What is an ideal honeymoon spot in the US?

What time of the year is this going to be?

If you like mountains, Colorado has many places for a cabin retreat. Vail is my favorite, but it is the priciest (but it also has things to do in town, paved bike trails, etc in addition to the skiing. And is just gorgeous every season of the year.) Crested Butte is nice for their Wildflower Festival if you’re in the summer.

Mt. Desert Island in Maine. You have a cute town with great restaurants, terrific hiking and biking and the best scenery in the whole world.

I could be flip and say anywhere would be perfect for two people in love and just married, but I’ll suggest Austin, San Francisco or perhaps Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.

For some trip ideas I would recommended checking out wanderfly

We will be going May 20–29th…Colorado sounds amazing and the Grand Canyon is on my bucket list. He likes tropical, but like @Austinlad he also said anywhere with me would be just fine with him. So I get to choose! Yay-Keep the ideas coming! Thanks guys

The Homestead is pretty good and they will cater for honeymooning couples.

I would go colorado and grand canyon

My husband and I had a lovely, and affordable, honeymoon in Gatlinburg, TN. We stayed at Deer Ridge Mountain Resort. The resort is located in the mountains, a small drive from the touristy part of town. We spent our time hiking and exploring caves. Depending on the time of year you travel, you can snow ski or go white water rafting too.

oops, just saw your post about going in May. That would be a lovely time to visit!

@jonsblond I started to suggest The Great Smoky Mountains too. You can rent a beautiful, newly built cabin for practically nothing. We went to the Poconos Mts. for our anniversary in December. It was really, really nice too. Pricey, but super romantic.

http://www.smokeymountaincabinspecials.com/creek.shtml

The Biltmore Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina
A cabin beside a mountain stream in Colorado
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Key West, Florida

@badreamer: Can you tell me about the trip to Hawaii you’ve found? Which island is it? What’s the hotel? What are you looking to do for recreation?

@hawaii_jake this is our original quote: Packages include roundtrip air from Pittsburgh, roundtrip airport/hotel transfers, 5nts hotel, and all taxes.
22–27 May Honolulu
Hyatt Regency Waikiki – Across the street from the beach $1399.00 per person Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach $1334.00 per person Sheraton Waikiki $1399.00 per person

We originally were going to stick with the Hawaii plan and I had so many quotes in my inbox, I cant find the 2500$ Quote but I remember it included hotel, car, and breakfast package and then we added trips like biking, snorkeling, dinner cruises, luau and things to it and it totaled to just under 2500$

@Baddreamer27 : There’s one thing very few people know about Waikiki in Honolulu. There are only 5 hotels that are actually on the beach. The vast majority of hotels are across the street. Having said that, I can recommend the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach or the Sheraton Waikiki. Both are on the beach. You walk out of the hotel and directly onto the sand. It’s really wonderful. The Hyatt Regency Waikiki is a gorgeous hotel, but it’s across the street.

The Sheraton might be a bit better, because it’s next door to the historic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a very ritzy establishment. It’s also right by the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center with loads of shops and great restaurants.

The Island of Oahu where Honolulu is offers the most things to see and do. If this is your first trip to Hawaii, then go there. You can visit the USS Arizona Memorial and some other war memorials. There’s lots of shopping. There’s lots of dining. The snorkeling is great in Hanauma Bay. You can hike up Diamond Head.

This is just my opinion, but don’t pay extra for the ocean view room. You are in your room very little, mostly at night. What do you see at night when you’re facing the ocean? A vast sea of blackness.

It’s also my opinion, but skip the dinner cruise. Unless it’s changed, the food is second rate and it’s mostly used for getting drunk.

Staying in Waikiki has another advantage. You can take surfing lessons. The waves there are not too high, and you can learn to stand on a board and let the wave carry you in.

There’s also a catamaran that goes out from somewhere along the beach. I forget exactly where, but you go out for the day and swim and eat sandwiches. It’s fun.

There’s no shortage of things to do on Oahu.

Now, if this is not your first trip to Hawaii, then I personally highly recommend the Kona side of the Big Island, but I’m prejudiced. I can tell you all about the Big Island, if you want.

Hawaii sounds good.

Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas, or the Rock resort on St. Johns.

The Loews hotel South Beach, Miami, FL.

Boca Raton Resort, Boca Raton FL.

Marco Island, FL.

Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe, VT. Outdoor swimming all year. Lots of little tours around Stowe, Von Trapp family, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, maple syrup making, cheese making, horse back riding.

Torrey Pines, La Jolla, California.

If you live in a place that has a cold winter, I recommend going somewhere tropical. May will still be cool in some parts of the country don’t forget. For me, it is easier to relax when I am warm. My honeymoon was in Seattle, Washington and Vancouver and Victoria, BC Canada; but, I livedin FL at the time, and so I already lived in the hot weather.

I wondered why you are limiting to America? What about a cruise?

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in San Francisco. I loved it! It was the best trip I have ever taken. I would recommend it!

Personally, I’m seriously biased toward Colorado. Depending on the season, you’ll have great excuses to snuggle up together and stay warm. If you’re looking for tropical though, definitely look at Hawaii. Once you’re there, things are cheaper than you expect. I’d also look at Cancun, Cozumel, Acapulco, etc. The resort cities in Mexico are totally safe, full of great deals, and slow right now so you’ll have great service. There are always great deals to be had if you can make it down there.

@JLeslie Limiting to the US becuase we are active duty military and have been stationed outside of the US for sometime now. Looking forward to being back on American soil with American Amenities, the American way of life and using the english language!

@Baddreamer27 is your little one going along?

@Baddreamer27 I see. :). Good reason.

@bkcunningham No my son is having a stay at grandma’s house!

@Baddreamer27 yippee! Good for everyone! In case someone hasn’t said it to you or your spouse today, from the bottom of my heart – thank you both for your service, sacrifice and protection. Good job. Whatever you decide, I hope it is fantastic. Make good memories!

Do you leave in the eastern or western part of the US? Will you have a full week? Just taking into consideration flying time.

@JLeslie We will more than likely have a full week. We dont have to be back to duty until the 31st of May. I think its two days going to the states and one day flying back (could have that backwards) so We wanted to go from May 21st to May 27th. Im from Ohio and he is from Pennsylvania…

Oh, but you are stationed abroad currently? I didn’t catch that. And, you will be flying Space A to get here?

We considered Space A…(Stationed in Sicily), Space A is great for the going home, but its the coming back im worried about. We’d have to make sure we got a flight back to our duty station in time not to be counted UA….They have a program here that is called EML Environmental Moral Leave and it bumps us up a category, but still doesnt promise a flight in time…any suggestions?

@Baddreamer27 Space A is too risky probably. It is best for retired people who have no schedule. Although getting to Germany is usually not very difficult from the east coast, anf then connect to sicily I think? Assuming the schedules have not changed, from Norfolk and Dover. But, you would have to get to those bases. Too much hassle when you only have a week. I would fly commercial if I were you, especially on your honeymoon. You don’t want to waste time getting bumped from a flight at an airbase. I think your flight should not be too expensive, especially if you fly out on the Sunday, because it is Memorial day weekend I think. Oh, I guess you need to fly Saturday, and be back by Sunday? That’s what I would check, because the flights/legs within the US will be expensive the Friday and Saturday of that weekend, so if you are way west in Hawaii or Cali, and have to connect through a domestic stop, it might be expensive, not sure. Although, your Hawaii deal sounds good. But Sicily to Hawaii….very far. You fly west right? Sicily to somewhere in the 48 and then Hawaii?

@Baddreamer27 did you select your honeymoon spot yet?

YES! We found a very nice cabin in the Smokey Mountains! Very excited!!

@Baddreamer27 How exciting! You’ll love it. Post pictures when you return if you have time. Of the mountains, of course. ;) Hope you have a lovely time.

@jonsblond Why thank you! I will try to remember pictures :) Thanks to everyone for the input and advice also!

Fantastic! So exciting. I wish I could do my weddng and honeymoon all over again. Be in the moment. Enjoy everything.