That's no honeymoon...

April 27, 2014 6:33 PM

Need suggestions for an impromptu weekend getaway somewhere three-four hours from Philadelphia.

I just got married this past weekend. We did not plan a honeymoon for a few reasons (money / big trip a few weeks prior to wedding) but we both want to get away for a few days so we’re trying to find a place to go. Trouble is….we have no idea what we want to do and we need some ideas.

- We live in Philly and we want the location to be around a three to four hour drive with four hours being the absolute maximum. We do not want to go to another major city.

- We’re leaning towards a beach or coastal location. Nothing in the Poconos or Delaware Beach area as we’ve already traveled extensively to those places.

- We’d like to leave after work this Friday (May 2nd) and return Sunday afternoon.

- Ideally, we’d like to go to an off-peak resort town, stay at a nice hotel, and wander around. I took a family vacation to a coastal town in Maine forever ago and stayed at a hotel with an ocean view. The town had an arcade, an aquarium, cool stores, and great food. It was super relaxing and exactly the kind of trip I want us to take now.

- Bonus question: I could’ve sworn there was a website that let you search for deals on hotels / trips without needing a specific destination but I can’t find anything. Am I crazy?

posted by Diskeater to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Www.jetsetter.com use to be sniqueaway has last minute higher end hotel deals.
posted by saradarlin at 6:45 PM on April 27, 2014

Best answer: Cape May in NJ is supposed to be lovely. I know a couple who go there every year for their anniversary. I don't know where they stay, but I've seen either groupons or livingsocial deals for bed and breakfasts over there, if that's your thing.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:50 PM on April 27, 2014

Shenandoah National Park is really pretty this time of year, with trees and flowers blooming. Mountain Laurel might be blooming, too. There are great mountain views and hikes. If you aren't into hiking, you can drive down skyline drive and stop at views, and visit the lodge for dinner. There are bed and breakfasts and cabins as well as the lodge for accommodations.

Congratulations to you both!
posted by shortyJBot at 7:02 PM on April 27, 2014

Congratulations and best wishes!
Cape May is really lovely.
Visiting Longwood Gardens/Brandywine area could be a great weekend. The gardens should be amazing this time of year.
Williamsburg,VA, isn't just for school trips--it can be romantic, too.
Have fun!
posted by TEA at 9:54 PM on April 27, 2014

In 3.5 hours you could reach the Hamptons, which are lovely in the off season.
posted by apparently at 2:42 AM on April 28, 2014

I'd also suggest you consider Cape May. There are tons of B&Bs there, but I think The Virginia is the nicest place to stay.
posted by katie at 2:47 AM on April 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

St Michaels, Maryland is a really nice town that would fit your criterea. It is not a huge tourist destination and is really lovely. The whole town is walkable or bikable. Nice restaurants, bars and shops. Right on the water so there are great views. We stayed at a really great B&B there Aida's Victoriana Inn and loved it. http://www.victorianainn.com/
Also there is a very large inn where the movie The Wedding Crashers was filmed - The Inn at Perry Cabin. It has a fantastic restaurant with wonderful views that would be perfect for a special dinner.
posted by MrsMGH at 5:41 AM on April 28, 2014

Congratulations!! I'm going to nth the Cape May recs, since even though it can be a little sleepy this time of year, the spring festival will still be ongoing. There's fancy food (thanks, Congress Hall), there's surprisingly solid sushi and Chinese (Cape Orient et al), there's fancy coffee, you can get limoncello pancakes by the beach sometimes, and oh: there's so much skeeball. And biking. And a lighthouse. You can even visit Cape May's own Physick House! Prices are probably a little higher now given the festival, but there really are endless B and Bs. The Southern Mansion is pretty expensive but lovely (and breakfast is delicious--also definitely do the house tour). The Hotel Macomber is excellent for doily-draped old-school beach rooms and the restaurant at least looks amazing. I would hope the wineries are still doing tours in early spring!

Williamsburg is sadly a little further than 4 hours out or I'd recommend that too.
posted by jetlagaddict at 7:42 AM on April 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

Seconding the Eastern Shore of Maryland, per MrsMGH's St. Michael's suggestion.
posted by shallowcenter at 10:54 AM on April 28, 2014

Response by poster: We decided on Cape May. It looks to be about a 1.5 hour drive so we can grab dinner beforehand and not arrive too late. We strongly considered locations in VA but the drive was slightly too far for this trip.

Thanks for all the suggestions and if anyone has any can't-miss Cape May sights, pass them along!
posted by Diskeater at 7:39 PM on April 28, 2014