Fun things to do with a woman

Doesn't matter if it's major-league, minor-league, or even high-school ball. "I often recommend that my couples go to a baseball game," says Howard Markman, Ph.D., coauthor of 12 Hours to a Great Marriageand a psychologist at the University of Denver. "You sit close together, you're out in the sun, and it gives you time to talk as friends."

Of course, under no circumstances should you go out and buy Tigers tickets! So, in the interest of our Detroit-based readership, there are 24 more things on our list you're sure to enjoy together.

Video: Double dating

. . . but you pick the clothes.

Men don't hate shopping because of the money. It's the sitting on the boyfriend couch at Ann Taylor that we don't like. But what guy wouldn't be enthused about a mall trip if he knew that every 2 minutes a beautiful woman would pop by to model a sexy outfit he'd selected? If you agree to buy, she'll agree to model.

Bing: Take your girlfriend shopping

This drive -- arguably the most spectacular in the country -- offers stunning scenery, plenty of things to explore, and stop-offs at major destinations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yosemite, and San Diego.

The PCH is a combination of U.S. 101 and California Route 1. Start in San Diego and take 101 North, which dips along the Pacific Ocean to L.A. Then proceed through Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, and Mission Santa Barbara. Stop at Hearst Castle, one of the nation's largest historic-house museums, to check out the breathtaking overlooks (800-444-4445 for information).

Video: Dating safely

After the castle, continue heading up the rugged coast through Monterey and then east into the Sierra Nevada. Take some time to admire Yosemite's cliffs and alpine peaks, and finish your trip at the sea in San Francisco.

Training for a race together is a crafty way to get in shape, spend time as a couple, and stay motivated. You'll have someone to talk to during those tedious long runs, you'll push each other, and you'll have to answer to your partner if you skip a workout. Visit runnersworld.com for training schedules and a calendar of marathons.

Bing: Active date ideas

And if the mere act of running 26.2 miles isn't exciting enough, choose an exotic location -- like, say, China. The Great Wall Marathon is every May.

Go to aircombatusa.com and find a location near you where you and your girl can fly dueling fighter jets. Take out your unresolved relationship issues while trying to blow each other to smithereens from the cockpits of SIAI Marchetti SF260s. For real. These are not simulated flights. Loser buys dinner. Hope that it's her -- this little date will cost you.

Video: Dating coach -- getting out there

Turn dancing into dirty dancing with an Audi-Oh vibrator (babeland.com), which pulsates to the speed and intensity of whatever beat is playing. Have your lady wear the discreet harness with butterfly vibe underneath her panties. Then bump and grind to throbbing music at a club, or as you play deejay at home. This is one remote you won't fight over.

Run up the 750-foot dunes at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve in southern Colorado. Roll down. Roll around.

Home improvement demonstrates a commitment to making something you share more beautiful, requiring tools like communication, teamwork, and glue guns. "Couples come together and really communicate, sometimes for the first time in years," says Paige Davis, host of TLC's Trading Spaces, in which couples swap homes and redecorate. "I've seen romances rekindled."

If demolition isn't for you, focus on projects that require artistry instead of sledgehammers. The Web site kitguy.com sells the means to make everything from birdhouses to porch swings and in-house saunas.
But whatever you build, remember, "The key to fun is to try new things and forget about making mistakes," says Davis. Screwups can always be fixed.

The happiest couples are those who can find enjoyment in sacrifice, according to a study in the Journal of Marriage and Familythat tracked 73 couples over 13 years. "Taking pleasure in your partner's happiness enhances mutual satisfaction," says Howard Markman, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Denver. "Find out what your partner really wants to do (even shopping for curtains), make it happen, and enjoy it. It'll save you thousands in therapy."

Ideas: Massage her scalp. She'll love having your hands in her hair. Or get side-by-side massages at a spa, or sign up to take a partner massage class. When you get home, jump jointly into the shower. There's nothing sexier than washing your woman's hair. Except having her wash yours.

. . . because nothing's more fun than being bad.