10th Anniversary Trip Advice
March 9, 2010 8:18 AM Subscribe
Trying to plan a 4-5 night tenth anniversary trip for my wife and I in late July or early August originating from Houston. Would like to limit to under $2000 total and minimize travel time, so probably will stay in North/Central America. Want a good combination of relaxation, adventure, and interesting/unique things to do. Where should we go and what should we do?
Montreal is the Europe of North America. If you can score a cheap ticket, it's a LOVELY city to visit.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 8:39 AM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 8:39 AM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Are you looking for a resort atmosphere or a urban atmosphere?
posted by demiurge at 8:56 AM on March 9, 2010
posted by demiurge at 8:56 AM on March 9, 2010
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is a beautiful place. Various levels of hiking in the Great Smoky Mtn. National Park, tons of honeymoon cabins with jacuzzi &hot tubs, outlet shopping, Dollywood (I always go for the shows/crafts.), Ripley's Aquarium, horseback riding, etc.
Granted there are crowds on the main drag, but most of the cabins are secluded. The Buckberry Lodge is world class lodging, if you would rather go that route.
There are beautiful views and lots of chapels where you can romantically renew your vows.
The easiest/best view is to take the Air tram to Ober Gatlinburg then take their chair lift to the top of the mountain. Awesome beauty!
Gatlinburg also has the largest community of independent artists in the U.S. so it has all types of artsy stuff.
You can fly into the Knoxville airport & rent a car or many of the limos only charge about $40 to get to Gat/PF. Gatlinburg.com can give more info. Many people love it so much that they make bi-annual trips there. Congrats on your 10th anniversary. May you have many more years together.
posted by srbrunson at 8:58 AM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Granted there are crowds on the main drag, but most of the cabins are secluded. The Buckberry Lodge is world class lodging, if you would rather go that route.
There are beautiful views and lots of chapels where you can romantically renew your vows.
The easiest/best view is to take the Air tram to Ober Gatlinburg then take their chair lift to the top of the mountain. Awesome beauty!
Gatlinburg also has the largest community of independent artists in the U.S. so it has all types of artsy stuff.
You can fly into the Knoxville airport & rent a car or many of the limos only charge about $40 to get to Gat/PF. Gatlinburg.com can give more info. Many people love it so much that they make bi-annual trips there. Congrats on your 10th anniversary. May you have many more years together.
posted by srbrunson at 8:58 AM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Victoria, British Columbia? Should be lovely in summer. Not sure if they do whale watching at that time of year but if so it should be very nice.
posted by carter at 9:09 AM on March 9, 2010
posted by carter at 9:09 AM on March 9, 2010
Response by poster: deimurge - we would be fine with either, although we definitely do not want a resort atmosphere where you do nothing but stay in and around the resort. Same with the urban environment - if we're staying in a city, we want to be able to get out and enjoy some nature as well. Our main thoughts so far are Victoria, Canada; Estes Park, Colorado; Key West, Florida; Costa Rica; Charleston, South Carolina, etc. Had not really looked into Belize, Montreal, or Gatilinburg, but will definitely do so now.
posted by Bob Loblaw at 9:09 AM on March 9, 2010
posted by Bob Loblaw at 9:09 AM on March 9, 2010
Response by poster: By the way, would probably pick somewhere in Canada, but it seems that flights up there are going to eat into way too much of our budget. Any thoughts on the best avenues to fly up there cheaply?
posted by Bob Loblaw at 9:11 AM on March 9, 2010
posted by Bob Loblaw at 9:11 AM on March 9, 2010
To save $ for the destination, why not go somewhere within driving distance? Perhaps New Orleans, or somewhere on the East coast of Mexico.
posted by kestrel251 at 10:23 AM on March 9, 2010
posted by kestrel251 at 10:23 AM on March 9, 2010
Consider Halifax, Nova Scotia. Continental airlines will get you there with a single stop in Newark. Halifax was the closest British port during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. So, some interesting history there. Is home to the largest number of Titanic victims' graves, and a museum about the disaster. Halifax harbor was the site of a HUGE explosion in 1917 involving a gunpowder-laden ship. The blast leveled trees for miles around and killed a couple thousand people.
Other nearby attractions include the Bay of Fundy, with its extremely high tides, and what remains of a settlement of Acadians who were driven from their lands and resettled in Southern Louisiana, becoming know as "Cajuns".
Temps should be warm enough to be pleasant, yet cool enough to provide a welcome break from Houston at that same time of year.
posted by John Borrowman at 1:39 PM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Other nearby attractions include the Bay of Fundy, with its extremely high tides, and what remains of a settlement of Acadians who were driven from their lands and resettled in Southern Louisiana, becoming know as "Cajuns".
Temps should be warm enough to be pleasant, yet cool enough to provide a welcome break from Houston at that same time of year.
posted by John Borrowman at 1:39 PM on March 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
We went to tiny Boothbay Harbor, Maine. We went on a boat ride and ate seafood (well, *I* did), and went to the state aquarium and went on a hike. Our kids were hundreds of miles away, having fun with Grammie. It was a four or five-hour drive (from RI), I think.
You may or may not like this exact place, but I am mentioning it because it demonstrates that can can have a ball if you just find somewhere generally interesting and go for it. It's not like you need to impress each other any more: enjoy the chance to talk about somehting other than Scouts or soccer practice or packing lunches or the commute or your lawn.
Do you have a low-key hobby like hiking or geocaching or local eating of a favorite band or wine or beer or live theater or something? That might make for a couple of tent-pole activities to plan the trip around.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:24 PM on March 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
You may or may not like this exact place, but I am mentioning it because it demonstrates that can can have a ball if you just find somewhere generally interesting and go for it. It's not like you need to impress each other any more: enjoy the chance to talk about somehting other than Scouts or soccer practice or packing lunches or the commute or your lawn.
Do you have a low-key hobby like hiking or geocaching or local eating of a favorite band or wine or beer or live theater or something? That might make for a couple of tent-pole activities to plan the trip around.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:24 PM on March 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dfriedman at 8:38 AM on March 9, 2010