal for those hardcore kayaking singles whose perfect partner is equally advanced.



Open water or sea kayaking is another way to experience outdoor beauty, and takes the adrenaline factor down a couple notches. You can join up with a friend or date in a two-person kayak and leisurely paddle along your favorite coastal waters.

Where to Find Kayaking and Rafting Singles
Most coastal or mountainous cities populated with environmentally conscious citizens offer fantastic sea or river kayaking and rafting. The Pacific Northwest is a perfect example. Seattle, Portland, Bend and Eugene - all home to huge population of green and outdoor singles - are all a daytrip away from some of the best open water and river kayaking and rafting anywhere in the world. Try the Central Hood Canal for sea kayaking or the Class III Klickitat or Tieton Rivers for relatively mellow white water rafting. For experts, the Wind River is where it's at.



The Kootenay and Fraser Rivers in British Columbia attract thousands of outdoor singles from Vancouver and other BC cities every year. For the more adventurous singles out there, the 10 day Tatshenshini River trip to Alaska cannot be beat. The Sierras draw California green singles to the Merced, American and Stanislaus Rivers among many others that trickle down from the high Sierra peaks.

The coasts of Maine and Novia Scotia are popular with open water kayaking singles in the Northeast, while the wide rivers, huge lakes, fjords and lochs of Europe give outdoor singles there an incredible array of options.

OARS has some trips just for rafting and kayaking singles all over the western US.

Road and Mountain Biking
Whether it's touring through French wine country or barreling down a Rocky Mountain single-track trail, biking is a hugely popular activity the world over, and vivacious outdoor biking singles are in no short supply. There's something in the biking world for everyone, so like-minded biking singles are sure to meet each other based on their interests.



Bike tours are a great way to meet other biking singles. Over the course of several days, you get to know your fellow bikers intimately while biking through beautiful and often deeply cultural parts of the world. For any eco-travel destination, there are numerous operators offering a variety of tours.

Where to Find Biking Singles
For mountain bikers, there is always a selection of trails near major eco-friendly cities. Colorado's Front Range has some great trails with phenomenal views toward the Plains. Los Angeles' San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains serves SoCal biking singles with trails that gets you high above the notorious city smog. BCers have the North Shore Mountains and New Englanders have a huge range of biking opportunities - check out this site to get started.



For bike tour enthusiasts, the options are staggering. Ireland, France, Italy and Spain are popular European destinations, and each offer tours just for biking singles. For a more urban experience, New York has some city tours also just for road biking singles. This site is a good place to start for the best bike tours in the US.

Rock Climbing Singles
Rock climbing is a favorite pastime among outdoor singles with good reason - the pace is leisurely, the setting is almost always beautiful and deep in nature, and you have to climb with a partner. And wherever there are cliffs or exposed rocks, there is probably some climbing to be had. Climbing singles also have an advantage over other sports in that the equipment you need to get started is minimal - just shoes, a harness and a chalk bag.



Rock climbing comes in a few different flavors. Sport climbers clip into bolts drilled into the rock while trad climbers plug their own gear in as they ascend. Boulderers climb boulder, ice climbers climb ice, and aid climbers climb crazy things like El Capitan in Yosemite and Trango Towers in Pakistan. Beginners will probably start on sport climbs since these are usually regarded as the safest form of climbing.

Where to Find Rock Climbing Singles
Climbers are a tight bunch and it's very easy to meet other climbing singles at the base of a cliff or in a boulder field. The most popular climbing spots in the US include Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Parks in California, the numerous canyons around Boulder, Colorado, Cascadian crags of the Pacific Northwest, the Gunks of New York and the Southeast's Red River Gorge. These are all heavily populated with climbing singles out to get their groove on.



Europeans have Britain's Peak District, the French and Swiss Alps, coastal Spain and the Fontainebleau boulders near Paris to meet tons of European climbing singles. These areas tend to draw people from all over the world so it's also a good place to meet singles from other places as well.

Skiing
The only winter outdoor pastime on this list, skiing nonetheless attracts more outdoor singles than perhaps any of the other activities. Maybe it's the long chair rides or the thriving apres-ski scene, but skiing singles love the ski town vibe and can be found in droves.



Could also be the mystique of not knowing what that cutish-looking person really looks like behind the hat and goggles, or the effects of rarified mountain air on alcohol consumption. Whatever the reason, winter is no time to hole up at home!

Where to Find Skiing Singles
Some ski mountains are definitely known as singles hotspots. Killington in Vermont is a very notable example, if you like your parties wild and snow icy. Whistler in BC is Killington's equal nightlife-wise but with better snow and a much bigger ski area. In between, Aspen is the spot for well-heeled skiing singles while Vail does the job for the younger, less-well-off singles crowd. Jackson Hole has a booming nightlife component as well, and tends to draw hardcore experts to its steep and rocky slopes.



European skiing singles gather in Chamonix and Val d'Isere in France, Verbier in Switzerland, and Sauze D'Oulx in Italy. Each ski area is associated a classic Alp mountain village with a modern nightlife flair, and all are chock full of skiing singles.

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