Matt Wurnig is the creator of the online series 50 Dates 50 States.
Wurnig, 28, has been on a date in every state at least twice.
He told BI his favorite date spots around the country include hot air ballooning in New Mexico.
More than three-quarters of people under the age of 30 who are using online-dating tools have used Tinder, the Pew Research Center reported in 2023.
But not all Tinder users have the same approach as 28-year-old Matt Wurnig.
Wurnig is the creator of the online series 50 Dates 50 States, which, yes, is exactly what it sounds like. He told BI he conceptualized the idea during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"No one knew what was really going on," he said. "I hopped on the dating app Tinder, and it said that you could place your location anywhere in the US for free. And me being a bored single bachelor, I was just like, 'OK, this is kind of fun.'"
After placing his location in various big cities like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Dallas, Wurnig decided to go on a virtual date with a woman in every state. The dates gained traction on TikTok — a video with all 50 of his dates on a Zoom call got 3.8 million views — inspiring him to "up the ante" and go visit each date in person.
Wurnig said he quit his job with the Bismarck Larks in North Dakota before officially hitting the road in January 2021. Six months later, he wrapped his cross-country dating tour in his home state of Montana, documenting it all with video clips and photos shared to TikTok and Instagram.
After season one's success, he put out a call for applications for season two which was documented on YouTube and wrapped in September 2022 with his top four dates joining him on "Good Morning America" to reveal his favorite.
Wurnig described the dates in both of these seasons as "tag team" efforts, telling BI he lets the women lead the date planning "since they know what the fun things to do in each city are, or since they're from there, they have a good feel for what's going on." Then, he adds his own ideas based on research and other factors like production logistics.
Now, as he continues to prep for season three's adventures, BI spoke with Wurnig about his dating experiences to learn about some of his favorites across the US, in no particular order.
"Now my answers to these are going to be probably pretty adventurous," Wurnig warned. "Experience makes people bond together."
Albuquerque, New Mexico — Hot air ballooning
Wurnig and his date, Belle Morrow, took a hot-air balloon ride in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Courtesy of Matt Wurnig
Wurnig said one of his favorite dates was in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He and his date, Belle, were up at 4:30 a.m. to take a hot-air balloon ride and, later that day, rode a tram through the Sandia Mountains.
"We rode this beautiful tram up this beautiful mountain then had a drink at the top, which was really cool," he said.
New York City — The Edge
Wurnig went on a date at the Edge at Hudson Yards.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
The Edge opened in March 2020 and is "the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere," sitting 100 stories above ground and complete with 360-degree views, according to New York Tickets.
"Going to the Edge and seeing the whole city up there, especially at night and having a glass of Champagne, it's one thing I did. I thought that was something that really stood out," Wurnig said.
Venice, Los Angeles — Bike riding on the beach
Wurnig enjoyed riding bikes at Venice Beach.
DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images
Wurnig told BI he also enjoyed riding bikes on Venice Beach, which is along a 22-mile-long bike path that leads riders past stores, beach houses, and sites including the Santa Monica Pier.
"That was pretty unique just because on Venice Beach, you see so many different things and you're on the beach there in California," he said.
Rapid City, South Dakota — WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort
Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark at the Camelback Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania.
EQRoy/Shutterstock
In Rapid City, South Dakota, Wurnig and his date went to an adult night at WaTiki Waterpark.
"When you think of waterparks, you think of a bunch of screaming kids, but this was like adult night where it was 21-plus, and they DJ and [have] drinks, and things like that, and so that was really cool," he said.
Anchorage, Alaska — Moose's Tooth Pub & Pizzeria
Matt Wurnig and his date, Haley Hongslo, went on a helicopter ride to see glaciers in Alaska.
Courtesy of Matt Wurnig
"A really popular spot in Anchorage is a spot called Moose's Tooth," Wurnig said. "It's kind of like a pizzeria pub, and I went there both seasons. It was so good."
He added that during season two, he and his date, Haley, also went on a helicopter ride to visit a glacier.
"That is just like super unique, something I think is super adventurous," he said.
And while Wurnig admitted that these date ideas aren't all conducive for an average Friday night, it's really all about making memories.
"I think experiences build connection," he said. "Regardless if we had a connection, we're going to remember that forever."
