Virginia1990

My fiancé and I need some suggestions for our honeymoon next June. Wedding date is June 4, so we will be going the second week of June. Looking at about a week, but could maybe work out a couple extra days. Open to anywhere, but we understand some options may be limited because of the time of year. We would like it to be somewhat budget friendly; we are thinking around $4000 for the entire trip (including flights) but could possibly be a little flexible here. As much as we enjoy the beach, we don't really want to do a typical cruise or Caribbean/Mexican resort (although the resorts haven't been completely thrown out yet). Some places we have considered:

Seattle/Olympic Peninsula/Mt. Rainier
Colorado - RMNP and surrounding area
Texas - San Antonio/Corpus Christi area
Jackson Hole - Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

We considered an Alaskan cruise but found that it probably wouldn't be in our budget.

We aren't looking for TOO much of a road trip/moving around, but would be ok moving around a couple times throughout the week. We are visiting Yellowstone and Grand Tetons this summer, but only have 1 full day and 2 nights in Yellowstone with 2 full days and 2 nights in Grand Tetons, so we are open to going back there to really enjoy the parks to their fullest. I've been to southwestern Colorado and the parks in Utah (as well as other southwest scenic adventures like Page, AZ), and would like to see something different. Interests are scenery, light to moderate hiking, history, unique towns/areas, fun downtown shops/streets, some types of museums. My fiancé enjoyed the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, so we are thinking something of that nature. We also enjoy aquariums and zoos. And anywhere that has a unique experience (I'm thinking one of the whale watching tours in Seattle). Also, we would be flying out of VA (most likely DC for better prices) and renting a car wherever we go. I'm looking for either recommendations in the places we are considering (or why NOT to go there), and am open to other places we haven't considered. Basically, we are just trying to get some ideas to research and will then make a decision.

DebitNM

" Interests are scenery, light to moderate hiking, history, unique towns/areas, fun downtown shops/streets, some types of museums. aquariums and zoos. And anywhere that has a unique experience."

New Mexico in early June is really nice and we have all of the above.

Fly Southwest to ABQ and you can do Taos [rafting] Santa Fe [musuems, art, history] Albuquerque [cultural centers, zoo, aquarium].

Hot air balloon rides [unique experience], funky shops and down towns, great hikes [Tent Rocks], mountains, excellent food...

zootsi

How about New England? Vermont and New Hampshire are very scenic and unspoiled with plenty of hiking opportunities and charming little villages. Boston is brimming with historical sites, and the Maine coast is beautiful.
Another option might be French Canada - Quebec City, Montreal, and a few days in the countryside.

PaulRabe

First of all, best wishes!

> Seattle/Olympic Peninsula/Mt. Rainier
Not recommended in early June. Weather could be perfect, but it could also be cloudy, cold, wet, & miserable.

> Colorado - RMNP and surrounding area
Again, hiking in this area in early June is iffy. The trails could be great, or they could be ankle deep in mud & snow.

> Jackson Hole - Yellowstone and Grand Tetons
One of my all-time favorite places. I hate to say it again, but weather and hiking in early June are iffy.

> Texas - San Antonio/Corpus Christi area
Weather should be fine, although it might be a bit warm.

Zootsi's recommendation of New England could be just about ideal. Take Amtrak up to Boston, and get your history, museums, zoo, and fun shopping. Then rent a car and head for the hills -- either the Berkshires, or the Greens, or (if you dare) the Whites. Trails might still be a little muddy, but you can just drive from quaint town to quaint town instead.

I know this may sound silly, but have you considered your own state of Virginia? Shenandoah & the Blue Ridge Parkway are just about perfect at that time of the year, and there are some REALLY nice places for couples to stay.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...a.html#REVIEWS
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...a.html#REVIEWS

BigRuss

There is no "San Antonio/Corpus Christi area" because they're a couple of hours apart. And Corpus is a bit of a pit. If you're looking for a beach to flop on, go elsewhere. The Texas beaches are not worth going out of your way to visit. San Antonio and Corpus aren't particularly scenic either, certainly not in June when wildflower season has been over for 6-8 weeks.

Now, as young marrieds you may be interested in San Antonio/Austin, but that's a different vibe.

Virginia1990

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

DebitNM, I lived in Shiprock last summer for about two months, but spent most of my time in Utah, southwest Colorado, and parts of Arizona. So, I left a lot to be explored in NM. I'll do some research on the places you mentioned because it sounds like fun and I love the scenery in the Southwest. We aren't so much into art as other types of museums (and those would be last on our list of interests anyways), but I'm sure there is plenty to do in the areas you mentioned that would be keep us more than busy for a week!

Zootsi, love the idea of New England/Maine or Canada! Maine has been on my to do list for a while. What do you think of Niagara Falls and Watkins Glen State Park, and that area of New York? I'll also do some checking into the other places in New England as well. My only concern was that it would be too cold still, but I guess this isn't the case? We wouldn't (likely) run into issues with snow would we?

PaulRabe, thank you for your reviews of the places I've mentioned. I was afraid the weather might be an issue at those places in early June. That will definitely be a big factor in our decision making. I'm glad you suggested VA, because we do live in a beautiful (and historically rich) state However, we actually live in the Shenandoah Valley (Staunton area), so we've been along the Parkway numerous times and done quite a few hikes. We've also done a lot of the small towns along Route 11, and we both grew up going to the historical sites. We were just looking for somewhere we couldn't go on weekend visits.

Thanks BigRuss for the reviews regarding Texas. We had thought we would spend half a week on the beach, and half the week in San Antonio, but I have been told exactly what you said about the beaches. San Antonio is still somewhere I would like to visit, but I don't think it's somewhere I would want to spend an entire week, especially for my honeymoon.

Looking forward to more suggestions/input!

zootsi

New England weather in mid June is usually pleasant - 60's to low 70's in the day, 40's - 50's at night. Same goes for southern Canada. Not exactly beach weather, but good for being outside. The only downside is blackflies are out late May thru mid June. These biting critters are found in the woods, so deep woods hiking could be a pain.
If you like miles and miles of beautiful beaches, sand dunes and lighthouses, Cape Cod might be another option - again too cold for swimming however.

Virginia1990

Looking up New England/Canadian areas we might be interested in…

Possible to spend a couple days each in Boston, Bar Harbor, and Quebec? Fly into Boston and out of Quebec? Quebec sounds a little more old world than Montreal from what I'm reading, which really interests me. If not, what are some specific recommendations you may have?

zootsi

Boston & Quebec City sound great. Bar Harbor is beautiful but a very long drive from either of the above. You might want to consider some place like York, Kennebunkport or Ogunquit in Maine.
Quebec City's old section is very much like being in a very old walled city in France. It's totally unique on this side of the Atlantic. Montreal is very different - much bigger, lots of different cultures - French, Italian, Jewish, African, etc. Some of the best dining anywhere. Go to the Canada board for more info.

margotheangel

I'm going to make an argument for Seattle. It could be rainy, but we don't get REAL rain - I wouldn't let that dissuade you. We have a great air museum (Museum of Flight - it has a shuttle trainer, a 787, an SR-71, and lots of other cool stuff, including space, commercial, and military), great hiking (I'm a fan of Little Si, but there are lots of easier - or harder! - hikes available), our zoo (Woodland Park) is great, and you could go to the Olympic peninsula or the San Juan Islands for a couple of days for a change of pace. You should also plan to go to Pike Place Market, which is a lot of fun and pretty unique. We have an aquarium which you could go to, but I wouldn't put it in the top tier of things to do in the area.

Virginia1990

Thanks again for the advice, zootsi. I looked up Kennebunkport and it looks like that would be the best place for us to go if we choose this option. Also takes out the issue of paying an arm and a leg for car rental because we could drive back to Boston to fly to Quebec instead of driving. I've also posted on the Canada board, so hopefully I'll get some good advice there as well.

Margo, I've done some research on Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula and we are really excited about this option too! Looks like a lot of things we would be interested in. Some of the things we looked into doing in Seattle were the Museum of Flight, Chihuly Gardens, Pike Place Market, Space Needle, some type of orca watching tour. In the Olympic Peninsula we were particularly interested in the Hoh Rainforest and the beaches/tidepools. We really liked the idea of staying at Treehouse Point at some point too if we choose here. I've also been told Mt. Rainier is a must see, but it's hard to determine when you will actually be able to see it a lot of times.

Both of these places are unlike anywhere either of us have been yet, and I think are the two strongest contenders so far! Our budget will help us decide a little better. Do you think it's possible to do either of these places under $4000 for about 8-10 days? Flights and car rentals included?

margotheangel

Most of the things you mention in Seattle are things that we love to bring tourists to see! As for the cost of a trip, it's hard to know without knowing what kind of hotels you normally stay at and what kind of Flight prices you could get. I'll assume $500 per person for flights.

I've seen the Silver Cloud on Lake Union recommended pretty highly for a reasonably priced hotel near downtown, and its currently showing $247 per night for the week after your wedding. You could probably stay a little further outside of town (try the South Center area?) to save some money, but you'd obviously spend more time driving into town). Google maps guides me a driving time of about 4 hours from downtown to the Hoh Rainforest Visitor's Center. There aren't a lot of hotels out there, but the Kalaloch Lodge looks nice and is about $200 a night.

With a week or ten days and a trip out to the peninsula, I would probably just do a day trip for whale watching. Clipper Vacations does a one-day whale watching trip with a stop in Friday Harbor. It's about $100 per person.

So if you wanted to fly out on 6/5, stay in Seattle until Friday (with a day for whale watching in there somewhere), drive out to the peninsula and stay until Monday, then drive back to Seattle for a night before you head out, my estimate says $3050 plus food, gas, rental car, and other sightseeing. (For similar trips, I've seen recommendations on this board that would have you go out to the peninsula on arrival, rather than splitting up your Seattle hotel stay, but that would be a long day - that's a personal preference thing and shouldn't impact the price all that much.)

jubilada

It is a great time for Niagara Falls,

Virginia1990

Margo, thank you again for all the help! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question about budget! I'll do some more research on my own with your suggestions in mine

jubilada, Niagara Falls was also a consideration of mine. I thought about combining it with Watkins Glen State Park. Enough to do in the area for a week to 10 days? I'm really unfamiliar with what is up in that area, so any more tips you have would be helpful as well!

Virginia1990

Hello!

After much debate and research, we have decided that we want to do coastal Maine (Kennebunkport) and Quebec City. We have decided to save Boston for another time when we can spend more time there since it is closer to us.

The plan will be to split the week between the two places, and to fly from one place to the other via Portland airport. We will fly from home on a Sunday and likely return the following Sunday as well.

I'm looking for suggestions of places to stay and and things not to miss. I do have a list from my research but want advice from those who have been there. Budget would likely be no more than ~$200/night for rooms. I've also posted in the Canada forum for more advice regarding Quebec City.

Our interests include historical sightseeing, nature, wildlife, and possibly museums. We are also interested in trying some different/unique foods. Any other suggestions for unique experiences are also welcome! Thanks in advance!

Tabernash2

For a honeymoon stay in Quebec City, there's no better hotel than the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac:
https://ticketing.bostonharborcruise...?CG=EXCR&C=BRT

The least expensive room for next June is $265. But it's worth it!

Tabernash2

Haha-- wrong link!

http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/

zootsi

In Kennebunkport, We stayed at Cabot Cove many years ago, a unique cluster of little rental cabins on a salt water cove, just outside town. Quiet, secluded place in a beautiful town. Yesterday we spent a few hours in York, a few miles south of Kennebunkport. This is also a very desirable town to stay in with great beaches and tons of restaurants and shops - look at the York Harbor Inn and the Union Bluff Hotel.
In Quebec City, years ago we stayed at the James Thompson b&b. Nice place, great location (if you want a small b&b).