Honeymoon in the USA

Cimerone9923

My fiance and I will be getting married in July 2015 and we're trying to save money on airfare by staying in the continental US. We're also very fair skinned and not real big on beaches so I'm kind of at a loss for what to plan for our honeymoon. Any suggestions?

KatWAG

One of my favorite places to go in the summer is Vail CO. There is so much to do there. Eat, hike, bike, raft, shop, etc.

Mayeb Oregon for wine tasting. Its cheaper than Napa or Somona.

climbingsingle

Vermont 

Upstate NY 

Colorado 

Napa/San Fran 

jenna8984

Seattle is pretty awesome for sight-seeing. Boston, NYC, and DC are amazing for history/sight-seeing. And they are all within an hour of a beach if you decided to go for just the day.

If you wanted to wait until fall, you could do a whole Vegas, Grand Canyon thing. But July is way too hot there.

LA & San Diego. There is so much to do and see that isn't the beach.

Maggie0829

Pick a big city that you have never been before and do the whole tourist thing. (NYC, DC, Chicago, LA, Napa, Denver, etc)

Since you both aren't huge beach fans what do you two like to do on vacation?  Mountains, small quaint towns, shopping, shows, etc?

Cimerone9923

I've been looking into a few vineyards but he's a beer drinker and probably wouldn't enjoy himself. I was thinking about a lake or something since we both have been on nearly-annual vacations in the Adirondacks (upstate NY) and love it there. I'm not against a city but I tend to melt about 80 degrees so I don't really want to go too southern. 

CMGragain

There is so much to do in Washington, DC.  You can spend several days just at the Smithsonian Museums.  Lots of history.  You could take a side trip down to Colonial Williamsburg, a nice destination by itself.
Alternatives include Niagra Falls (Get  a passport so you can go to the Canadian side), Boston, Historic Old Sturbridge Village.

Justus2Plus2

My fiance and I are going to Disney World. It may sound like a childish idea, but it's not. Disney World, first off will be a fun and exciting experience for both of us, and a first for us both, but it also has an adult night life. There are spas for relaxation, para-sailing for something different, plus of course roller coasters, but there are also dance clubs and other adult life opportunities to try out. Besides, who doesn't want to go to Disney World?

jenna8984

Justus2Plus2 said:

My fiance and I are going to Disney World. It may sound like a childish idea, but it's not. Disney World, first off will be a fun and exciting experience for both of us, and a first for us both, but it also has an adult night life. There are spas for relaxation, para-sailing for something different, plus of course roller coasters, but there are also dance clubs and other adult life opportunities to try out. Besides, who doesn't want to go to Disney World?

I don't. lol

Can't think of a much less romantic place but to each their own

emmyg65

If he likes beer, then get ye to Portland, OR. Bonus: It's not very hot, even in July! The U.S. is a mighty big country and there's something for everyone. San Francisco and Northern California are lovely as well. You can do a little beer, a little wine, a little city, a little woods.

delujm0

jenna8984 said:

Justus2Plus2 said:

My fiance and I are going to Disney World. It may sound like a childish idea, but it's not. Disney World, first off will be a fun and exciting experience for both of us, and a first for us both, but it also has an adult night life. There are spas for relaxation, para-sailing for something different, plus of course roller coasters, but there are also dance clubs and other adult life opportunities to try out. Besides, who doesn't want to go to Disney World?

I don't. lol

Can't think of a much less romantic place but to each their own

i absolutely love Disney World, and i go all the time (i have a time share), but I can't imagine doing a honeymoon there.  however, that is probably because i go there all the time, and i want my honeymoon to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

 

I can see how people that have never been there before would want to do that for a honeymoon - and it can certainly be just as expensive as a trip to Europe if you go high end.  but i don't even like going there when school is out of session (SO MANY SCREAMING CHILDREN), so i can't imagine taking a romantic trip there.  FI and i did go to Disneyland about 10 years ago over spring break from college, and we had a super fun time. 

 

FI refuses to come to Disney with me right now because we're "going to have to go like every year once we have kids" so he would never allow it for a honeymoon even if i wanted to do it.  I usually go with my mom/relatives/girlfriends (we do a lot of the Run Disney races).  I just had my bachelorette party there in January actually.  Drinking Around the World at Epcot was a fun challenge. :-)

Maggie0829

A HM is a vacation.  There are no rules in what you should and should not do for your HM.  It doesn't have to be romantic 24/7.  Pick a place that you are interested in or have always wanted to go and have a good time.  If that means Disney World then great.  If that means going to a beach resort where you just sit and gaze into each others eyes then great.

But in the end a HM is just another vacation.  So don't try to make it bigger then it really is.

KatWAG

Personally I would avoid DC in July especially considering you dont like the heat. Can you say swamp ass?

sarawifenow

Cimerone9923 said:

I've been looking into a few vineyards but he's a beer drinker and probably wouldn't enjoy himself. I was thinking about a lake or something since we both have been on nearly-annual vacations in the Adirondacks (upstate NY) and love it there. I'm not against a city but I tend to melt about 80 degrees so I don't really want to go too southern. 

We have a massive amount of craft beer here in CO! There is a new brewery popping up every weekend!

Justus2Plus2

Some of you may not like Disney World as a honeymoon option, but my FI and I are still young, I am 22 and he will be 24. Neither of us have ever been, and we thought that Jamaica wouldn't be as much fun for us because we wanted something fun. So you may think that it's not romantic, but candlelit dinner under the fireworks, couple massages, and elegant dinners in the ball room from Beauty and the Beast sounds romantic to me.

manateehugger

If you're beer drinkers and don't want humidity in July, I ditto all the suggestions of Colorado.

Vail, Aspen, Buena Vista, Steamboat Springs, Beaver Creek, etc..

And Denver is still only about 1.5-2.5 hours away if you feel like doing more citish activities. There are beer and/or food festivals virtually every weekend. Also, look up Red Rocks if you feel like seeing a concert. Fort Collins is also a must for the beer lover.

FI and I rented a private cabin near Estes Park (lets pray no flooding this year) for our honeymoon. We've got hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and trail riding excursions planned.

jenna8984

Justus2Plus2 said:

Some of you may not like Disney World as a honeymoon option, but my FI and I are still young, I am 22 and he will be 24. Neither of us have ever been, and we thought that Jamaica wouldn't be as much fun for us because we wanted something fun. So you may think that it's not romantic, but candlelit dinner under the fireworks, couple massages, and elegant dinners in the ball room from Beauty and the Beast sounds romantic to me.

You don't have to defend your decision. I can't stand Disney even for a non-honeymoon. I just think it's overpriced and lots of long lines with bratty kids. But I also don't enjoy roller coasters or rides. I don't understand the appeal of "let's go to Paris in Disney" when you could go to the real Paris. But everyone likes different things and if that's what you like then you'll have a blast. I dragged my FI to China last year because I wanted to see the Great Wall and most people have absolutely no desire to go there.

KatWAG

Justus2Plus2 said:

Some of you may not like Disney World as a honeymoon option, but my FI and I are still young, I am 22 and he will be 24. Neither of us have ever been, and we thought that Jamaica wouldn't be as much fun for us because we wanted something fun. So you may think that it's not romantic, but candlelit dinner under the fireworks, couple massages, and elegant dinners in the ball room from Beauty and the Beast sounds romantic to me.

I dont understand why you have to bring age into it. You want to go to Disney, no further explanation is needed.

 Its statements like this that always make me questions whether yong people are ready to get married. "Well, we are young so we did this...." "We are young so its okay to do that..."

delujm0

@Justus2Plus2 if you want to have dinner at Be Our Guest make SURE you make your reservation on the absolute first day that it opens up for you.  I got in there when it first opened, but it has been impossible to do so ever since.  You have to be ON IT to eat there, especially if you're going at a busy time of year.  I couldn't even get in at the slowest time of the year a few months ago, and i tried to book on the first day i was allowed to.  So just be aware that you have to be on top of that!  It is pretty fun!

Justus2Plus2

@delujm0 thank you. I will definitely do that later today. I have been able to do reservations now for about 6 weeks, so I will definitely get right on that.

Justus2Plus2

@katwag we are ready to get married, and you shouldn't be judging us off of one statement. We have been focused on careers and schooling so we haven't be able to go out and have some fun. We don't party like others our age, so the statement was meant that we are going to be young for a little while because we can, not because we are immature. I don't appreciate you judging us for any reason.

KatWAG

Justus2Plus2 said:

@katwag we are ready to get married, and you shouldn't be judging us off of one statement. We have been focused on careers and schooling so we haven't be able to go out and have some fun. We don't party like others our age, so the statement was meant that we are going to be young for a little while because we can, not because we are immature. I don't appreciate you judging us for any reason.

@just2plus2 Really?  I never said you werent ready to get married. It sounds like you are bringing your own insecuritues to the tabel on that one. You were the one who choose to bring age into the conversations when it has no bearing on the topic at hand. Furthermore, you put personal information on a public, international forum and people can comment or judge however they see fit.

And frankly, this comment makes me question your maturity even more.

manateehugger

Justus2Plus2 said:

@katwag we are ready to get married, and you shouldn't be judging us off of one statement. We have been focused on careers and schooling so we haven't be able to go out and have some fun. We don't party like others our age, so the statement was meant that we are going to be young for a little while because we can, not because we are immature. I don't appreciate you judging us for any reason.

Dude, I'm barely older than you  and finishing grad school, but I don't have to defend my age to anyone. Trying to do so makes you sound petulant (it's a losing battle, I know). 

FWIW, I'm sure there are plenty of people in their 30s and 40s who would love to go to Disney. All you had to say was, "Disney is our thing and we're excited by it. We do think it's romantic." 

FI and I didn't want a beachy honeymoon in the slightest, but I know that's a popular choice for many couples. Different strokes or something.

jenna8984

KatWAG said:

Justus2Plus2 said:

@katwag we are ready to get married, and you shouldn't be judging us off of one statement. We have been focused on careers and schooling so we haven't be able to go out and have some fun. We don't party like others our age, so the statement was meant that we are going to be young for a little while because we can, not because we are immature. I don't appreciate you judging us for any reason.

@just2plus2 Really?  I never said you werent ready to get married. It sounds like you are bringing your own insecuritues to the tabel on that one. You were the one who choose to bring age into the conversations when it has no bearing on the topic at hand. Furthermore, you put personal information on a public, international forum and people can comment or judge however they see fit.

And frankly, this comment makes me question your maturity even more.

I agree, age had nothing to do with it and you didn't need to use that as your "excuse" as to why you're going there. Even when I was 21 I had zero interest in Disney. So next time, just say well you guys prefer your thing and I prefer my thing. No big deal!

freebread03

A lot of people have suggested DC.  I live in DC (have lived in Baltimore/DC since August 2002), but I would suggest NOT coming here in the summer months.  It is hot and horribly humid, and you'd have to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to walk around the mall, Smithsonians, etc. most days in July.  There is a ton of great stuff to do here for sure, I just know that personally, the humidity and heat would kill most day-time activities for me.

If you DO come to DC, make sure to stay in Arlington (Crystal City/Pentagon City), downtown (Metro Center, Chinatown, Penn Quarter), or upper northwest (Woodley Park, Dupont Circle).  I see a lot of hotel deals advertised as "DC" but they are in Maryland (Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg) or way out in VA.  Or they are the shitty hotels off of New York Avenue where you wouldn't want to be a tourist walking around at night.  Its so worth it to be walking distance to great restaurants and bars in DC.  You could also consider Air BnB.  Lastly, if you come in July, come to Jazz in the Garden on Friday evening-so much fun! (even I think its fun sitting outside at JITG in July...)

Cimerone9923

Well this is interesting. I haven't been online much since finishing up my student teaching, kind of funny what this post ended up turning into. 

I love the suggestion about Portland, I've never been there before! The hard thing about the US is I've been almost everywhere with my family so finding something new has been tricky. We have considered Disney, actually, my fiance's never been before so it's still on the table because I just love it so darn much. Anyway, I appreciate the suggestions!

dolewhipper

Justus2Plus2 said:

Some of you may not like Disney World as a honeymoon option, but my FI and I are still young, I am 22 and he will be 24. Neither of us have ever been, and we thought that Jamaica wouldn't be as much fun for us because we wanted something fun. So you may think that it's not romantic, but candlelit dinner under the fireworks, couple massages, and elegant dinners in the ball room from Beauty and the Beast sounds romantic to me.

delujm0 that you need to get on BOG reservation asap. As well, I really hope you understand that most Disney HM aren't as romantic as you make it out to be...I mean, you can find romance there, but BOG is far from elegant (you need to go to Victoria and Alberts if you want elegant on Disney property, or else you get shorts and tshirts most everywhere) and if you can tell me where they do candlelit dinner under fireworks I would love that! They don't really have anymore nightlife on property (1 dueling piano bar, 1 "nightclub" which is really just a large ballroom that plays random music videos, and an irish pub), but each hotel has their own bar which is a hit or miss.

Also, I suggest the Waldorf Astoria or Woodhouse Day spa over any spa in a Disney hotel. And the later your dining reservation, the less kids. If you rent a car you have even more possibilities to get out and see real Orlando. Just a suggestion

thisismynickname2

Cimerone9923 said:

I've been looking into a few vineyards but he's a beer drinker and probably wouldn't enjoy himself. I was thinking about a lake or something since we both have been on nearly-annual vacations in the Adirondacks (upstate NY) and love it there. I'm not against a city but I tend to melt about 80 degrees so I don't really want to go too southern. 

I just wanted to respond to the bolded. I convinced FI to go to Napa even though he's a beer guy and only liked Riesling at the time.  The people at those wineries know what they're talking about though. FI asked a ton of questions, tasted tons of wines, and now he's quite the snob. We're saving a petite verdoh (not sure I spelled that right) from Napa for when we're both done with school.  

If you want to do a vineyard, go for it at some point (maybe not your honeymoon). Expanding horizons is fun!  

hutchsl

I know you specified the US but since you like mountains I would suggest the Canadian Rockies. You would need a passport or passport card to go though. I always thought I would go on my HM there but we did the beach thing. I still want to get DH there. Alberta is beautiful. Fly in to Calgary and drive to Banff. Love Morraine lake lodge. Drive up the icefield hwy to Columbia Icefields (glaciers).

MaryGraceRich

I am just getting home from Disney tonight. I am 29 and H is 32. We had an amazing Disney honeymoon. We had nice dinners, saw shows and had fun on rides.
We are sad to be going home.

sarahs616

New Orleans is a ton of fun. I'd also suggest Niagara Falls too- just make sure you get a passport and stay on the Canadian side (much, much, much nicer than the NY side!)