help help help! I have no honeymoon creativity!
February 25, 2010 5:17 PM Subscribe
Going on an arctic honeymoon... alaska, canada, ideas?!
I am getting married in late august. We want to take a honeymoon up north somewhere!
I lived in alaska for a while (but have not been for some time) and was thinking we could do a 1-2 week trip that included some of the scenic trains, hiking, camping, denali, who knows? I have never been anywhere in Canada.
We are big into the outdoors, fishing, hiking, camping, but need some relaxation! That is why I was thinking one of the panorama train cars, but which one?
Anyone have a great not to be missed attraction we could base a honeymoon around? We are not big cruise people, we like to plan our own road for the most part and are very adventurous. That is why I thought a 1-2 day train ride that took us somewhere great would be just the thing! But really, open to any suggestions.
I am getting married in late august. We want to take a honeymoon up north somewhere!
I lived in alaska for a while (but have not been for some time) and was thinking we could do a 1-2 week trip that included some of the scenic trains, hiking, camping, denali, who knows? I have never been anywhere in Canada.
We are big into the outdoors, fishing, hiking, camping, but need some relaxation! That is why I was thinking one of the panorama train cars, but which one?
Anyone have a great not to be missed attraction we could base a honeymoon around? We are not big cruise people, we like to plan our own road for the most part and are very adventurous. That is why I thought a 1-2 day train ride that took us somewhere great would be just the thing! But really, open to any suggestions.
Seconding Iceland. Swim in hot springs while snow falls on your face.
posted by balls at 5:41 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by balls at 5:41 PM on February 25, 2010
How about an Alaska highway roadtrip? Stop at Liard Hotsprings Provincial Park!
posted by just_ducky at 5:58 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by just_ducky at 5:58 PM on February 25, 2010
I've really enjoyed taking the Alaska Marine Highway up to Alaska from Bellingham WA. It's a lot more like camping than a cruise and you can get off at some point and catch the ferry coming back down. The round-trip is about seven days so you could get off in Ketchikan or Sitka or Juneau [I think, check the schedules]. You can bring your own food on the ferry, though there is a cafeteria [good for hot water and I think a microwave] and the scenery is totally knockout. August is peak time so it may not be what you're looking for but I've gone three times in the Winter and enjoyed it a lot.
posted by jessamyn at 7:00 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by jessamyn at 7:00 PM on February 25, 2010
I think Norway would be great too. I visited this summer and my main regret while there was the inability to hike around (I was on a very tight schedule)
posted by astapasta24 at 7:32 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by astapasta24 at 7:32 PM on February 25, 2010
I have to warn you, the arctic has some SERIOUS bug action in the summer.
posted by Foam Pants at 8:02 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by Foam Pants at 8:02 PM on February 25, 2010
Svalbard has been on my vacation list for a while.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:04 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:04 PM on February 25, 2010
Tell Me No Lies chimed in with mine, so let me just second it.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 3:52 AM on February 26, 2010
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 3:52 AM on February 26, 2010
The Chugach National Forest in AK has a new whistlestop train that gets you into wilderness only accessible by train straight from anchorage. There are lots of stops, so you can get off on one, hike/camp to another, cover amazing territory and not have to double back. I think one of the trains even runs on biofuel, has the panoramic cars you want, etc. . Its new so guidebooks probably don't have the best info, contact them directly.
posted by iiniisfree at 8:07 AM on February 26, 2010
posted by iiniisfree at 8:07 AM on February 26, 2010
The Marine Highway is, as Jessamyn said, pretty cool. It does not get better or more gorgeous than SE Alaska, it's relaxed, it's not too expensive- you could do a lot worse. There are also routes that swing you way out into the Aleutians if you want to try an end of the state most people never see, which I've heard can be unusual and interesting.
If you wanted to get super-touristy, you could take a train up into Denali from Anchorage and spend a day or two around there. The train ride is beautiful, the buses into the park are really easy to use (don't go as far as Wonder Lake unless you really like bumpy bus rides; you'll see pretty much all you might want to if you just go as far as Eilson), and you can get on/off at will. There is also good backpacking and camping, but you have to be confident in your route-finding since there really aren't trails.
If you can manage it logistically after a train ride (hotel shuttle from Denali?, bus? car rental?) Talkeetna for a day or two can be really nice. I was there the last weekend in August this year, and had a few very good meals, some extremely solid local beer, good coffee and the most beautiful clear amazing morning ever flightseeing around Denali. A few hundred bucks but, really, no kidding, totally worth it. If you hit the right day, it would be without question the thing you would remember most of your honeymoon.
Then, head back to Anchorage for some road trips. I was about to get all Alaska evangelical on you and do some suggested itineraries, but you may have your own ideas and preferences after living here. If you think you might come up and want some help with ideas, though, I'm a big fan of the area (especially in the summer!) and can assist.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:32 AM on February 27, 2010
If you wanted to get super-touristy, you could take a train up into Denali from Anchorage and spend a day or two around there. The train ride is beautiful, the buses into the park are really easy to use (don't go as far as Wonder Lake unless you really like bumpy bus rides; you'll see pretty much all you might want to if you just go as far as Eilson), and you can get on/off at will. There is also good backpacking and camping, but you have to be confident in your route-finding since there really aren't trails.
If you can manage it logistically after a train ride (hotel shuttle from Denali?, bus? car rental?) Talkeetna for a day or two can be really nice. I was there the last weekend in August this year, and had a few very good meals, some extremely solid local beer, good coffee and the most beautiful clear amazing morning ever flightseeing around Denali. A few hundred bucks but, really, no kidding, totally worth it. If you hit the right day, it would be without question the thing you would remember most of your honeymoon.
Then, head back to Anchorage for some road trips. I was about to get all Alaska evangelical on you and do some suggested itineraries, but you may have your own ideas and preferences after living here. If you think you might come up and want some help with ideas, though, I'm a big fan of the area (especially in the summer!) and can assist.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:32 AM on February 27, 2010
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posted by chana meira at 5:25 PM on February 25, 2010