Cheap honeymoon
 

I will be getting married at the end of September. My fiance and I have VERY little money for a honeymoon. Does anyone have any ideas for some nice driving trips? We want to get out of Ohio for the week.

Congratulations.I feel like I work for the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce.At www.southbeach.com, you could rent a beautiful condo with a kitchen for $700 a week. I know it's not VERY cheap but you can minimize the incidentals.HHI, SC is always filled with OH license plates and I understand there is a very straight route on an Interstate.

Shenandoah Valley or the Blue Ridge Parkway?

My husband and I honeymooned in the finger lakes in upstate new york. Only a few hours drive for you in OH. We stayed in Mirbeau, a wonderful inn and spa. Very romantic and relaxing. And september is a wonderful time to be in that part of the country.

Cheap AND nice -- take a look at SkyAuction.com. I just got a two bedroom timeshare/condo in Hilton Head (Shipyard Plantation) with everything furnished except a garlic press for $213 for a week. Yes, 7 nights.

It's an RCI property, and while I haven't been to this one yet, I did Edisto Beach for a week at a similar rate over Memorial Day (really) and it was wonderful -- and cheap. Since units have kitchens, you can save by eating in.

It's not around the corner (10-12 hours drive maybe?) so depending on your gas mileage, it may not be as good of a deal. If I recall, there were properties in other states at similar rates (I remember the Berkshires and Lake Lure in NC among others). Generally, postings appear as far ahead as 3-4 weeks, and as close at 3 days.

Just a thought -- SC is lovely at the end of September (I know, hurricane season and all might be a consideration).

B/

All of the suggestions you have gotten so far are great! I suspect, going up and down the east coast, there may be deals to be had, as the real tourist season starts to end in some of the more northern places - maybe try Nag's Head, Myrtle Beach, beaches in Va, Delaware, Md, if that sort of thing is up your alley.

A few other thoughts:
Mammoth Cave National Park - I like the cottages in the park, and they are pretty inexpensive. Cave tours, hiking.
Snowshoe, WV - the ski resort; beautiful scenery, hiking & biking, and off-season pricing on nice condos. Save a few $ to dine at the Red Fox if you go - it's worth it!
Ogelbay Resort in WV - not too far, lots of amenities, often have good package deals (disclaimer: I've never been, but I know people who have, and it does sound nice!)

Of course, there's also the Hocking Hills area in Ohio, which is really nice...but, yes, it's in Ohio...

Let us all know what you decide!

My fiance wants to go to Ocean City for a few days, but he has an ulterior motive. He actually thinks I will want to play golf every day of my honeymoon! Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions so far...I need to stock up on non-golf ideas!

My husband and I really enjoy Fredericksburg, VA. It's about an 8 hour drive from Columbus. There are a lot of things to do in the immediate area. There are several Civil War battlefields and the farm where George Washington grew up. There are also several fabulous restaurants in town (Sammy T's is my favorite) and the shopping is great. I'm sure there are golf course near by if someone needs to golf and Washington is close enough if you want to see the capital.

The battlefields are all free to visit and the other attractions are very reasonably priced. We last went at the beginning of December and our hotel was ~ $45 a night including breakfast.

Does anyone know of any nice campgrounds within a day's drive of Cleveland, out of Ohio? Our favorite is Hanna Park in Florida, but that's too far! We love the water. Electricity and water hookup would be nice...fiance can't live without his morning coffee!

You might want to consider one of the WVA state parks. Many of them have decent lodging and/or camping facilties and golf. I will vouch that Cacapon in Berkeley Springs has on-site golf as well as plenty for you to do while DH golfs. Canaan Valley/Blackwater Falls might be another good choice.

What about Deep Creek Lake in Garret County Maryland? Close, several nice campgrounds

As far as camping and the coffee goes- get a plastic french press from REI,($20) some fresh ground shade grown organic($10/lb)and a cheap camping stove and you have a cup of coffee worthy of a honeymoon- better than any drip coffee

A cheap grill and a few cuts from the local butcher(outside of town) and a stop at the farmers market - who needs power?

Most places that offer power and water hook ups are RV parks- concrete, load engines/generators and all in all not a good place to honeymoon and get back with nature.

This area is very close to the Canaan Valley too so you could jump around for a change in scenery

It turns out that we are going to Ocean City after all, but my fiance promises that we won't have to play any golf. I'm going to start a new thread and see if anyone knows of any fun things to do while we are there.