Honeymoon ideas

Heineken Helen

Thinkin of an American road trip... so now... Western (including LA, SF, LV, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Sacramento, Monument Valley, etc)?

Or Southern (Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Jackson, Charleston, Savannah, Pensacola, Tallahassee & New Orleans)?

I imagine that the West might be prettier? But the South more fun and character?

Anyone familiar with these areas wanna offer some advice? :P

decides2dream

you're getting married?!



congratulations!!!



what time of year?
makes a difference. south can be absolutely fun and beautiful, but not somewhere you want to be during summer months. ack!

me, i'd go west. some spectacular scenery to be seen, and hey, the west can be a shit-ton of fun too!

either way, both great road-trip choices.
ENJOY!

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

you're getting married?!



congratulations!!!



what time of year?
makes a difference. south can be absolutely fun and beautiful, but not somewhere you want to be during summer months. ack!

me, i'd go west. some spectacular scenery to be seen, and hey, the west can be a shit-ton of fun too!

either way, both great road-trip choices.
ENJOY!

Lol, where ya been? Yep, engaged since Christmas and gettin married next April so i'm hoping the weather should still be bearable in either place.

Thanks the guy I sit beside at work seems to have done the West one before and he absolutely loved it... but I've always been intrigued by the South :oops: . I think in fairness we could pick either one and everybody wins (apart from the locals lol).

There are so many choices though... it's too confusing. Cuba's still on the table... as is Mexico It may become a situation where we just pick one out of a hat

decides2dream

Heineken Helen wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

you're getting married?!



congratulations!!!



what time of year?
makes a difference. south can be absolutely fun and beautiful, but not somewhere you want to be during summer months. ack!

me, i'd go west. some spectacular scenery to be seen, and hey, the west can be a shit-ton of fun too!

either way, both great road-trip choices.
ENJOY!

Lol, where ya been? Yep, engaged since Christmas and gettin married next April so i'm hoping the weather should still be bearable in either place.

Thanks the guy I sit beside at work seems to have done the West one before and he absolutely loved it... but I've always been intrigued by the South :oops: . I think in fairness we could pick either one and everybody wins (apart from the locals lol).

There are so many choices though... it's too confusing. Cuba's still on the table... as is Mexico It may become a situation where we just pick one out of a hat

sheesh, really?!
did you post about it HERE?
how did i miss this news?
woweee.


again, all choices...i think time of year is critical in the decision process. the south is charming, the west beautiful....really...you can't go wrong with either. i have no idea about cuba so can't weigh in there, and only spent about a day in mexico ....but all i know who have gone have loved it. tho i will say, a road-trip seems to me like it would really suit you, dunno about your fella....but if he's with you, think he'd enjoy it too.


oh and duh, i see now...you said april. that actually makes it tougher, b/c weather is pretty damn fine in the south and the west in the spring. tho, spring might have to watch for hurricanes? definitely might be an issue with cuba that time of year.

polaris_x

america west and southwest is gorgeous ... sounds like they are two different trip ideas tho ... the west is more about scenery and stuff while the south is all towns ...

i've been to almost all the places you've mentioned ... i'm not a city guy especially ones that all look the same so i'm biased ... if and when you decide ... i can pass any info i know about any of the places along but if you want my vote it's the southwest by a landslide ...

decides2dream

btw - how long are you planning to travel?
that is quite a LONG list of cities to hit up in ONE trip, unless you have ample time. and even so, you'd only get a cursory glance into most...so may want to narrow down your list of places to hit some, on either list. just sayin'.

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

sheesh, really?!
did you post about it HERE?
how did i miss this news?
woweee.


again, all choices...i think time of year is critical in the decision process. the south is charming, the west beautiful....really...you can't go wrong with either. i have no idea about cuba so can't weigh in there, and only spent about a day in mexico ....but all i know who have gone have loved it. tho i will say, a road-trip seems to me like it would really suit you, dunno about your fella....but if he's with you, think he'd enjoy it too.


oh and duh, i see now...you said april. that actually makes it tougher, b/c weather is pretty damn fine in the south and the west in the spring. tho, spring might have to watch for hurricanes? definitely might be an issue with cuba that time of year.

awww... well he'd have no choice but to enjoy it... although I don't drive so he'd be doing all the driving which he's happy with (and we'd probably hire a really cool car) but I can't help but wonder if it's all too much driving for one person. I've always wanted to do an American road trip... and so has he so it seems this is what we should do! Yeh, was wondering about the hurricane thing :oops: would be just my luck really

eyedclaar

Come hiking in the pacific northwest. Need a guide? I'll tame a river otter for you and everything.

Heineken Helen

polaris_x wrote:

america west and southwest is gorgeous ... sounds like they are two different trip ideas tho ... the west is more about scenery and stuff while the south is all towns ...

i've been to almost all the places you've mentioned ... i'm not a city guy especially ones that all look the same so i'm biased ... if and when you decide ... i can pass any info i know about any of the places along but if you want my vote it's the southwest by a landslide ...

Yeh, I've no doubt they're both completely different and I can picture each of them. I'm not much of a city person either and wanna get the feel of a place and its charm and hang with the locals and all that. Seems the South would be top choice for that? But then I've been to LA and found the people to be brilliant!

Hmmm... I think the question really is... how do I convince HIM that the South's the best one?

pandora

April is one of our, the South's, prettiest months with all the flowering trees, azaleas and bulbs in full bloom. Pretty perfect temps too usually. If you aren't prone to allergies it would be nice. Its very romantic which would be different then the awe inspiring West choice. I guess it depends what kind of a feel you want for your honeymoon. I've been to the Rockies, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and they are incredible. It will be chilly, you'll need to snuggle up. Kind of nice I've lived and traveled the South with its great food, history, and charm. The Smokies are beautiful and the ocean not far. Memphis rocks, all those cities, my gosh New Orleans is the best time. Its a hard choice glad I'm not making it but whatever you choose you can always do the other on your 5 year anniversary!

decides2dream

Heineken Helen wrote:

awww... well he'd have no choice but to enjoy it... although I don't drive so he'd be doing all the driving which he's happy with (and we'd probably hire a really cool car) but I can't help but wonder if it's all too much driving for one person. I've always wanted to do an American road trip... and so has he so it seems this is what we should do! Yeh, was wondering about the hurricane thing :oops: would be just my luck really

you don't drive, but you want to do a road trip?
i think it would be a LOT of driving for one person. quite tiring really. and, not to be a nervous nelly or anything, but i'd hate to be out on the road and only one person knows how to/can drive, b/c ya just never know, ya know? just things to consider.

pandora wrote:

April is one of our, the South's, prettiest months with all the flowering trees, azaleas and bulbs in full bloom. Pretty perfect temps too usually. If you aren't prone to allergies it would be nice. Its very romantic which would be different then the awe inspiring West choice. I guess it depends what kind of a feel you want for your honeymoon. I've been to the Rockies, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and they are incredible. It will be chilly, you'll need to snuggle up. Kind of nice I've lived and traveled the South with its great food, history, and charm. The Smokies are beautiful and the ocean not far. Memphis rocks, all those cities, my gosh New Orleans is the best time. Its a hard choice glad I'm not making it but whatever you choose you can always do the other on your 5 year anniversary!

well said!
so much to be said for both areas really...tough choice!




we did alaska for our honeymoon - married in june - it was perfect!
some anniversary year we'll hit up hawaii!

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

btw - how long are you planning to travel?
that is quite a LONG list of cities to hit up in ONE trip, unless you have ample time. and even so, you'd only get a cursory glance into most...so may want to narrow down your list of places to hit some, on either list. just sayin'.

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

Heineken Helen

eyedclaar wrote:

Come hiking in the pacific northwest. Need a guide? I'll tame a river otter for you and everything.

Yeh, but can ya kill spiders?

decides2dream

Heineken Helen wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

btw - how long are you planning to travel?
that is quite a LONG list of cities to hit up in ONE trip, unless you have ample time. and even so, you'd only get a cursory glance into most...so may want to narrow down your list of places to hit some, on either list. just sayin'.

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

yea, 2 weeks and all those cities/places....definitely think it would be a more enjoyable trip, especially for a honeymoon ...to narrow your focus some. you don't want a knackered groom the end of each day, do ya?

Dissidentman

There is always the Detroit, Toledo, Milwaukee driving vacation....

blackredyellow

Heineken Helen wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

btw - how long are you planning to travel?
that is quite a LONG list of cities to hit up in ONE trip, unless you have ample time. and even so, you'd only get a cursory glance into most...so may want to narrow down your list of places to hit some, on either list. just sayin'.

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

2 weeks isn't enough time to hit all of the places on your western trip... there is A LOT of driving between them, you'd basically spend a decent part everyday on the road.

polaris_x

Heineken Helen wrote:

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

if this is the case - i totally recommend going west ... california is made for road tripping ... you can land in the bay area and check it out for a couple of days ... head east through yosemite ... thru death valley into vegas ... into grand canyon then make your way back from the south driving thru the redwoods of big sur and carmel ...

btw - hurricane season is typically late july to october although these days it's starting earlier and earlier ...

Heineken Helen

pandora wrote:

April is one of our, the South's, prettiest months with all the flowering trees, azaleas and bulbs in full bloom. Pretty perfect temps too usually. If you aren't prone to allergies it would be nice. Its very romantic which would be different then the awe inspiring West choice. I guess it depends what kind of a feel you want for your honeymoon. I've been to the Rockies, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and they are incredible. It will be chilly, you'll need to snuggle up. Kind of nice I've lived and traveled the South with its great food, history, and charm. The Smokies are beautiful and the ocean not far. Memphis rocks, all those cities, my gosh New Orleans is the best time. Its a hard choice glad I'm not making it but whatever you choose you can always do the other on your 5 year anniversary!

Ooohh... good point I guess I have a kinda romantic idea in my head of what the south is like and just wanted to clarify that it may actually be like that. You've done that

April's my favourite month so that's why I went for that... not too optimistic about any kinda sunshine on the actual DAY but at least we shouldn't be baked on the honeymoon and can actually enjoy it.

New Orleans was the ONLY place left on my list pre Katrina and that changed my list :oops: so now it's back to being top of the list

eyedclaar

Heineken Helen wrote:

eyedclaar wrote:

Come hiking in the pacific northwest. Need a guide? I'll tame a river otter for you and everything.

Yeh, but can ya kill spiders?

Even better. I can reason with them.

decides2dream

polaris_x wrote:

Heineken Helen wrote:

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

if this is the case - i totally recommend going west ... california is made for road tripping ... you can land in the bay area and check it out for a couple of days ... head east through yosemite ... thru death valley into vegas ... into grand canyon then make your way back from the south driving thru the redwoods of big sur and carmel ...

btw - hurricane season is typically late july to october although these days it's starting earlier and earlier ...

in 2 weeks?!
i've done trips as you list above....but 3 separate trips of about 10 days each for each leg of the journey you outline above. at two weeks, that averages just 2 days in each spot, not even figuring travel to/from the UK and between cities much. idk i don't think 2 days does justice to such awesome paces!

shows what i know about hurrican season, haha. for some reason i thought late spring was a big time for them. :oops:

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

you don't drive, but you want to do a road trip?
i think it would be a LOT of driving for one person. quite tiring really. and, not to be a nervous nelly or anything, but i'd hate to be out on the road and only one person knows how to/can drive, b/c ya just never know, ya know? just things to consider.

well said!
so much to be said for both areas really...tough choice!

we did alaska for our honeymoon - married in june - it was perfect!
some anniversary year we'll hit up hawaii!

Ooooohhh.. Hawaii :shock: don't confuse things . Yeh, I think you're right and that it wouldn't be practical. I just considered that the travel company made these itineraries so surely they must be enjoyable?

For the southern one, the most driving in a day is 301 miles, Tallahassee - Savannah. The other has 350 miles in one day and 305 in another... but they each have two nights in the major places like New Orleans, Memphis, Vegas, SF

eyedclaar

Don't try to see too much in two weeks or you will never get out of your car. Driving from place to place in the west takes a little while. Hell, one wilderness area in my state is bigger than all of Scotland. Dunk knows; he invented it. So...

norm

Heineken Helen wrote:

Thinkin of an American road trip... so now... Western (including LA, SF, LV, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Sacramento, Monument Valley, etc)?

can't comment on the south as i haven't done a road trip there but living out here in the west. in my opinion, driving is the best way to see it...just one example, the coast route from la to sf is amazing...i'm all about driving when traveling when i can...you get a better feel for the area you're in...april will be perfect for it too...however, in recent years, we've been getting late season storms that have dumped snow in the sierras so yosemite may not be accessible...but that's a big if

i have to ask, why sacramento? yes it's the capitol but that's about all it is and arnold won't be there next year

Heineken Helen

polaris_x wrote:

Heineken Helen wrote:

We've only got about two weeks. I'm a bit apprehensive about the same thing. I love being a passenger and I'm quite happy to be driven to all these places and he drives a LOT for work and insists he's happy to do so on the honeymoon too. The only reason Ive picked those two is that they're laid out itineraries at very very reasonable prices. Our initial idea WAS to book a flight to maybe Atlanta and a hotel for a night and then just head off where and when we wanted at our own pace.

if this is the case - i totally recommend going west ... california is made for road tripping ... you can land in the bay area and check it out for a couple of days ... head east through yosemite ... thru death valley into vegas ... into grand canyon then make your way back from the south driving thru the redwoods of big sur and carmel ...

btw - hurricane season is typically late july to october although these days it's starting earlier and earlier ...

That sounds practical... I think the only reason I was favouring the itineraries is that we're both crap at making decisions or at leaving early so if it was mapped out we'd have no choice but to see places lol.

D2D and eyedclaar, I know what ya mean but I dunno if/when I'm gonna have the opportunity to go to these places again so I like to make the most of every chance I get and see as much as I can.

We also considered the motorhome option

decides2dream

Heineken Helen wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

you don't drive, but you want to do a road trip?
i think it would be a LOT of driving for one person. quite tiring really. and, not to be a nervous nelly or anything, but i'd hate to be out on the road and only one person knows how to/can drive, b/c ya just never know, ya know? just things to consider.

well said!
so much to be said for both areas really...tough choice!

we did alaska for our honeymoon - married in june - it was perfect!
some anniversary year we'll hit up hawaii!

Ooooohhh.. Hawaii :shock: don't confuse things . Yeh, I think you're right and that it wouldn't be practical. I just considered that the travel company made these itineraries so surely they must be enjoyable?

For the southern one, the most driving in a day is 301 miles, Tallahassee - Savannah. The other has 350 miles in one day and 305 in another... but they each have two nights in the major places like New Orleans, Memphis, Vegas, SF

be careful what you assume....;) haha.
seriously, just pointing it out b/c it all depends what YOU want. how much you really want to experience different places, how much to see and do....and at what pace.

for our honeymoon, we spent about 6 days in vancouver and explored the city thoroughly, then i think 6-8 days on a cruise ship going up the alaskan coastline and stopping and spending a day in certain cities. we both loved it b/c we planned what we wanted to see/do in each city (and most alaskan cities are SMALL, so can see it all practically in one day) and we had no travel time really, the ship sailed port to port each night. only thing would've liked to have spent more time in anchorage at the end of our journey and hit up the interior...but only so much time/$$$!

SF and NO both require more than 2 days to fully enjoy imo, vegas and memphis...two days would suffice. but again, i think you both really have to think about what you really want for the trip to be as you most want it to be.

pandora

Heineken Helen wrote:

pandora wrote:

April is one of our, the South's, prettiest months with all the flowering trees, azaleas and bulbs in full bloom. Pretty perfect temps too usually. If you aren't prone to allergies it would be nice. Its very romantic which would be different then the awe inspiring West choice. I guess it depends what kind of a feel you want for your honeymoon. I've been to the Rockies, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and they are incredible. It will be chilly, you'll need to snuggle up. Kind of nice I've lived and traveled the South with its great food, history, and charm. The Smokies are beautiful and the ocean not far. Memphis rocks, all those cities, my gosh New Orleans is the best time. Its a hard choice glad I'm not making it but whatever you choose you can always do the other on your 5 year anniversary!

Ooohh... good point I guess I have a kinda romantic idea in my head of what the south is like and just wanted to clarify that it may actually be like that. You've done that

April's my favourite month so that's why I went for that... not too optimistic about any kinda sunshine on the actual DAY but at least we shouldn't be baked on the honeymoon and can actually enjoy it.

New Orleans was the ONLY place left on my list pre Katrina and that changed my list :oops: so now it's back to being top of the list

I have not been since Katrina but was a few times before. Love the music, Memphis the same. So much fun to just go from place to place hearing the best music ever and meeting really great people. You would like Savannah too for the southern charm. It would be nice to catch a bit of the ocean too. I live in Atl and out of the cities you mentioned Atl might be the one I'd skip. That sounds terrible but the other cities to me have more character. But do your research, make sure you are both ok with the pollen thing, it can be pretty bad here in the South. Congratulations, what a wonderfully happy time in your life, Enjoy!

Heineken Helen

norm wrote:

Heineken Helen wrote:

Thinkin of an American road trip... so now... Western (including LA, SF, LV, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Sacramento, Monument Valley, etc)?

can't comment on the south as i haven't done a road trip there but living out here in the west. in my opinion, driving is the best way to see it...just one example, the coast route from la to sf is amazing...i'm all about driving when traveling when i can...you get a better feel for the area you're in...april will be perfect for it too...however, in recent years, we've been getting late season storms that have dumped snow in the sierras so yosemite may not be accessible...but that's a big if

i have to ask, why sacramento? yes it's the capitol but that's about all it is and arnold won't be there next year

oh just cos it's on the itinerary... it's on the route from Tahoe to SF but not to stay overnight. Although lookin at how the west one is mapped out, it DOESN'T include the drive from LA to SF :shock: It's LA to Laughlin to Grand Canyon to Monument Valley to Lake Powell to Bryce Canyon to Vegas to Death Valley to Yosemite to Tahoe to SF. Seems to rule out that route to me as we'd LOVE that coastal drive.

The other is Atlanta to Nashville to Memphis to Jackson to New Orleans to Pensacola to Tallahassee to Savannah to Charleston to Atlanta

Heineken Helen

decides2dream wrote:

be careful what you assume....;) haha.
seriously, just pointing it out b/c it all depends what YOU want. how much you really want to experience different places, how much to see and do....and at what pace.

for our honeymoon, we spent about 6 days in vancouver and explored the city thoroughly, then i think 6-8 days on a cruise ship going up the alaskan coastline and stopping and spending a day in certain cities. we both loved it b/c we planned what we wanted to see/do in each city (and most alaskan cities are SMALL, so can see it all practically in one day) and we had no travel time really, the ship sailed port to port each night. only thing would've liked to have spent more time in anchorage at the end of our journey and hit up the interior...but only so much time/$$$!

SF and NO both require more than 2 days to fully enjoy imo, vegas and memphis...two days would suffice. but again, i think you both really have to think about what you really want for the trip to be as you most want it to be.

That sounds lovely... ya gonna go back and see it properly? Yeh time and money is a pain in the arse. I think 3 weeks would be ideal... but gonna spend a week in Galway first... where the wedding is!

polaris_x

decides2dream wrote:

in 2 weeks?!
i've done trips as you list above....but 3 separate trips of about 10 days each for each leg of the journey you outline above. at two weeks, that averages just 2 days in each spot, not even figuring travel to/from the UK and between cities much. idk i don't think 2 days does justice to such awesome paces!

shows what i know about hurrican season, haha. for some reason i thought late spring was a big time for them. :oops:

ya ... easily done ... i'm not expecting them to do a 3 day backpack in the grand canyon either tho ... ...

and that's stopping for a wine tour here and there also ... having said that - they could cut out the grand canyon and spend more time doing coastal california as driving up and down the coast is pretty cool on it's own ...

decides2dream

Heineken Helen wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

be careful what you assume....;) haha.
seriously, just pointing it out b/c it all depends what YOU want. how much you really want to experience different places, how much to see and do....and at what pace.

for our honeymoon, we spent about 6 days in vancouver and explored the city thoroughly, then i think 6-8 days on a cruise ship going up the alaskan coastline and stopping and spending a day in certain cities. we both loved it b/c we planned what we wanted to see/do in each city (and most alaskan cities are SMALL, so can see it all practically in one day) and we had no travel time really, the ship sailed port to port each night. only thing would've liked to have spent more time in anchorage at the end of our journey and hit up the interior...but only so much time/$$$!

SF and NO both require more than 2 days to fully enjoy imo, vegas and memphis...two days would suffice. but again, i think you both really have to think about what you really want for the trip to be as you most want it to be.

That sounds lovely... ya gonna go back and see it properly? Yeh time and money is a pain in the arse. I think 3 weeks would be ideal... but gonna spend a week in Galway first... where the wedding is!

perhaps someday, but we DID see a great deal...walked on a glacier, etc......and there's sooooo many other places to still see too. so much to see and life is so short!

more time, and let's face it....$$$......always makes things easier. that said, i just find focusing on a few places to really SEE and experience makes a more enjoyable trip imo, especially for a honeymoon. not just your regular trip, ya know? anyhoo, i'm sure you'll figure it out and plan, and have, an AWESOME honeymoon! besides, you've got plenty of time to think and plan, how fun!

Heineken Helen

pandora wrote:

I have not been since Katrina but was a few times before. Love the music, Memphis the same. So much fun to just go from place to place hearing the best music ever and meeting really great people. You would like Savannah too for the southern charm. It would be nice to catch a bit of the ocean too. I live in Atl and out of the cities you mentioned Atl might be the one I'd skip. That sounds terrible but the other cities to me have more character. But do your research, make sure you are both ok with the pollen thing, it can be pretty bad here in the South. Congratulations, what a wonderfully happy time in your life, Enjoy!

I think the music's playing a massive part in what draws me there. Lol, it actually allows for 3 nights in Atlanta. Oh well! Maybe we DO need to make our own itinerary after all. I think we're both allergy free... so far so good!

Thank you, it really is a fun time. Already booked the venue and paid the deposit on my dress . It's a tough thing to organise though when you're not a natural decision maker