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Best Valentine's Day Dates For Parents In Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh is loaded with spots for singles to meet up and married couples to have a romantic Valentine's date, but when you start having kids, the romance doesn't have to end. Here are some great places for both single and married parents to have a fun and romantic outing without having to worry if your children are enjoying their Valentine's Day as well.

The Back Porch
114 Speers St.
Belle Vernon, PA 15012
(724) 483-4500
www.backporchrestaurant.com

For some reason, everyone, including restaurants, are obsessed with dinner being the only romantic mealtime for Valentine's Day. For parents, a mushy nighttime meal out might not be possible, especially when your babysitter may have Valentine's Day plans of their own. So why not try meeting up for a romantic lunch? While you can sneak away to any of your favorite places, one of the few famously romantic restaurants in Pittsburgh that is actually open for lunch is The Back Porch. The food and atmosphere is designed specifically to set the mood. Settled in one of the oldest houses in western Pa., the home was renovated into a restaurant in 1975, filled with antiques, fireplaces and fine dining.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
700 Frank Curto Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 622-6914
www.phipps.conservatory.org

There is nothing more romantic that a stroll through a park lush with flowers and nature; however, February in Pittsburgh is far too chilly for such an outing. Luckily, Pittsburgh has one of the finest Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, located in Schenley Park. With "17 distinct botanical experiences" filled with all sorts of exotic plant life contained within a beautiful "steel and glass Victorian greenhouse," Phipps has the romance mom and dad want, with an enlightening and educational kid-friendly experience for children.

Valley Skate Center
590 Galiffa Drive
Donora, PA 15033
(724) 379-6700
www.valleyskate.com

Roller skating isn't just for dating in the '70s and '80s; it's still popular today. For a one-on-one time or a family-friendly Valentine's outing, roller skating is a fun and healthy date that all ages can enjoy. Valley Skate Center is located right outside of Pittsburgh in Donora, Pa., and features an "85 ft x 185 ft hard rock maple skating floor," as well as a game room and snack bar. The skating starts at 6:30 p.m. and goes on until 9 p.m., with admission at $6 per person. Since Valentine's Day in 2014 is on a Friday, you can also take advantage of its $10 special, which includes skating, plus unlimited cheese pizza and soda. If you don't have skates of your own, you can rent them for $2, or for the more experienced skaters, rent inline skates for $3.

Related: Best Places For Rekindling Romance Around Pittsburgh

The National Aviary
700 Arch St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(412) 323-7235
www.aviary.org

There is no better way for lovebirds to spend their Valentine's Day than with over 500 birds across 150 different species. This is one of the rare chances to get up close to hundreds of free-flying exotic birds, with opportunities to hand-feed, plus shows and extensive exhibits. The National Aviary is an amazing way to share the beauty of life and nature with your Valentine, and is a safe, fun and educational experience that will keep your children occupied for hours.

Dependable Drive-In
549 Moon Clinton Road
Coraopolis, PA 15108
(412) 264-7011
www.dependabledrivein.com

Pittsburgh is one of the best towns for drive-in movies, but only one of our drive-in theaters is open year-round, and it also happens to be one of Pittsburgh's best. The Dependable Drive-In offers multiple screens, each showing double features of new movies for less than the price of a single ticket at an indoor theater. You also don't have to worry about other patrons talking over the movie and ruining your date, as you can tune it in right on your car radio with full stereo sound. Not only is this a fun and one-of-a-kind movie-going experience for a Valentine's date, but Dependable also has at least one screen showing family-friendly double features and a snack bar loaded with an enormous variety, from pizza and burgers, to hoagies, gyros, wings and loads more.

Related: Best Romantic Getaways Around Pittsburgh

David Cohen is a freelance writer whose work can be found on Examiner.com.

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