hip hippie honeymoon

May 12, 2008 1:01 PM

Please suggest destinations for an off-the-beaten-path weekend honeymoon this June. Criteria: close enough to St. Louis to fit a trip into three or four days including travel time; $1,000 to $2,000 total; somewhere beautiful, ocean is best; romantic but not in your standard champagne-and-strawberries way. We love the outdoors, arts and culture, great food, the environment, and discovering unexpected treasures when traveling.

We will probably take a big international trip in the next year but want to do something fun and relaxing right after our wedding. We are considering a few places we already love or think we would love: Ten Thousand Waves, Orvis Hot Springs, or Ojo Caliente, but we'd like to try something new and maybe get a little less land-locked. (Hot springs are not required, it just happens that some of our favorite places have them!)

We did an all-inclusive resort vacation in Mexico once and had a great time, but we would prefer something a little more unique that lets us make our own way and maybe meet other people like us.

Is there somewhere perfect on the west coast we don't know about? A resort in Hawaii that doesn't feel too corporate resort-y? Funky towns in beautiful places we haven't thought of?

Thanks for your ideas!

posted by TrixieRamble to travel & transportation (4 comments total)

South Walton County in the FL panhandle might be just what you're looking for. Hip, funky, beautiful, great art and music scene.
posted by wsg at 1:20 PM on May 12, 2008

Forgot the link:
http://www.beachesofsouthwalton.com/
posted by wsg at 1:21 PM on May 12, 2008

Post Ranch Ventana Inn near Esalen
posted by hortense at 1:49 PM on May 12, 2008

For Hawaii, you'd probably burn most of your time and budget on plane travel.

Have you considered Asheville, NC? Google Maps suggests it is a 9 hour drive which would be doable over night with two drivers. I've pasted through and had some good food and there are many reports on the Green that there are many funky and fun things to do there along with lots of outdoor activities. The Biltmore also has to be seen in person to really take it all in.
posted by mmascolino at 2:12 PM on May 12, 2008