Author Topic: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.  (Read 1701 times)

Free Spirit

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Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« on: August 08, 2018, 06:34:11 PM »
Hello Mustachians! My husband and I will be celebrating a milestone anniversary this year and are having trouble deciding on a destination so I thought I'd ask a forum of smart resourceful folks for help. We are open to just about anywhere in the U.S. so I'm starting to feel overwhelmed at all the possibilities. I don't want to say specifically where we live but we are currently located in the south and would like to venture a bit out of town. We will have 7 days off work but may end up whittling it down to save some cash. Personally, I would like to find a location with access to nature, good food, and a bit of culture. My husband enjoys history, live music, and good beer. Neither of us really care about sitting on a beach for days on end. We like to explore an area and find hidden gems. Oh, I'm sure we'll be renting a car but a walkable city is a huge plus.  I've got a couple of places in mind but they are pretty well known destinations and of course, pricey.

Places that are already on my radar (convince me why these are great, or why they suck!)

1. 4 corners states. Anywhere, really. The desert calls to me and I was in tears the last time we visited because I loved it so much. Flights and hotels might be just out of reach for our budget due to time of year. The red rock desert is my #1 choice if I can figure out the logistics.

2. Charleston, SC - Yes, yes, it's in the south, I know what I said. HOWEVER! Charleston has been in my mind for a while because of Sean Brock. One chef isn't enough to win the vote, though.

3. Seattle - Ticks just about every box but omg those hotel prices! We would have to seriously cut it short.


So, now I'm looking for more off the beaten path cities to research. Toss those ideas at me!
Thanks in advance!


(Edit: I forgot to mention, we will be travelling in October)
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 06:38:27 PM by Free Spirit »

skp

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2018, 08:05:40 PM »
Food, history, beer, Oct- New Orleans???  Sorry.   Another Southern State.
There's also New York City.

Free Spirit

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2018, 08:44:23 PM »
Thanks for the ideas skp. :) I had a funny feeling New Orleans was going to be suggested right off the bat! It's a fantastic spot for food but I live <200 miles away so it's a little too familiar for what we are thinking as of right now. I'm not writing it off completely though! I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm intimidated by NYC but I'm looking at other cities in the NE. Gah! There are too many cool places to pick from.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 07:24:01 AM by Free Spirit »

geekette

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2018, 10:12:58 PM »
Asheville, NC could be an option (although it's also the south).  Lots of hiking, lots of breweries, and a bit of history in the Biltmore house, and last I checked, quite a few good restaurants.  Plenty of B&Bs, but I'm not sure what price point you're looking for.

bwall

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2018, 05:13:25 AM »
Have you looked at Quebec City, Canada?

I've never been, but I've heard great things. Should be walkable, lots of cultural stuff and good beer. October weather should still be tolerable, too (I think).

crazy jane

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2018, 05:39:00 AM »
Vegas.  Rent a car for a few days go to Zion National Park one day, hike Red Rock Canyon or Valley of the Fire another day. We even did Death Valley in a day trip on time. Outstanding restaurant scene. Inexpensive hotels. Splurge on a Cirque show. People watch. Enjoy the pool. Skip the gambling.

MasterStache

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2018, 07:10:17 AM »
Asheville, NC could be an option (although it's also the south).  Lots of hiking, lots of breweries, and a bit of history in the Biltmore house, and last I checked, quite a few good restaurants.  Plenty of B&Bs, but I'm not sure what price point you're looking for.

I 2nd this. Hit sliding rock outside of Asheville. Lots of history and good hiking plus beautiful scenery in Henderson NC as well. We are planning a long trip white water rafting in WV next year. Follow by a trip through the Carolinas (Asheville is a destination). 

Spiffy

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2018, 03:42:23 PM »
Upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. are always beautiful, but especially so in October. May be a bit late for peak leaf color, depends on the weather really, but is a great place to visit anytime. Are you into nature? History? Art? Give us a few hints...

robartsd

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2018, 05:04:23 PM »
I think I'd be looking towards New England for history & nature in the fall. Don't know the area well enough to recommend best places to explore for great food and beer. I think I'd start by thinking about what city size you'd enjoy being in.

golden1

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2018, 05:18:19 PM »
New England in the fall is gorgeous.  Fly into Boston and see the sights - lots of great beer too.  Then rent a car and take a drive up the kangamagus highway and see the leaves. 

Duchess of Stratosphear

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2018, 11:45:56 AM »
I would second the Quebec suggestion.

I have always found Marquette, Michigan to be a beautiful small city with some good restaurants and breweries and with easy access to lots of natural areas. Not sure when you are going, but August/September is a great time to be in the Upper Peninsula part of the Michigan, and by car you can do some wonderful drives to see the shoreline and access hikes. Lake Superior is one of my happy places.

Free Spirit

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2018, 12:18:49 PM »
Thank you all for the suggestions! I posted a reply yesterday morning but looks like it never went through. Asheville was a front runner up until just this morning when my husband vetoed everything south of the Mason-Dixon line.  lol  So, we narrowed it down to two, flying into Vegas and doing a western national parks tour or a drive up the eastern seaboard for the fall colors.  After a bunch of googling I found a lovely B&B right smack in between Zion and Bryce canyon that was under budget and found we could cover our flights with miles. SCORE! I was afraid we wouldn't be able to afford it since it's a very popular time of year and almost all of the hotels were booked. But it looks like the West has won! Thanks especially to @crazy jane - I wasn't sure if that itinerary was feasible but you made it sound easy.


Again, thanks everyone. I have some great ideas for our next trip too! Might just have to venture into Canada, eh...;)

I'm a red panda

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2018, 12:29:48 PM »
Some midwest options (since people are going to cover the more obvious ones that tend to be on the coasts.)

I've heard amazing things about Door county, Wisconsin, but haven't been there
We just had a great vacation at Table Rock Lake in Missouri
Mackinac Island in Michigan is on my dream list
Some cities to think about: Chicago, St. louis, Madison, Minneapolis/St.Paul




Ooh, what about Salt Lake City?
Or Glacier National Park?
Or Acadia National Park?

I would say the Smoky Mountains, but you're husband said nothing in the South.  Does that count if you extend the line westward? You lose a lot of your desert states.

bognish

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Re: Help us decide where to spend our anniversary.
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2018, 01:59:38 PM »
Just a heads up October 18 & 19 just about every public school in Utah is closed for teacher training. So every school kid has a 4 day weekend. Its also peak desert season. So there will be a surge of locals then. There is lots of places to spread out so its not too bad, especially if you have lodging covered, but there will be higher volume on the highways in and out of Salt Lake.