fun date ideas – Hoots of a Night Al

Louis and I have been together for 11 years. Yes, over a decade! We’ve done pretty much every date night in the book, so we’re always looking for fun, different activities to try. Enter, iFLY. They reached out to me, and asked if we’d like to come in for some complimentary flights, and we JUMPED at the chance…get it? 😉

In case you’re unfamiliar with iFLY, they are an indoor skydiving facility. Yes, you read that right. They provide flyers with the thrill of skydiving, without the risk of jumping out of a plane! Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

In fact, anyone from ages 3 to 103 can skydive, according to iFLY! (Sorry, if you live to 104, you’re out. 😉 I kid, I kid. ) It’s as easy as filling out a waiver, checking to insure you fit within the other parameters, selecting your flight package, and you’re in! They’ll even let you wear bright red lipstick, so you can unintentionally match your flight suit! I know, it just keeps getting better.

The iFLY team greeted us immediately upon arrival, got us quickly checked in, and minutes later, we were getting our flight training from our amazing trainer, Dave. The training was quick, but thorough, easy to comprehend and remember, and entertaining (thanks to our great trainer!). Next, we got to suit up! Your flight equipment includes a jump suit, ear plugs, goggles, and a helmet. (Make sure you wear lace-up shoes, as well! No flats, flip flops, or bare feet in the tunnel, please!)

Then, BAM, we were flying!! I mean, we had to go into the tunnel, wait our turn, yadda, yadda, yadda, but our flights came up even quicker than I was expecting! Louis went first and looked like a pro! At 6’4″, I was worried the tunnel would be too small for him, but he fit perfectly and did such a great job!

I’m definitely a daredevil, but something about the tunnel had me scared at first. Thankfully, about 5 children flew right before me, so they put my fear in its place. Thinking, “If they can do it, surely I can!” I stepped/fell/leapt into the tunnel, and I was flying!

Okay, full disclosure, our instructor was helping/holding me every second of the way, but still! I did it! And it was so fun! The time FLEW by, and before we knew it, our flights were over, and I was staggering around jelly-legged from the adrenaline rush.

We checked out the kiosks for our flight pictures and videos, got our super official flight certificates, and grinned from ear-to-ear! I love that they take high quality photos and video of your flight, so you don’t have to worry about trying to snap a blurry, grainy phone shot!

Tips from a self-proclaimed pro:

If you have long hair, BRAID IT, SLICK IT BACK, SHAVE YOUR HEAD (kidding.). I braided mine, but the few tendrils of hair that slipped out got twisted up like dreadlocks in the tunnel! Thankfully, they were easily brushed out, with minimal-to-no hair loss ;), but I can’t imagine if I had left it down!
Wear lace-up shoes! Not flats, flip flops, or slip ons…lace-up shoes only! I wore my trusty Mickey & Minnie Mouse sneakers, and they worked great. Thankfully, there are tennis shoes on site if needed, but I’m sure you’ll fly more comfortably in your own shoes!
Don’t be scared! Try and relax in the tunnel. If you hate the feeling you get in your stomach when you go down a rollercoaster drop, don’t worry! You won’t experience that sensation at all in the tunnel.
Trust your trainer. They will be within an arm’s length from you (or in my case, constantly holding your flight suit) the entire time you’re flying, and they do everything they can to make your flight experience safe, fun, and amazing!

iFLY San Antonio was such a cool, unique, fun, original, thrilling experience! If you’re looking for a new date night, an awesome birthday party, a great team-building event, or just want to try an exciting experience yourself, definitely check out iFLY…you won’t be disappointed!

I received complimentary flight packages from iFLY San Antonio in exchange for this review, but, as always, all opinions are my own!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Night Al Migrations: Government Canyon State Natural Area

I’m back to share our most recent adventure! This past Sunday, we took a short, fifteen minute drive from our apartment to Government Canyon State Natural Area. After almost two years, we had no idea it even existed, let alone how close it was! The area is almost 9,000 acres and boasts over 40 miles of hiking trails for biking, hiking, or running (if you’re asking for a twisted ankle.). You can also camp overnight if you’re just wild and crazy.

As soon as I realized how close Government Canyon State Natural Area was to us, I mentioned it to Louis, and he was eager to go. We’ve been trying to explore San Antonio more lately, so this jumped to the top of our “To Do” list. After some research, we found out that there are DINOSAUR TRACKS IN THE AREA. What!?!?!? So magical. We made that our #1 destination and set off to achieve our paleontologist dreams.

As soon as we hopped out of the car, Louis pointed to some animal poop and said, “Scat!” I immediately told him if we were part of a nature troop, he would be awarded the Scat Badge, and we spent the rest of the hike pointing out scat. Anyway…after our scat discovery, we came upon the visitor center. It was very quaint and housed a gift shop along with a rentable picnic pavilion and restrooms.

After asking a ranger the best way to reach the dinosaur tracks, we headed out on Joe Johnston Trail to begin our 5-mile hike. The trail was very well maintained, with benches every mile or so to rest. There were some rocky patches, and I almost busted my face about 78 times, but thankfully I managed to stay upright the entire journey. So much for looking outdoorsy and adventurous in front of Louis. (Like he doesn’t already know me after 8 years. Wishful thinking.)

Our hike was mostly flat, but there was some beautiful cliffside scenery along the way. It was so peaceful; we barely passed any other hikers on our journey. All we could hear was the wind rustling through the trees, birds singing, and the occasional “Oh crap!” from me as I tripped over another rock.

Before we knew it, we reached the dinosaur tracks! It was so cool! They were just out there in the open for anyone to admire! I feel like stuff like that is usually behind glass at a museum, so we felt pretty special getting up close and personal with the giant footprint? Clawprint? Track…?

Look at how little our feet look! It was basically a modern day Jurassic Park.

The tracks were located next to a beautiful bluff, along what is probably a creek during rainier months. We spent at least 30 minutes wandering around the area, and we had the whole place to ourselves! It felt like a hidden oasis.

Louis even miraculously found this adorable, teeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy frog! How precious is it? Have you ever seen anything so tiny??

We made sure to snap plenty of pictures with our Dino Discovery and wondered together what the dinosaur was like and if he was running after prey, drinking some water, or just chilling when these tracks were made. Probably chilling.

We got creative with my iPhone and managed to take a panoramic including both of us! Aren’t we just the smartest.

Thankfully, a nearby rock kindly offered to take our picture via self-timer, so we posed together for one more shot before heading back to the car. (AKA another 1.5-hour hike back the way we came.)

I’m so glad we went to explore Government Canyon Natural State Area together! Our hike and exploration lasted around three hours and provided exercise, great memories, and a fun, new experience together. The area costs $6 a person (free for kids under 12) and is open Friday-Monday, 7am-10pm. After 10pm you’re locked in the canyon to battle the wolves TO THE DEATH. Just kidding. You do actually get locked in though…and I’m pretty sure there are wolves, too. If you’re in the San Antonio area, I’d recommend visiting if you’re looking for something different to do! It really felt like we were hours away from the city, and I hope we return soon to watch a sunset with a picnic or do some stargazing!

P.S. Make sure to bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and LOTS of water with you! Snacks may be a good idea depending on how long you’re hiking, too. We only hiked 5 miles on a relatively cool day, and we easily finished a gallon of water while there. It’s always better to be prepared!

iFLEW at iFLY San Antonio!

Night Al Migrations: Government Canyon State Natural Area