vent/advice about honeymoon

[Deleted User]

hi girls...

a little bit of venting, a little bit of asking for advice.

FI wants to go to Denver for our honeymoon.  i started looking for lodging and things to do, and i'll be honest...  i don't want to go there.  it's too western for me.  too much cowboy and ranch stuff.  but as far as i can tell, he really wants to go there.  UGH. 

please either talk me into Denver by providing things to do or stay that aren't western or victorian or super expensive OR help me figure out somewhere else that i could suggest we go.

i like places like New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, etc.  he is from New Mexico and wants to go somewhere "west" instead of "east".  BOO.  also, within driving distance from Oklahoma (up to 10 to 11 hours from OKC).

please please please help.  so far i have hated everything about planning the wedding and honeymoon.  i spent 3 hours this morning trying to like Denver, and i just can't.

i realize i sound like a whiney brat, but bear with me.  i want us BOTH to be happy with where we go for the honeymoon, because this is our last vacation for a very long time.  but it also has to fit with our budget.  add that in to a horrible wedding planning period.  so i know how i sound and i'm trying to avoid sounding whiney or bratty to my FI when i talk to him about the honeymoon.

or maybe i should just suck it up and go all cowboy for our honeymoon.  i'm from Oklahoma, after all.  it's in the blood i guess.

yee-haw.

bethsmiles

I have to go to class but I live in Denver and I will come back in a few hours and answer this question for you!

[Deleted User]

thanks beth.  that would really help! 

heyimbren

I know nothing about Denver, but I do agree that you should both love where you're going (or at least both be curious/interested in it).

Just come North to Canada

Is there anywhere else that you can both agree that you'd like to go to? Some place that may not be either of your first choices, but you can go exploring together.

AbigailMS

I've been to Denver a few times, they were all for National Western Livestock show (yee-haw), but we've always stayed at very nice, non-western places...depending on what area you visit, it can be very modern. We always went in January, so we would also drive a few hours and ski a couple days. (FAVORITE part), we've been to Colorado (not denver specifically) a few times during the summer as well and the scenery is AMAZING. If you drive about 3 hours north of Denver there is a place called Grand Lake. It's a teeny little town (slightly western) with absolutely NO chain anything, I'm talking no walmarts, no chain gas stations. It's nestled right up against a national park (which is also AMAZING) and the lake is great as well. We went water skiing one day, we explored the park the next day, we went white water rafting, swam, hiked to see waterfalls. There were tons of amazing shops in town (no chains! yay!) so we shopped a few days too. We saw elk, moose, and deer almost every day. I'm not a huge nature girl but it was BEAUTIFUL!

jemmini6

Let me ask you this...what types of activities do YOU want to do on your honeymoon?  Regardless of where it is, what are you interested in? 

[Deleted User]

i like history...  not like, western history.  i hate western anything.  my dad and brother are into horses and cowboys and all that and i HATE HATE HATE it!  i liked the older parts of St. Louis, and i spent a few hours in Chicago on the pier and walked around downtown and rode a trolley and it was a blast.  i wanted to go to Boston or Washington D.C. or Canada or Seattle, but it's too far.

i've never really gone on a vacation besides visiting friends, and we didn't really go out and do things.

wait, i went to Greece on a missions trip and it was a BLAST.  we saw all kinds of old ruins and did the night life and saw old monasteries on mountains and visited the beach and went to a marketplace and rode the metro everywhere.  something like that would be perfect.

Greece was my one vacation and it was all planned for me.  so i have no idea where to start on planning a honeymoon.

MLekathLEEN

What about The Riverwalk in San Antonio? It's about an 8 hour drive from Oaklahoma and probably a bit more urban than Denver. I don't know much about it, just that FMIL wants to go there. If she wants to go, it shouldn't be too cowboy-ish.

FGMIL went to Denver and rode in a hot air balloon as well as a dog sled. She's not a western girl either but her and her girlfriends had a blast. There is also a good amount of skiing too.

niknik15

How about you drive south? You could go to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and the beach. There are a ton of things to do along the way if you want to stay in different cities every night?

There is Fredricksburg and Wimberly which are both small 'honeymoon' type get aways with wineries near by. There is Shiner where you can take a tour of the place. Austin has 6th street. Plenty of arty stuff if you want to browse. San Antonio has the riverwalk. There are several rivers if you want to go tubing. There is a cavern if you want to explore. Then there is Corpus Christi and the beaches nearby. Rockport is a great little town on the beach.

San Antonio is about 7.5 hrs from Oklahoma City and the beach is about 3 hours from here.

If you want more ideas just PM me.

sparkles88

What about somewhere like San Francisco? It's metropolitan, yet still filled with plenty of western history. Gold Country is pretty close, too, so if you guys rented a car and did some sort of day trip to one of those cities it might satisfy his inner western history buff.

niknik15

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:28057c95-72fe-44d7-b7cc-800299d3618c">Re: vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]What about The Riverwalk in San Antonio? Posted by MLekathLEEN[/QUOTE]

You took the words right out of my mouth!

sparkles88

Oh! Texas is a good one! I totally forgot about it!

[Deleted User]

Coco - I grew up military, so i've lived coast to coast. I don't honestly consider Denver "western". You can get involved in cowboy-type activities if you like, but honestly you won't see tons of boots and hats downtown here.

If you like outdoor activities that aren't necessarily western, Colorado is a beautiful place to visit! What season would you be here? Some places you might consider staying other than Denver are Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen, Steamboat and Estes Park. Most of these are ski-resort areas, but you can find some great deals in the summer. There is tons of hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, skiing/boarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, fishing, and tons of great restaurants.

There are also some vineyards along the front-range, an easy day trip if you are staying in Denver. A more modern hotel I would recommend in Denver is The Curtis: www.thecurtis.com. Each floor has a different theme, they even have a "perfect pair" theme with pics of bert & ernie and peanut butter & jelly. Fun and very comfy beds! I don't know you're price range, but BF and I take mini vacations all the time within the state, so I could probably get you some great info if you give me a budget.

 - also, I love DC. All of the museums along the mall there are completely FREE. Air & Space, Modern Art, Natural History, American History, Smithsonian, etc. All free, every day. There is tons to do there. Hotels and restaurants can be a bit pricy, but with all the free museums, monuments and tours available, it may balance out in the end! 

jemmini6

I haven't been to Denver (yet, I'm actually going next weekend) but I'm sure there could be something there that would interest you.  I don't think it's as 'western' as you think it is.  I would check out tripadvisor and see what kind of activities they list.  However, if you still think you'll hate it, I would definitely try to find another destination, you should BOTH be happy with where you are going.

PaigeMcC

Canada is really your only option.

[Deleted User]

Coco - here is a great website to get info about tourism in Denver. http://www.denver.org/. There is a lot to do here, and I think you might be pleasantly surprised at how modern and "city" Denver really is. Again, if you have questions - just let me know!

[Deleted User]

the websites are extremely helpful.  i'm trying to look through them all. 

luvdncn90

Ilive about an hour and a half away from Denver and it's actually not very western at all. They have a lot of modern art shows, theatre productions, great shopping.

If you want to see western come up to Wyoming YEE-HAW!

bethsmiles

Denver really isn't western at all. You could find western things to do but there are lots of other things to do. Camping, hiking, rafting, pretty much any outdoor thing you want to do - Colorado is a great place for it. There are several museums and theater in Denver. The shopping is pretty great, although I prefer going to Boulder to shop. There are sports for every season if you and your FI are into that. Concerts at Red Rocks are always super fun if someone you like is scheduled to play while you guys are there.

The websites people have posted are great but you should really give Denver a chance I think that it has something for both you and your FI

niknik15

I feel that you have to visit a city or area before you can make a judgement on what the city is all about. It sounds to me like you haven't done much traveling 'west' of Oklahoma. If you want cowboys, I would say Oklahoma, Texas, or going straight north of Oklahoma would be great places to find that...not Denver.

I have family that lives in Denver and never once did I ever think of a cowboy while I was there. My idea of Denver is beautiful calming mountains with a great city right next to it which has everything you could possibly think of to do. Last time I went, we went white water rafting in Idaho Springs which was a lot of fun.

Why don't you think of things that you find interesting then try to find a place in Denver that has it. Such as if you want history, look into something like this:
http://www.denverhistorytours.com/

*Facepalm* Sorry hetshup! I'll remember for next time

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:0bfc2c4b-26f5-4de2-8b64-57afcc599e97">Re: vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]Denver really isn't western at all. You could find western things to do but there are lots of other things to do. Camping, hiking, rafting, pretty much any outdoor thing you want to do - Colorado is a great place for it. There are several museums and theater in Denver. The shopping is pretty great, although I prefer going to Boulder to shop. There are sports for every season if you and your FI are into that. Concerts at Red Rocks are always super fun if someone you like is scheduled to play while you guys are there. The websites people have posted are great but you should really give Denver a chance I think that it has something for both you and your FI
Posted by bethsmiles[/QUOTE]

what in particular?  when i do searches i'm just not coming up with a whole lot.  is there a certain place to stay or eat or something to do that is really cool?

desertsun

Seriously? Grow up. There is no need to throw a temper tantrum like this. I don't understand how you can be prepared to marry someone when you can't even tell him what you want to do on your HM. 

Furthermore -- I live in state that is also considered very "western" and I think the way that you have expressed yourself here is offensive. Seriously, why the hell would you think it was a good idea to come on a national board and talk this way about a part of your country in such a hateful way? Really inconsiderate and immature. 

You could have just said, "I want to do x y and z on my HM and I'm not sure we can fnd that in Denver while also staying somewhere modern and inexpensive. Help, please!" 

On an internet forum, the only thing we have to go on is your words, so please be more aware of how you're expressing yourself.

hetshup

NikNik- It's t00bing. Get it right

Coco, You need to think about what you would like to do. Denver has plenty of history, but it isn't going to be anything like Greece. What about Central Mexico like Oxaca? They have (I think) Incan ruins + western stuff.

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:90b6181b-ae02-4052-b7c4-26787dae1533">vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]hi girls... a little bit of venting, a little bit of asking for advice. FI wants to go to Denver for our honeymoon.  i started looking for lodging and things to do, and i'll be honest...  i<strong> don't want to go there.  it's too western for me.  too much cowboy and ranch stuff. </strong> but as far as i can tell, he really wants to go there.  UGH.  please either talk me into Denver by providing things to do or stay that aren't western or victorian or super expensive OR help me figure out somewhere else that i could suggest we go. i like places like New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, etc.  <strong>he is from New Mexico and wants to go somewhere "west" instead of "east".  BOO</strong>.  also, within driving distance from Oklahoma (up to 10 to 11 hours from OKC). please please please help.  so far i have hated everything about planning the wedding and honeymoon. <strong> i spent 3 hours this morning trying to like Denver, and i just can't. </strong>i realize i sound like a whiney brat, but bear with me.  i want us BOTH to be happy with where we go for the honeymoon, because this is our last vacation for a very long time.  but it also has to fit with our budget.  add that in to a horrible wedding planning period.  so i know how i sound and i'm trying to avoid sounding whiney or bratty to my FI when i talk to him about the honeymoon. or maybe i should just suck it up and <strong>go all cowboy for our honeymoon. </strong> i'm from Oklahoma, after all.  it's in the blood i guess. yee-haw.
Posted by CocoBellaF[/QUOTE]

<div><div style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10px;background-color:initial;background-image:none;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;color:#1f1f1f;font:normal normal normal 11px/14px Arial, sans-serif;text-align:left;line-height:normal;">In Response to <a style="text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal;color:#1f1f1f;" href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:ecc3d856-2766-446b-aa6a-4e00d41a656b">Re: vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]i like history...  not like, western history.  i<strong> hate western anything.  my dad and brother are into horses and cowboys and all that and i HATE HATE HATE it! </strong> i liked the older parts of St. Louis, and i spent a few hours in Chicago on the pier and walked around downtown and rode a trolley and it was a blast.  i wanted to go to Boston or Washington D.C. or Canada or Seattle, but it's too far. i've never really gone on a vacation besides visiting friends, and we didn't really go out and do things. wait, i went to Greece on a missions trip and it was a BLAST.  we saw all kinds of old ruins and did the night life and saw old monasteries on mountains and visited the beach and went to a marketplace and rode the metro everywhere.  something like that would be perfect. Greece was my one vacation and it was all planned for me.  so i have no idea where to start on planning a honeymoon.
Posted by CocoBellaF[/QUOTE]
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bethsmiles

well where you stay depends on your budget. Pretty much any hotel downtown is really fun to stay in. Its right in the middle of everything and you can walk or take the bus/lightrail everywhere. There are a bunch of hotels downtown in a bunch of different prices ranges.

Touring the Coors Brewery is pretty fun.

Seeing a play at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is really fun and they pretty much always have something good this is their website - http://www.denvercenter.org/home.aspx

I don't know when you are going but during the summer there are some pretty good concerts at Red Rocks http://www.redrocksonline.com/

This also sounds like a good time - http://www.granddenver.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/offers/details.jsp?pid=denrd&offerCode=&specialOfferId=13328297&corp_id=89935&corepackage=explore&_requestid=6547

Also, like I said sports are big in Denver. There's football, basketball, baseball, hockey, ect.

As for restaurants I love the Paramount, the Market on Larimer Street is fun, there are tons of restaurants though, especially downtown.

You can go to the art museum or the Colorado history museum any of the multiple other museums they have - http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/museum-art/search?wc=Cult&c=34

katanne9

Actually, I think Denver is pretty rockin'.

My best friends just recently moved there and were telling me all about it. (I haven't been there since high school). And it's pretty urban and NOT very western. There is a lot of hipster culture there.

Colorado Springs is beautiful. You have to remember, this is 2011 not 1910.

Also, there are a LOT of chic resorts there for skiers. You may get a great deal by going during the off-ski season.

I'm not sure why you feel like it's going to be cowboy-ish. I am from Boston and I'm pretty sure I'm not "all colonial". Denver and Boston are both modern cities.

Also, I would tone down the attitude a bit. It' getting you nowhere.

PandaBurr

I'm going to have to agree with desert on this one. Also, I see a huge red flag if you guys can't communicate or compromise on a honeymoon. Plus, I'm not saying that you guys have to like all of the same things, but I think it's kind of a big clash here considering he loves "western" things and you "HATE HATE HATE it". That's just my opinion though.

calindi

I dunno, Desert, it's not like she said anything negative about the people, just that she hates anything "western" or "cowboy" themed.  I could say I hate going to rural areas, that the quicker pace of cities is much more my style, and I'd hope that everyone from a rural area wouldn't be offended (it's not true, but for example).  I've had plenty of people tell me that they hate big cities, that people are mean and awful and impersonal.  Well, I happen to have lived in many big cities and love them, but I don't take personal offense to someone expressing that they dislike them. 

Coco, I've spent a good part of the day emailing you ideas on where you could go and what you could do.  I think you're in a negative mental place right now in regards to your wedding.  I know how tough things have been, and that you've got a lot of demands on you with little resources.  I totally get it.  But you've got to find a way to make this into a positive experience, because otherwise you're going to be miserable until July and end up resenting everyone around you.  Find a few things that are absolutely non-negotiable, and don't let anyone change that.  You're giving your FMIL the rehearsal dinner to do as she wants, so put your foot down on some things for the wedding.  And absolutely make sure that your honeymoon is something both you and FI will enjoy.  Talk to him, and let him know what you want (relaxing vs. exciting, city vs. country, near the water vs. mountains, etc.).  If you don't want Denver, then tell him and let him know that the honeymoon is the one thing that no one else can tell you what to do with it and you want to make sure it's something you'll enjoy absolutely.  But at the same time, don't put so much pressure on this one trip to be "perfect".  You don't need a super high budget to have fun - just you and FI, away from the craziness, and able to relax a bit.

PandaBurr

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:bad5f894-645c-496d-9944-7ff480ed2d46">Re: vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]Actually, I think Denver is pretty rockin'. My best friends just recently moved there and were telling me all about it. (I haven't been there since high school). And it's pretty urban and NOT very western. There is a lot of<strong> hipster culture</strong> there.
Posted by katanne9[/QUOTE]

This is the only thing I don't like about Seattle. Sorry if there are any hipsters on this board, but hipsters drive me nucking futs.

desertsun

 I don't have problem with people not appreciating the history of the region and wanting to stay somewhere modern, and not go to a rodeo or ride a horse.

I do however have a problem with no such reasoning or explanation being attached to the OP's opinion, and with the way that opinion was expressed. I maintain that the way the OP expressed herself was inconsiderate and offensive.

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_ventadvice-honeymoon?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:19583197-4bda-494d-80c4-af3ede7d7f22Post:74d8614e-4bf6-4851-a900-2b40257845ab">Re: vent/advice about honeymoon</a>:
[QUOTE]I dunno, Desert, it's not like she said anything negative about the people, just that she hates anything "western" or "cowboy" themed.  I could say I hate going to rural areas, that the quicker pace of cities is much more my style, and I'd hope that everyone from a rural area wouldn't be offended (it's not true, but for example).  I've had plenty of people tell me that they hate big cities, that people are mean and awful and impersonal.  Well, I happen to have lived in many big cities and love them, but I don't take personal offense to someone expressing that they dislike them. 
Posted by calindi[/QUOTE]

I'm a little offended that she is SO negative about where I live and I really love living here. I love Denver and people here have given her tons of suggestions and websites to look at. I think she has it stuck in her head that Denver is full of cowboys and western stuff so she's not even paying attention to all of the really cool things she would probably really enjoy in Denver.