winter honeymoon site
 

Any suggestions for a romantic winter honeymoon site? A lodge-type would be preferred, somthing cozy with a fireplace. Getting married Dec. 30, and just want to enjoy the snow, not ski on this trip.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, susant.

How long are you willing to fly? That might decide if you wanted to head to, say, Quebec, or venture to the western part of Canada, say, the Alberta or British Columbia mountains.

distance doesn't matter, since we're coming from Texas--just want a beautiful romantic place in/close to the mountains

>>>>>>we're coming from Texas<<<<<<

Well, in that case, I think the Alberta Rockies would be a good bet for you. You would access them by flying to Calgary. There are non-stop flights from Houston and Dallas, if that's of any help to you.

You could consider Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, about 1.5 hours from Calgary's western city limits, in a worst case scenario 2 hours from Calgary Airport (if you exit / enter the city in rush hour). BML is on the outskirts of Banff townsite. The building looks like a log cabin, but it's a very upscale "log cabin" with an excellent restaurant on-site.

You could drive another 50 minutes further west, to Lake Louise. In LL village you could stay at the luxurious but expensive Post Hotel. It too has a log cabin look to it, but again it's not your regular log cabin. The chef at the Post Hotel's restaurant has won many culinary awards.

Also in the LL area is Baker Creek Chalets. The property is in the forest, about a 10-minute drive from LL village. Again there is an on-site restaurant, Baker Creek Bistro, but it's more casual than the one at the Post Hotel.

If you're willing to drive still another half hour west, you can get to Emerald Lake Lodge. Its location gives it a secluded feel. You can soak in a hot tub and look out at the snow. The upsides of Emerald Lake Lodge are that it's in a romantic spot, and it has an excellent restaurant. The downsides of ELL are that, while its restaurant is great, it's the only one in the immediate vicinity, and it's the furthest property from Calgary Airport.

If you stayed in Banff or Lake Louise you would have more restaurant choices. You could dine at your own hotel one night and at other properties on other nights.

LL is a small village, and almost all of the restaurants are in the area's hotels.

Banff is a larger resort town. There are restaurants in its hotels, but there also are independent restaurants and pubs. There will be more of a "buzz" in Banff, more of an "apres ski" atmosphere.

Whether you stay in Banff or Lake Louise, you could always drive to the other for a change of scenery. Indeed the mountain scenery between the two towns is beautiful and, if you don't stay at Lake Louise, I highly recommend that you at least visit it.

All of the places that I've mentioned are not just close to the mountains but are actually in the mountains.

Judy has it right, definitely Emerald Lake Lodge. You can dig in and who cares if the snow falls. I would suggest seeing if the Point Cabin is available -- its a large one bedroom suite with an amazing bathroom. Expensive but worth it for a honeymoon.

They clear a portion of the ice at Emerald Lake and you can rent skates. Snow shoeing, a horse drawn sled and tobogganing is also another option.

Thanks for the fabulous info! Sounds perfect!

Years ago, we spent our honeymoon in the rockies. We stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel, Baker Creek Chalets, and Emerald Lake Lodge. We loved all of those places, each for different reasons.

Chiming in with Judy and Hydra - Emerald Lake Lodge is wonderful (especially in the winter when everything is white). How about splitting your time between two locations?

In splitting your time between Banff and somewhere more removed (read: LL or ELL) you will have the opportunity of enjoying the amenities of Banff and the solitude that Emerald Lake Lodge offers.

I know this is on the Canada forum but... Have you considered some of the USA National Park lodges? PBS TV Stations air shows about them from time to time and they are very impressive. Also I recall not to long ago one was aired about the Canadian Rockies Lodges/noteworthy locations. Basically my suggestion is to let your library system get you these videos to help you in your quest. Good luck