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Honeymoon Ideas - US Mainland

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littlelysser

littlelysser

Brilliant_Rock
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Hello all.

My FI and I are looking for suggestions for a honeymoon in the good old U.S. of A.

Ideally, I''d like to go to hawaii, but it doesn''t look like that is going to happen (long story...). So we are back to the U.S. We can''t leave the country because my FI is in the midst of getting his green card.

So, where do you suggest we go?

I''d prefer something beachy, but not touristy and urban.

We are planning on taking the HM from September 2-9.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
Do you want E. Coast or W. Coast?
If W. Coast I would check out the Hotel Del (Hotel del Coronado) in Coronado outside of San Diego, it''s beautiful there, a grand historic hotel on the beach.

If you are considering E. Coast then I would look at Sea Island, Georgia I have never been there- but planned a large client event there and it''s so nice- I would think that the weather would still be excellent in early September.
 
Cape Cod or Nantucket or Marth''as Vineyard are lovely, and at that time since it is going past Labor Day it might not be too crowded!
 
In Sept, I''d not recommend FL. It is so stiffling HOT...the kind of hot where you are drenched as soon as you walk outside. Even though I love FL, the summers are killers.
 
My vote is for Seaside Florida.. of course I am a little biased.. as I just got married there!!! its just beautiful.. and GREAT architecture.. VERY beachy...

www.seasidefl.com
 
We are really up for any coast, honestly.

Keep the ideas coming.

Diamond Fan - we were definitely thinking about Martha''s Vineyard, Cape Cod, etc., but do you think there is enough stuff to do up that-a-way for a week long vacation? I''ve never been and neither has FI.

Sea Island looks pretty cool! I''ll check out the hotel coranado too!

Thanks for the suggestions!!!!

 
HotelDel looks awesome! Might be just up our alley!

Cool!

I''ll check out the others too!
 
I moved to RI after having lived on Cape Cod for about 10 yrs and can say that you can do as little or as much as you want to do. But I wonder if that''s true of any place. Personally, I''m a Florida beach kind-a-girl. I hate rocks and seaweed on my beaches. Bleh. (Originally from Pensacola so perhaps I get my beach prefs from that). But CC is definitely nice and unique :)

After having moved here to RI, though, I''d say I like it here better! I just love the sailboats and the mood and........well.....the classiness of Newport.

If I had my choice of East Coast spots, I''d have to say some place in Florida any day of the week and twice on Sundays!!!
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If you''re not looking for a beach-y place, how about the Grand Canyon? I hear they have some to-die for spas and honeymoon hotels. Or, Niagara Falls is SO fabulous!! LOTS of active stuff to do there but also tons of romantic things, too! We loved it there........we did walk over to Canada though and had some really great coffee and saw the falls from thier side....much prettier in my opinion :)
 
september is hurricane season for the east coast & gulf of mexico. be careful of that.
 
Yeah, I had definitely thought of that.

I''ve spoken with FI and we are both really digging the hoteldel!

That may the way we go.

We want beachy and interesting...

And if we get tired of the beach, there are a million things we could do.

I am liking it more and more!
 
Date: 5/16/2007 10:47:41 AM
Author: diamondfan
Cape Cod or Nantucket or Marth''as Vineyard are lovely, and at that time since it is going past Labor Day it might not be too crowded!
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My exact thought!!! I love, love, love Nantucket! I go every year!!![:appl:]
 
How about Monterey, CA? My husband and I went there a few years back and loved it. We went in November and it was 70s and gorgeous. Not sure what it would be like in September though as I hear the summers are rather dreary. We stayed here.

Where is your husband in the green card process? While my husband is (sigh...I so want to say was) in the green card process he has a stamp in his passport that lets him travel outside the country. Of course, he came here on a TN-1 visa and we didn''t apply for a green card until after our wedding so YMMV.
 
FI is about a year and a half in. He has an H1-B visa. It doesn''t seem like it is going to take too much longer...


Although he is legally in the country, he can''t leave without going back to his home country and going to the consulate there - and getting his passport updated - a process which will take about three weeks...so yeah...no leaving the country until the green card comes through!

Such a pain!
 
Date: 5/16/2007 11:49:12 AM
Author: littlelysser
Yeah, I had definitely thought of that.


I''ve spoken with FI and we are both really digging the hoteldel!


That may the way we go.


We want beachy and interesting...


And if we get tired of the beach, there are a million things we could do.


I am liking it more and more!
Click to expand...

The Hotel Del is gorgeous- I planned a work event there like 6 years ago and got to go to the event and go for a pre-event visit. I found the service to be excellent and it''s in a lovely spot in addition to being a stunning facility. If either of you golf there are some fantastic courses nearby and it''s just outside of San Diego, so easy to get to and a lot to do around the area, if you get sick of the beach and lovely pool.
 
September in California brings some of the nicest weather...the coastal gloom is pretty much gone and it''s still warm.

Santa Barbara would be a lovely place to honeymoon. Beaches aren''t the best but I believe the beach in front of the four seasons is nice. You can also go hiking, wine tasting, etc. Plenty of stuff to do. The only thing I don''t like about SB is most of the beaches are south facing...which means no sunsets over the water!

Hotel Del...well, it''s pretty for sure. However check tripadvisor for reviews of the hotel...a lot of people who actually stay there are not pleased. I walked by one of the rooms and looked in and it didn''t seem to warrant the high prices. The beach is nice and there is also a lot to do in the area in San Diego. I prefer Santa Barbara though.

Both are actually somewhat in urban areas...and both are "touristy."
 
Okay this is really off the beaten path Honeymoon-wise ... but it''s something we considered before choosing Ireland. We''d been there before for a long weekend & loved it ... will def. return & hopefully make it a yearly trip if it''s not cost-prohibitive! No electricity, no cell phones, cabins right on the lake, coolers full of snacks, family-style three meals a day at picnic tables ... tennis, boating, hiking, cute towns nearby to explore ... but not the KIND of beachy you''re probably looking for.

Been to Newport, RI too -- do love it there. I hear Charleston, SC is nice & quirky. And there''s always the old standard: Niagra Falls!
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Well, you can bike, kayak, take scenic drives, walk, go shopping, go on a whale watch if that is the right time for the migrations...to me, my honeymoon was about more relaxing and sort of "let''s see where the mood takes us, versus feeling like it had to be action packed. I would not say most of these places are super active, unless you go to a place with a ton of activities, but to me, you can make it as busy as you wish to.
 
I like the Santa Barbara idea, the beaches will be a little busy & not as idealic as others in CA, but there''s lots to do! There are substantial vineyards in the area, you can go hiking, or horse back riding. There''s also a dutch town called Solvang which is pretty touristy but has good food. Tons of nice eateries over all of Santa Barbara.

Also, the drive up the coast from Santa Barabara is awesome, and you could always take daytrips on Highway 1 up to San Louis Obispo/Hearst Castle or down to Los Angeles. If you go up the 1, Pismo Beach is great.
 
colonial williamsburg?

key west but not in september.

i enjoyed savannah

santa cruz?

ditto for santa barbara
 
Tybee Island, Georgia, is BEAUTIFUL! It''s close(ish) to Savannah, but it''s not super, super, super thick with tourists. It''s small but has some really nice areas.
 
Date: 5/16/2007 10:42:15 AM
Author: dtnyc



If you are considering E. Coast then I would look at Sea Island, Georgia I have never been there- but planned a large client event there and it''s so nice- I would think that the weather would still be excellent in early September.
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Ohhh I ADORE Sea Island. I have been, and I assure you it is lovely! It is very upscale with a nice private, pampered feel to it. When I visited, I stayed at the Cloister, and I did not want to leave. It was actually one of the places I considered honeymooning (but I wanted to go somewhere I''d never been). I WILL go back someday though.
 
Date: 5/16/2007 11:44:55 AM
Author: jcrow
september is hurricane season for the east coast & gulf of mexico. be careful of that.
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This is an excellent point! Hurricane season along the East Coast actually PEAKS statstically at the beginning of September - like the 6th or the 10th, I believe.

If you think about an East Coast destination - whether it be Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Hilton Head, or Nantucket - it may be prudent to get travel insurance.

Personally, I'd think about an excursion up the Pacific Coast highway in a convertible with a wine country destination. Otherwise, I'm not sure about the weather, but have you been to the Grand Canyon?
 
I have not been to Hotel Del in years!

There is also the wine country in California, L''Auberge du Soleil, etc...

Or you can go to the Chesapeake, the Inn at Perry Cabin is supposed to be nice, and you can get to beaches there and do tons of boating and stuff. We are going there Memorial weekend to househunt again for a vacation home so I can let you know!
 
i think san diego would be great place for a honeymoon! i am biased since i used to live there and had my wedding there.

i wouldn''t stay at the hotel del coronado though. the hotel is gorgeous on the outside. it absolutely looks like a postcard. the common areas are beautiful, but the rooms themselves are quite worn out. and you absolutely get nickle and dimed. i would stay up in la jolla. my favorite hotel there is the parisi. it''s in a great area and is very recently updated. the rooms are huge and the vibe is quite modern. there isn''t a beach view, but the beach is like a block away. across the street from hotel parisi are la valencia hotel (where i got married) and the grand colonial. both have a little more old world charm. some of the rooms have beach views.

i would stay up in la jolla, but definitely visit the hotel del coronado. the beach and grounds are public property, so you don''t have to be a guest to use them (just to use the pool). sunday brunch is absolutely to die for! if you can make it, it''s wonderful. when we visit, we do sunday brunch and then walk around the beach. we also love the outdoor restaurant there, the sheerwater. we had our rehearsal dinner at the sheerwater and treated our guests to a post-wedding sunday brunch at the del. it was incredible. i would highly recommend it for a honeymoon.

san diego has lot to do... la jolla, the gaslamp, balboa park, the zoo, coronado, the beach.... you could easily fill a week''s time. and the weather is likely to be gorgeous in september. i''d be careful staying at the del though.
 
Hotel Del has a great beach and San Diego has a lot of things to do. IMO, the hotel is big, rather than smaller and intimate, but it is what you make it, and the beach is terrific.

If you are in the mood for a laid back road trip, one of my all time favorite is up Hwy 1 in CA from Santa Barbara to Mendicino and back throug the wine country. You can spend a night at Diechen''s Top House in Big Sur, lunch at Nepenthe, a couple of days in Carmel/Montery at a B&B in Pacific Grove or Carmel Highlands Inn cruising downtown Carmel, the 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, etc. Then on to the city for a couple of nights of city nightlife if you are so inclined, or through it to Medicino/Sea Ranch area for some rugged coastal life (check out St Orrs in Gualala) and then down through Sonoma and/or Napa for some beautiful scenery and wineries. Sept is a great month for this.
 
The Four Season's Aviara is also supposed to be really nice.

You can also go to the Alisal Ranch near Solvang, rustic but tons of fun apparently. Or you can drive up the coast, planning stuff along the way, like hit Hearst Castle along the way, go to beaches, and the Post Ranch Inn or Timberhill Ranch or Las Ventanas in Big Sur...I think Post Hill is a place the Kennedy's stayed,...you can hit some wineries too, go hot air ballooning, go to French Laundry for dinner...horseback ride, make a beach day if you like....
 
Date: 5/17/2007 12:10:54 AM
Author: diamondfan
The Four Season''s Aviara is also supposed to be really nice.
You can also go to the Alisal Ranch near Solvang, rustic but tons of fun apparently. Or you can drive up the coast, planning stuff along the way, like hit Hearst Castle along the way, go to beaches, and the Post Ranch Inn or Timberhill Ranch or Las Ventanas in Big Sur...I think Post Hill is a place the Kennedy''s stayed,...you can hit some wineries too, go hot air ballooning, go to French Laundry for dinner...horseback ride, make a beach day if you like....
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Ooo! I''m coming with YOU!
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Date: 5/16/2007 11:31:54 PM
Author: diamondfan

Or you can go to the Chesapeake, the Inn at Perry Cabin is supposed to be nice, and you can get to beaches there and do tons of boating and stuff. We are going there Memorial weekend to househunt again for a vacation home so I can let you know!
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Ditto on Inn @ Perry Cabin, it''s SOOO nice. It''s on the water- but not beachy- St. Michael''s MD, a lovely spot. If you enjoy boating a great place.

DF- I just moved to Annapolis- where are you looking on the shore? It''s so lovely- right now we are searching for our first home and if we can''t swing waterfront property here in the Annapolis area we might consider moving over the bridge if it would get us on the water.

Did you know that Inn @ Perry Cabin is where they filmed some of Wedding Crashers?
 
Thanks for all the awesome suggestions.

However, I think I may have finally convinced my FI that Hawaii is our best choice for romantic and awesome.

I am super super excited about it.

Although we are definitely still considering some of the suggestions from you ladies.

You guys rock!
 
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