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Budget-friendly East Coast (USA) Honeymoon ideas?

Hello!
FI and I have been mulling over honeymoon ideas and he's stuck on going over to London or somewhere in Ireland and I consistently need to drag him back to Earth: we don't have money to cover plane tickets anywhere, and logistically, it won't work even if we did.

Instead, I'm looking for a place or places along the east coast that would be nice for a honeymoon.  We are driving from Florida to Connecticut for the wedding itself, so inevitably we need to drive back south anyway.  It makes sense, budget-wise and time-wise, to have the honeymoon on the way back.  It's an early August wedding.

North of CT and pretty much everywhere in Florida/Louisiana are out: wrong direction and also storm/hurricane season, New Orleans was awful when I visited that time last year.

I had the idea to do something in the mountains somewhere, but I'm having difficulty finding a place that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (but also isn't a run down tiny motel).  In addition, he keeps mentioning he might get bored if there is nothing to actually do, but that he wants peace and quiet.  

I'm stumped.  Help!

Re: Budget-friendly East Coast (USA) Honeymoon ideas?

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    First for places to stay, check out vrbo or airbnb. Those are sites where people rent out homes & apartments for vacation stays. You can rent for a single day or for a full week. I found in major towns that they can be cheaper & get you closer to the action then a hotel. The plus side also is that you have access to a fridge & kitchen so you can save yourself money by picking up stuff for breakfast or even just to be able to put drinks & some snacks in the fridge is nice.

    If you like the mountains, check out North Carolina, the blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful. If you look into those you can check out other attractions in the area. Here is a link http://www.blueridgevacationcabins.com/activities.php. They have links for things like fishing, biking, hiking, horseback riding.

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    Newport, RI is about 90 minutes north of CT and beautiful.  I also hear that Savahana and Charleston are absolutely beautiful.
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    The Outer Banks in North Carolina are a wonderful vacation spot! A little touristy at some points along the islands, but other than that, they're amazing, there's tons of stuff to do.

    Also, definitely agree with @Erikan73 on vrbo or airbnb. I don't know what time of year your HM is, but we stayed in the OBX during the off season (first of December) and got a really nice 2bd/2ba condo with a full kitchen for like $50/night.
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    jenna8984jenna8984 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2015

    I don't think you should count out places that are just 2 hours in the wrong direction. Case in point- Ogunquit/Wells Beach Maine. Absolutely gorgeous.

    What about Atlantic City? DC? Myrtle Beach?

    ETA- mountains- Poconos, PA

                                                                     

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    Cape May NJ is nice.   

    You can take the Garden State Parkway to Cape May.  Stay the night ( I love the Lobster House for dinner or lunch).  Then take the ferry over to Delaware.   You can stop in Rehoboth Beach or Ocean City NJ.   You can then either head over to Annapolis or take the   Chesapeake Bay Tunnel/Bridge to Virginia Beach.   

    Or take I-95 and stop in Philly, Baltimore or Washington.

    Hit up the Carolinas.  Outer Banks, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Hilton Head.

    Hit up Georgia. Savanna, St Simon's lsland.

    You can hit up the Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia, Smokey Mountains in Georgia.

    Actually CT to FL provides a lot of places to HM.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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    I totally agree with the Newport RI idea - depending on where you are in CT, you can be a half hour away. 

    Its packed in the summer but if you find the right spots and book EARLY you will be fine. Its a gorgeous place for a getaway!
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    Blue Ridge parkway, Ashville NC and Appalachian mountans. Potential place to stay - rustic but remote. Great view from dining room and balconies. Ashville N.C


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    Cape cod? Or the Hamptons/Montauk in Long Island? So beautiful!
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    edited March 2015
    I say go for a beach and mountain combo - a few days at each locale!  Charleston, SC is a great option for the beach part as it has a great, charming old-school town in addition to actual beach areas nearby.  If you're on a really tight budget you might be able to find GroupOn or LivingSocial deals for a mountain lodge or hotel in the Shenandoah area.  If that intrigues you at all I'd suggest signing up for the email lists in the areas you think you might want to go so that you get notifications of any deals.
    Michael - The Honeymoon Guy  http://thehoneymoonguy.com
    Guiding you to a champagne honeymoon on a beer budget!

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    blueberrymuffin17  the hamptons/montauk is a great idea - but PACKED beyond PACKED during august... 

    It kind of takes the romance out of the trip if you ask me. but just my opinion! 
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    I highly recommend Savannah!
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    I also highly recommend Savannah!  I did a road trip down to Savannah and made some stops along the way (some small town North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Beaufort)  We loved Savannah- really beautiful city.  And if you like BBQ you have a lot of great options.  I also really liked Charleston even though it rained while we were there.  Our trip was pretty much a BBQ tour and everything we ate was amazing.

    I also really love Cape May and there is a lot to do there.  

    Another option is Tennessee if your into music.  I only went to Knoxville when I went there but some of the other cities could be fun!
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    Are you looking to stay in one place for the whole HM, or could you do a roadtrip spending a few days in multiple locations?

    I second the recommendation for Charleston and could easily spend a week there. Savannah and St. Simons are nice, too. If you want to stay in the mountains, definitely consider Asheville. It's a cool little town and the scenery is beautiful.

    As far as where to stay, I recommend looking on airbnb. I've always found it to be a much better deal than any hotel.
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