Hello,

I am trying to help out a friend of mine plan his honeymoon. They are definitely going to spend some time in NYC (maybe 3 or 4 nights), but then would like to go somewhere else as well. This is where I would really appreciate some of your recommendations.

I think they would like their second destination to be more nature-friendly. Maybe with some sort of hiking trails nearby. Maybe mountains, etc. You get the picture. I can help him with the NYC part of his trip, but have no idea where their next stop should be. Vermont? Massachusetts? NY State? Does anyone know of any romantic, nature-friendly resorts that might fit the bill?

Thank you very much in advance.

What time of year?

Lesss than 2 hours drive from NYC is the Pocono mountain resort area, which for years was a major honeymoon destination. The old honeymoon resorts tended to be pretty tacky (heart shaped bathtubs!) - but these days there are some nice places in the area that would probably meet your friends' needs.

take a look at the Snowvillage Inn in Snowville, NH. Although it's not that far from the restaurants/shopping of North Conway, it's a world away in terms of atmosphere. Several of the rooms have individual fireplaces, others have incredible views. Their web site is www.snowvillageinn.com
(We stayed there on our honeymoon and loved it, but it has different owners now)

Vermont sounds like it would fit your friend's interests. Grafton, Newfane, Saxton's River, are all in southeastern VT, an easy drive from NY.

We spent the first part of our honeymoon at the Equinox in Manchester--they have packages that come with things like mountain bikes, horse rides, falconry lessons, massages. We had such a memorable time (and the restaurants were great, too).

You might want to look at the Berkshires in western Massachusetts. Very remote, yet you can stay in anything from a cozy inn to a larger resort. It's also dotted with great New England villages.

Thank you very much for all of the suggestions and recommendations. Sorry, I forgot to mention the wedding is in early June.

He finally decided yesterday, after reading many posts and looking through past issues of Travel and Leisure magazines, that he would like his other destination to be in Maine. To be more specific, Bar Harbour.

I think the plan is to fly from Florida (where he lives) into Portland, Maine, then spend 4 nights there, and then off to NYC for 4 more nights.

Now, we have to figure out if there is a train route that would take him into NYC. If not, then he'll fly.

Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. It's about a 2 hour drive (at the most) from Manhattan. Plenty of hiking and nature. Fine dining within driving distance (the Culinary Intstitute of America is just a half-hour away).

Well, that's if anyone else wants a romantic getaway that's not in Maine.

apcretul
There is Amtrak service from Portland Maine to New York's Penn Station.
The bad news is that you need to change trains and stations in Boston.
For some reason, the rest of the country didn't want to pay for the AMtrak connection as part of the Big Dig...8^)

Bar Harbor is absolutely fabulous. So is Acadia National Park. They will need a car while they're there. Why not keep the rental, drive down to NYC and drop it off there. They won't need it while they're in NYC.

apcretul
There is Amtrak service from Portland Maine to New York's Penn Station.
The bad news is that you need to change trains and stations in Boston.
For some reason, the rest of the country didn't want to pay for the AMtrak connection as part of the Big Dig...8^)

Excellent. I'll tell him to look into the Portland-Boston-NYC route into Penn Station. And out of curiosity, how long do would the drive be from Portland, Maine to NYC? Would it be a scenic drive? That might be a nice option.

I'm so glad to hear the positive feedback on Bar Harbour. I'm sure they will love it.

Thanks again. This discussion board always come through with the best advice and the most helpful people.

About 6 hours...320 miles...see mapquest link below.
Frankly, the drive isn't that scenic. I can't speak fot the Boston-Portland leg, but Boston-NYC via Amtrak is a nice ride along Long Island sound.

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...lr=2&x=100&y=9