Thanks Advil!

Ok, Advil didn't really cure my honeymoon headache but nonetheless it is gone! Thank you for the great comments and after begging my fiance to sit down and come up with a plan we have one. Granted it will still be several months before we book any flights or hotels it is still so exciting to know where we will be going for 10 days next summer. Let me fill you in.

Since driving from San Fran to LA was going to be ridiculously expensive and the Caribbean I feared was going to be too hot, we went back to our original idea, just modified it a bit. We will now be driving from San Fran to Big Sur and then back. This will cut down on costs dramatically but still allow us to see the amazing views along Hwy 1 and spend ample time at each stop. The weather would be a bit chilly for some but for us it will be perfect! I am thinking stops in Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, Carmel and of course Big Sur. I can't wait and it looks like we found a place to rent a Mini-Cooper convertible. Bonus!

Here is a little slide show for you.






Image credits: one, two, three, four

Honeymoon Headache

The Knot guide says to start planning the honeymoon, seems a little early to me, but hey, I like deadlines. The original plan was a picture perfect week/week and a half long getaway to California. We would start in San Fran and then drive to LA, stopping in Half Moon Bay, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica. Sounds perfect, no? Well, after I estimated plane tickets, car rental, GAS (umm hello), food, hotels (we never stay anywhere fancy so of course hotels were a big chunk of change and California is not cheap) etc., etc., the grand total was somewhere around $7,000-8,000.

I think not.

Granted, we could stay in cheaper hotels, we could eat at cheaper restaurants, we could rent an economy car, but that just wouldn't feel special. If we are going to do it I want to do it big, I never do it big, this is my chance.

So for now, though I still hold onto my dream California honeymoon, we are considering other options. Caribbean? Virgin Islands? Mexico? We will be going in June and temps for the Caribbean reach over 90, ick, I am not a hot weather person, I am not a sit on the beach all day person (I burn easily and get bored, no offense to any beach people, I wish I could be one). I want to relax but I also want activity. St. Lucia looks gorgeous and I know it is a popular honeymoon destination but again the 90 degrees and I heard rumors of major mosquitoes that time of year, eww. Perhaps we go somewhere local for a few days and then have the honeymoon in winter when warm weather will be much more appreciated and the wallet will be a little more full. Is anyone else getting married in the summer and taking their honeymoon in the winter?

Is it June 2009 Yet...

In early June of 2009 I hope to be somewhere like this:

We have thought about going on our honeymoon in the U.S., since it will be June and already warm it seems silly to go somewhere tropical. We may just have a second honeymoon the following winter when we will be in dire need of some warm weather and sunshine. Also, I am not a huge fan of flying so the idea of being on a plane for 8 hours or more doesn't appeal to me.

I have read that the drive from Los Angeles up to San Fran is just gorgeous. Maybe overnights in San Luis Obispo and Big Sur? I do hate driving however and want to make sure this would still be relaxing, rent a cute convertible though and it could be worth it. Has anyone ever done this? Where are the best places to stay and to eat?

Images from Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur CA.