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Rachael Ray Show

Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

3 Dates In 3 States

3 Dates In 3 States
Aired on: May 17, 2007

Summer's almost here and couples everywhere will be looking for that perfect romantic getaway. But what are the best destinations if you really want to impress that special someone? Rachael enlists the help of two of her buddies to check out the hotspots in three different cities: Miami, Atlanta and San Francisco. Colby Donaldson is taking the "splurge" route and discovering the hidden gems for those who want to spend a little extra, while Gina Hamadey, Travel Editor of Every Day with Rachael Ray, shows you how to impress your date without breaking the bank!

Colby and Gina hit Miami.

Colby is looking for a rush of adrenaline, so he heads a few miles outside of the city to Everglades Safari Tours for a high-speed airboat tour. Be warned that you might see some alligators and other creatures during your ride, so make sure your date has a wild side!

Colby's tab:

$300 for a 90-minute sunset airboat tour

Gina prefers something a little more relaxing than gators -- a picnic on one of Miami's beautiful beaches! She grabs some stone crab omelettes and key lime pie to go from Joe's Stone Crab Takeaway, and hits the sand for a little fun in the sun.

Gina's tab:

$6.95 omelette
$6.95 key lime pie
$13.90 x 2 = $27.80 total

Gina's beach tip: "I always have a sarong handy on a beach vacation for an impromptu picnic, to lay out on instead of a towel, or to use as a coverup over your bathing suit!"

Colby and Gina check out Atlanta.

When in "Hotlanta," Colby suggests taking your date for a little peach cobbler. Sounds a bit plain for Colby, right? Not when you get to the dessert via Air Atlanta Helicopters! Colby gets a breathtaking view of the city on the way to the beautiful ChÃteau Élan winery. "Hey, it beats popcorn and a movie!" Colby says.

Colby's tab:

$550 helicopter/winery package
$8.50 peach cobbler
$558.50 total

Gina's tip for dating on a budget -- find the local tapas restaurant. Rare Soul Tapas Restaurant has many delicious appetizer-like eats from $4-$7. And the perfect way to follow up a romantic dinner? Dancing! Club Tongue and Groove offers free salsa lessons on Wednesday nights.

Gina's tab:

$30.00 tapas for two
$0 salsa lessons
$30 total

Gina's dancing lessons tip: "A bar with free dancing lessons is not only a good place to bring a date, but also a good place to meet a date. Julian Meija, the club's salsa instructor, met his wife at a salsa class he taught eight years ago!"

Colby and Gina wrap up in San Francisco.

"This is the ultimate date," Colby says. "Grab your girl, throw her on the back of the bike and take off!" Don't own a "hog?" Eaglerider Rentals can help you out with the ride of your choice. After working up an appetite touring the city, Colby heads to the Imperial Palace in Chinatown for a private Dim Sum cooking lesson from Shirley Fong-Torres.

Colby's tab:

$130 motorcycle rental
$100 dim sum lesson
$230 total

Gina gets her drink on at Vino Venue with some wine tasting. The store has a wine dispensing machine that uses pre-paid tasting cards so you can control the cost of the date! Then it's off to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market where you can sample everything for free. When Happy Hour comes, Gina visits Tsar Nicoulai Caviar for a taste of the good life at a fraction of the cost.

Gina's tab:

$40 wine tasting
$48 caviar dinner at Farmers Market
$88 total

Gina's wine tasting tip: After tasting wine, you can take a bottle to go and drink it at a BYOB restaurant to cut back on the bill.

Now that you have Colby's suggestions for what to do on a date, hear what he has to say about what not to do on a date -- including a big no-no he learned firsthand! "What's your name again?"

Colby answers your questions!



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