Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations??

ebaer88 · December 2012

Hello Ladies,

My FI and I are looking for a quiet romantic honeymoon within the continental US. We will be honeymooning Sept 8-14 (ish) and are hoping to spend less than $3000.

We are looking for something with great views either on a beach or a rustic mountain lodge type style location, preferably with a spa and some activities such as horseback riding, kayaking, hiking etc. We would prefer an all-inclusive resort, but will take any recommendations you feel like sharing!

Thanks!

J&K10910 · December 2012

You won't find AIs in the continental US. I have no specific recs, but perhaps somewhere on the Oregon coast, northern California, or Maine would have what you're looking for.

dbiggs1214 · December 2012

For a mountain lodge, try Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

AdeleDazeem · December 2012

There are no AIs in the US (thank goodness).

I agree with the previous two suggestions. Jackson Hole is supposed to great and the Pacific Northwest is lovely.

J&K10910 · December 2012

Jackson Hole itself will be very busy at that time of year. Which is fine, if you don't mind it, but it's good to keep in mind. Lots of people, lots of tourists. If you're going this coming September, it could very well be booked solid. With that said, it's a gorgeous area. There is also Teton Village (a ski resort that is open year round, and during the warmer months caters to the spa and park crowd), which is about 15 miles from Jackson Hole, right at the edge of Grand Teton National Park. You will find some amazing hiking, sightseeing, wildlife, etc in GTNP. You can also do a float trip down the Snake River, or go kayaking. It is also about a 90 minute drive to the south entrance of Yellowstone.

We stayed at the Alpenhof Inn in Teton Village. Our room was fairly bare bones, small, and outdated, but the service we received there was excellent. There is a spa there. But the whole "village" has many options, and several restaurants, little stores, etc. It's a cute little touristy area, but it was far enough out of Jackson Hole to not be completely overrun (but close enough to easily get into town). They do close the road between the village and GTNP if they have a bear and cub frequenting the area, which makes getting into the park incredibly annoying, but they do it on a day by day basis, and you can always go around and through Jackson Hole (which takes longer, but is not a deal breaker).

pearls687 · December 2012

Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa has all-inclusive rates, and is quite wonderful, I might add. They have hiking and horseback riding, among other things. Awesome views! However, the accommodations are luxury casita-style as opposed to the rustic lodge style you described.

http://www.miravalresorts.com/

Jells2dot0 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_continental-us-honeymoon-recommendations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:993c2f55-319f-4161-be4d-db92303c8d93Post:97a7ffee-08f7-445e-8f65-e5cd778b7ce5">Re: Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations??</a>:
[QUOTE]Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa has all-inclusive rates, and is quite wonderful, I might add. They have hiking and horseback riding, among other things. The accommodations are casita-style. <a href="http://www.miravalresorts.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.miravalresorts.com/</a>
Posted by pearls687[/QUOTE]

I live in AZ and Miraval would be over my budget if it was $3K without even having any airfare! Even though September is still low season in AZ because of the heat, Miraval will run over $600/night! Arizona could still be an option, though. There is Sedona and you can rent a car and head up to the Grand Canyon, among outdoorsy things. There is a Hilton there that is a good value. Phoenix may still be too hot for you (it will be in the low 100s) and Tucson is a little cooler, but still upper 90s-100. Sedona is nice because it's at a higher elevation, so it will probably be in the low 90s-mid 80s and no humidity, so it feels fantastic!

Maggie0829 · December 2012

H and I went to Key West for 5 days and then spent 2 days in Miami (that is where we flew in and out of and then we just drove to and from KW). We spent about $3000 for everything. If you rent a car and drive you can easily check out the different keys and see what each has to offer. There are plenty of water activities to choose from (Fury was a great company to work with). We stayed at the Southernmost on the Beach but there are plenty of other options that may be more cost efficient.

J&K10910 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_continental-us-honeymoon-recommendations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:993c2f55-319f-4161-be4d-db92303c8d93Post:3d459aab-1574-448f-aec4-3e7b243ccf0b">Re: Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations??</a>:
[QUOTE]Little St. Simon's island on the Georgia coast is all inclusive. It is a private island with accomodations for 30 or so people and the price includes lodging, meals, and all activities. It has miles of undeveloped beach, a staff of naturalists, plenty of hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, and birding. In Sept there might still be sea turtles, but Aug is peak turtle season if your dates are flexible. Several presidents have honeymooned there and it is featured in the 1001 places to see book. I've been and it is wonderful, I'd highy recommend it.
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

That sounds seriously awesome. I just added it to my list of places I'd like to visit!

SuMmErKuTiE · December 2012

Ditto pp's there aren't any AI's in the U.S. plus your money will go much further at an AI in Mexico or the Caribbean because everything will be included. We find we spend a lot more money when visiting a domestic location because we have to purchase every meal and activitity whereas at a resort in the Caribbean or Mexico, it's all included and can be done for less than $2k. We went to Jamaica last summer for our anniversary and spent $1500 on flights and our AI resort. A few years before that we went to Cancun and spent $2k on flights and our AI resort. These prices are for both of us not each

Eating all your meals out, car rentals/cab fees, flights, hotel rooms, and tours/activities add up really quick and your dollar will stretch a lot further in the Caribbean or Mexico. HTH!

ebaer88 · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_continental-us-honeymoon-recommendations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:993c2f55-319f-4161-be4d-db92303c8d93Post:eca044b1-fe24-4a4f-8ce2-24289871e896">Re: Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations??</a>:
[QUOTE]We went to Jamaica last summer for our anniversary and spent $1500 on flights and our AI resort. A few years before that we went to Cancun and spent $2k on flights and our AI resort. These prices are for both of us not each Eating all your meals out, car rentals/cab fees, flights, hotel rooms, and tours/activities add up really quick and your dollar will stretch a lot further in the Caribbean or Mexico. HTH!
Posted by SuMmErKuTiE[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I have to ask. Where did you go to get that type of pricing, would you share the resorts? I've been told that by the time we factor air fare in it would be best to stay fairly local. I confess, it sounds like I should have done my research on this instead of taking peoples word for it if the prices are really that reasonable. </div><div>
</div><div>Thank you all so much for the recommendations! Jackson Hole is actually on our list already, assuming they aren't booked up already. The area looks amazing and we've been wanting to head 'Out West' for a vacation for a few years now, we're from Michigan, it's so good to hear people recommending it. Mirival is, unfortunately, out of our price range but I like the idea of staying in or around Sedona, that would be a great way to take in the sights without paying through the nose. :) Little Simon's Island sounds amazing as well, I will definitely be looking into that tonight! I've always loved turtles, so that would be a huge hit with me.</div><div>
</div><div>Feel free to keep the recommendations coming if you've got them! :) Thanks again!!</div><div><div>
</div><div>
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</div>

Katred08 · December 2012

Agree with PPs that your money may go further at an AI in Mexico or the DR....last year FI and I went to an AI in Riviera Maya in January (so, high season) for $2000 for both of us. This was including flights from CT. I think it was 4 nights, so you could probably easily do a week somewhere for $3000. I'd check Apple Vacations and cheapcaribbean.com. We booked through Apple and were very happy with the package and the service.

But if you want to stay in the US, I'd second the recommendation for Grand Canyon and Sedona. I was stunned by the beauty of both, and am dying to go back.

Or head to New England...maybe Cape Cod? It will likely still be warm during the day in early September, and there are some great resorts and little inns. Crowds will have thinned out quite a bit after Labor day, too.

SuMmErKuTiE · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_continental-us-honeymoon-recommendations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:993c2f55-319f-4161-be4d-db92303c8d93Post:2aef8888-4801-46e4-9199-b28a0d4af08c">Re: Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations??</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Continental US Honeymoon Recommendations?? : I have to ask. Where did you go to get that type of pricing, would you share the resorts? I've been told that by the time we factor air fare in it would be best to stay fairly local. I confess, it sounds like I should have done my research on this instead of taking peoples word for it if the prices are really that reasonable. Posted by ebaer88[/QUOTE]

When we went to Cancun, we were still living in CT so flights out of Bradley (Hartford) to Cancun and our stay at a 4 star AI resort for 5 nights was $998 per person. We stayed at the GR Solaris which we liked so much that friends of ours went there recently from our suggestion and loved it as well. We loved everything about this resort.. the location, the rooms, the food, the activities, the pools, the beach, etc..

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.clubsolaris.com/v4/en/gr-solaris-resort-in-cancun.html">http://www.clubsolaris.com/v4/en/gr-solaris-resort-in-cancun.html</a>

We went to Ocho Rios last summer for our anniversary and spent $688 per person for flights to Montego Bay, transportation to the resort in Ocho Rios, and 4 nights at the AI resort. We stayed at the Sunset Jamaica Grande which is only a 3 star resort. The resort itself is great, lots of beautiful pools, water slides, swim up bars, activities, etc.. we just weren't impressed with our room. It wasn't dirty, just in need of upgrading. We knew this going into it though since several friends of ours had stayed there in the past. We were just looking for a quick cheap trip. For an extra $100 or so per person you can stay at the Riu instead. Or look into the Couples Resorts or Secrets Resorts which are super nice and adults only in Jamaica and a lot of people on this board have raved about them.

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sunsetjamaicagrande.com/">http://www.sunsetjamaicagrande.com/</a>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://couples.com/">http://couples.com/</a>

<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.secretsresorts.com/">http://www.secretsresorts.com/</a>

We booked both trips through Expedia and were able to fly Jet Blue (our fav airline) where you can check a free bag plus your carry ons. You can also check out Bookit.com and cheapcarribean.com for good deals. HTH!

ericak135 · December 2012

Try Oregon! My dad's family is from Oregon and northern California, and there is a ton to do in Oregon, and it is a beautiful state... but definitely quieter (and cheaper) than California. The Oregon coast is beautiful (but warning, the water is COLD). There is also a lot of fun things to do in central oregon, such as rock climbing, water sports on the many lakes, hiking, horseback riding, etc. The city of Bend would be a good central hub for most of the activities except the coast. But you could easily rent a car anddo a few days on the coast as well! Good luck, I am sure whereever you choose you'll have a great time!

cwaggoner07 · December 2012

For the US, I would highly recommend Charleston, SC.

Also I should mention that we spent 3100 total (resort, tips, taxis, ferries, excursions, EVERYTHING) going to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for 7 days. We stayed at the Palace Resort.

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