Night Elf Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Next October is my 25th wedding anniversary. DH and I want to do a trip somewhere. We did a sailing ship cruise for our honeymoon. We're starting to save money out of each paycheck to go towards this trip plus we'll have some other money we can use by then, so we'll have about $3000 give or take. What to do?? Cruise like Carnival or some other line? We did the Caribbean for our honeymoon. There are a few features of a large ship that would hold our attention but for the most part we'd be sitting on the deck reading books. I don't know what we'd do in a port. I looked at Carnival today and they seem to have two stops on a 5 or 6-day cruise. So would we get bored? Washington D.C. - DH hasn't been in 50 years and I've never been so we could explore together. We like the idea of the Smithsonian and the National Mall. I don't know what else we'd do. We'd fly there and use taxis. Or would Uber be better? Would we enjoy a destination like that over a cruise where we were limited to what we could do? Any other ideas? I'm clueless!! A beach would be beautiful but I'd only want one day on a beach. So if we went somewhere with a beach, there would have to be other things to do. We also like the idea of a cabin in the woods. We'd love walking trails but we won't want to walk every day for a week. We'd need other things to do. We've considered the possibility of out of the country but feel that would get even more expensive than we would like. For example, I'd love to visit Iceland but I don't have the wardrobe for it. *laugh* We could do England or Scotland or Ireland. How does one keep a trip like that on the frugal side? We can be gone up to 7 days but would prefer to not be over that. We'll have to board our dog and one week is all I can think of doing to him. Thoughts? If we could make a decision soon, we could maybe alter how much we can save so we can be better prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 With DC, you can get most places using the Metro (subway). It's safe. As far as where, really look at what would be important to you "to do" with each of the trips. Do those things fit your budget? England/Scotland/Ireland could be too much for your budget, with flights. DC would probably get you the most bang for your buck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 If it were me and I had no idea, I would go to the library and take out some travel books, Fodor and the like, on different regions that appealed to me. Then my dh and I could thumb through these until we settled on something. Don’t know what to say about a cruise like Carnival because that has never appealed to us. Happy Dreaming!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 We’ve spent less than that for three people in Europe for more than twice as long. No big tips to offer, we just do our research. We find that hotels or apartments for 2 are considerably less than for even one additional person. I say go to one of your dream places. DH and I were planning to go to Majorca for our 25th next year, until we realised our anniversary is this year and we already have too many plans to make it happen. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 DC is a lot of fun - I highly recommend it! There seems to be something there for everyone. The metro system is really great, so you don't have to drive or get a taxi/Uber. For our 25th anniversary we went to Paris using frequent flier miles & hotel points (my husband travels a lot for work). No driving needed - public transport is solid. For our 50th birthday year we went to San Diego to attend a U2 concert - is there a performance of some kind you always wanted to see that you could combine with a trip? A specific concert or play? We used Uber or walked in San Diego. We took ds to London for his Senior trip - again on frequent flier miles & hotel points. London is fantastic and you don't have to drive at all due to the Tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Oh - do you have a hobby in common that you can plan off of? DH and I would one day like to do a "reading trip" to visit local bookstores and beautiful libraries. We always find book stores when we travel & it's a lot of fun. If you enjoy a particular type of cuisine you could plan off of that, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 Our problem is we have no hobbies other than reading. We aren't normally traveling type people. We're homebodies. 20 years ago we went to sci-fi conventions with friends and had a blast. That no longer appeals to me. We're not necessarily water people so staying on a beach for several days holds no appeal. With a cruise ship, there are things to do. We went on a real sailing boat that had less than 50 passengers for our honeymoon and it was fun. A cruise on a liner would be so very different. We like to walk but I'm talking short trips, like walking an hour at most. Wouldn't want to spend hours on a trail. We don't like camping. We like museums just to explore. We like eating in restaurants. We like having time to read. We're not big nappers, maybe for an hour in the day if we feel tired. I always thought I wanted to go to London but now I don't remember why I felt that way. Ireland seems like it would be so pretty but what would we do? I like the idea of looking at some travel books. I'll go see what I can find on my day off from work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 I think you could easily go to DC on your budget and have some leftover. My dh and I love museums and reading, too, and DC is great. The monuents are so pretty at night. Maybe take in a show while you are there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Have you been to Canada? Toronto and Vancouver are two of our favorite cities to visit. Victoria BC is great, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) You could go to any major city, and even several smaller ones, and do some of the stuff you mention liking, including DC. We’ve done trips to San Diego, Vancouver and Victoria, BC (separately) and souther Oregon (Crater Lake And Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland)/SF Bay Area. Any big city will have museums, large parks both in and outside the city with trails of varying length, other touristy things to see, a wide array of restaurants (we prefer inexpensive local or ethnic food when traveling). We always choose VRBOs over hotels when traveling because we prefer to be in real neighborhoods rather than touristy areas and usually divide the day in half with a short relaxation period back at our apartment or house in the afternoon. Another thing we like to do is a group bike tour on our first day, to get the lay of the land, hear about the area from a local, and note places we want to return to later for extended visits. I recommend Trip Advisor for finding attractions, mini tours, and restaurants. Although we never use them, they usually have different itineraries of varying lengths for different destinations based on interests. Also, you can do short tours (biking, walking, bus, food focused, alcohol focused, history focused, etc.) wherever you go without needing to pay for a whole guided trip where you have to stay with a group the entire time. Trip Advisor will have info and reviews on everything available. Edited November 4, 2019 by Frances 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 Whew! I was looking at guided tours for Scotland and some of them are so pricey. How does one choose a reputable company that offers tours? We were talking about Scotland and seeing castles, Loch Ness, Culloden, etc. Sounds pretty cool but I don't think we can afford it. The tour itself is pricey and we'd have to pay our own airfare. Never been to Canada. Yes, still thinking of cruises. I'm just getting a few ideas to know which direction to take. I'll probably research some on my days off when I'm not so tired and can spend 2-3 hours on the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Night Elf said: Whew! I was looking at guided tours for Scotland and some of them are so pricey. How does one choose a reputable company that offers tours? We were talking about Scotland and seeing castles, Loch Ness, Culloden, etc. Sounds pretty cool but I don't think we can afford it. The tour itself is pricey and we'd have to pay our own airfare. You don't need a guided tour; you can do all this by yourself. Just get a rental car and a some guidebooks. And if you go off season, you can get very inexpensive flights overseas. Edited November 4, 2019 by regentrude 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Dh and I just got back from Las Vegas, where we celebrated our 20th anniversary. I was pretty so-so on the Vegas trip, but dh really wanted to go. We only had give days, so that was pretty perfect for Vegas. We saw a Cirque du Soleil show, did tons of sightseeing (walked over 30 miles over the five days!), and even rented a mustang convertible and drove to see the Hoover Dam. Dh and I don’t have a ton of hobbies in common, so a trip where we were busy and there was lots to see and do was great for us. Not sure if Vegas would be your thing, but I think a cruise sounds like it could be a lot of fun for you. I’ve already told dh that I want to take a cruise for our 25th anniversary trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) Your budget is high enough that you have quite a few options for cruising! :) https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?startDate=2020-10&length=6-9&sort=price&cabin_type_id=3 I popped in some parameters at Cruise Critic and got some hits. I don't know you obviously, but you might enjoy the 6 night US Pacific Coast tour with Norwegian. That should be under $2k for the two of you with a balcony and it hits places that are pretty and interesting to walk in. You could do whale tours, see pretty things, hit shops. Weather might be better than doing the Caribbean in October, honestly. That's hurricane season, and while they'll keep you safe, the water can be rougher and the itinerary changing. Doing New England/Canada would also be really lovely then, but it would probably eat up your budget. If you plan a cruise, remember you're going to fly in (tickets for both), spend a night there, and sail the next day. Hidden costs of cruising are $15 a day per person for tips/gratuities (so $200 for a week for both of you), photographs (you'll at least want a couple and they're $15 each), and specialty meals like the steak house or italian restaurants on board (price varies with the cruise line, but steak house could be $50 per person and the italian $15+ per person). They also recommend you have travel insurance when cruising, which could add another $200-ish. A place you can save is your plane tickets! I like to fly Southwest, and they will often have very good prices to major cities with no extra fees. I can fly to LA or Florida for about the same prices, which really surprised me. The Vegas suggestion was a really great one, and your DC idea sounds wonderful too! You might see where you can fly affordably and let serendipity drive it. One time we got really great tickets on SouthWest to go to Portland and were like ok what do you do in Portland? Did you know you can fly directly to some of the places where people cruise? Like instead of cruising to the Bahamas, you could fly to the Bahamas and stay at a resort or VRBO. Ditto for San Juan, places in Mexico, whatever. If you can fly SouthWest conveniently from where you live, then just see where SouthWest flies to and explore. You could also fly to Quebec or some place in New England, as it would be GORGEOUS that time of year. Mackinac Island would be gorgeous that time of year. We went to Mackinac for our honeymoon, and it was a little slow paced for us, oops. But you can bike, eat fudge, ride the horse tours, etc, yes. The Grand Hotel has a breakfast buffet that is famous. Edited November 4, 2019 by PeterPan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I loved NYC and want to go back so bad. I also loved San Francisco. i had so much fun there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I find DC fascinating. There are so many things to choose from that can satisfy lots of different interests. The types of museums are so varied, plus I like hearing the history. The last time we went, we stayed at a very reasonably priced place with a short shuttle to the Metro. (Sorry--can't remember the name of it, but I think it was part of a chain like the Comfort Inns and Suites--comparable, anyway.) Outside the country, another option would be Iceland. I haven't been there, but I know someone who went recently and had a blast. They rented a car, drove around and saw the beautiful scenery, sat in the hot pools, looked at the glaciers, and ate the great bread. The trip was very reasonable price-wise, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendyLady Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I love DC and though we lived there for several years, we could still go back and see things we didn’t have a chance to see. I could spend a week in the National Gallery of Art!!! The metro is very easy to navigate, but there’s still a lot of walking. My in laws did one of those double decker bus tours around DC where they could get on and off at any stop. They liked that because the driver gave lots of good information about the history of the town and they were able to get dropped off and picked up right at the various stops with much less walking. You can also sign up for various smaller day tours to get more in-depth info about the monuments or Lincoln history, etc. lots of great food options downtown. Plus you could rent a car for a day or two and go see other nearby sites like Mt Vernon, Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, or drive along the AppalachianTrail. Another really fun place to visit is Niagra Falls. You could stay on the Canada side and really have a fun full vacation. We went in the summer when it was very busy, but it feels like fall could be just lovely up there! NYC! See a show or 3. Do the bus tour. Statue of Liberty! Museums! Art!! Food! Dreamy (for me, but not my hubby)(I’ll go with my sister!) We had a great time visiting the Outer Banks. The Wright Brothers! I love light houses! It was too cold to spend time sitting on the beach, but we still enjoyed the view and walking and Duck Donuts! I can’t wait to hear what you decide - I’m sure someone here will help you make the perfect plan!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 I mean, DC is easy. If you enjoy art, museums, and large monuments, do DC. The food isn't exciting as food towns go, but there is some decent food too. There are a few pretty places. Yes, Uber/Lyft when it's a bit farther out or Metro in town are the typical ways to travel here. More and more airbnbs, but there are also plenty of hotels. You don't need an especially special wardrobe for Iceland. If you have a winter wardrobe appropriate for anywhere with four seasons in the US, even somewhere with mildish winters, then you probably have a fine wardrobe for Iceland. Dh and I went at the edge of a spring eons ago and we were fine with just regular old coats. It's stunning there. I think you just have to pick what you want and go from there. When you picture the perfect getaway trip, are you driving? Are you seeing mostly nature? Mostly city? Lots of museums? Sitting on a beach? Hiking? Walking a lot? Having your meals provided? Lounging around? Eating exciting food? I'd start with those sorts of questions and go from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Also, to answer your initial question about how you choose, if you're my dh and me, apparently you talk about it off and on for a year, never get around to planning anything, and then end up spending it apart because the kids made it to the top level of a competition and needed to travel halfway across the country. Problem solved! 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 If you would be ok with a car rental and some driving, northern Michigan can be very nice. Mackinaw Island, crossing the bridge, coming back down to the traverse City area, sleeping Bear Dunes, tunnel of trees, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Ottakee said: If you would be ok with a car rental and some driving, northern Michigan can be very nice. Mackinaw Island, crossing the bridge, coming back down to the traverse City area, sleeping Bear Dunes, tunnel of trees, etc. If she does this (which would be BEAUTIFUL) just make sure she makes her reservations. Like pronto. One time my aunt/uncle went up with no reservations and they literally had to drive the WHOLE NIGHT because they couldn't find a hotel with rooms anywhere! LOL That was pre-internet. Might be easier now, lol. You know another idea, sort of in that vein, is picking a state park or national park hotel you want to be at and just saying there several days. We stayed at https://www.thelodgeatgeneva.com/stay/reservations this summer, and they have such a lovely resort style hotel with multiple hot tubs and pools, buffet, trails to walk, the beach. Nuts, on their budget they could do Yosemite. So if they want to see pretty things and walk, that's another way, finding a resort style hotel. And they'll possibly have shuttle buses to take you to things nearby or activities at the lodge. SmarterTravel › incredible-national-park-lodges-to-stay-in10 Incredible National Park Lodges in the U.S. (and the Best ... Frommer's › slideshows › 818513-the-best-national-park-lodges-in-the...The Best National Park Lodges in the U.S. - Frommer's Fodor's › news › photos › the-14-best-lodges-in-national-parks-around...The Best Lodges to Stay at in U.S. National Parks Oh wow, I'm looking at those links and really liking that idea. I'm thinking that's bucket list here. Dh would LOVE that. Edited November 4, 2019 by PeterPan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, Night Elf said: Our problem is we have no hobbies other than reading. We aren't normally traveling type people. We're homebodies. 20 years ago we went to sci-fi conventions with friends and had a blast. That no longer appeals to me. We're not necessarily water people so staying on a beach for several days holds no appeal. With a cruise ship, there are things to do. We went on a real sailing boat that had less than 50 passengers for our honeymoon and it was fun. A cruise on a liner would be so very different. We like to walk but I'm talking short trips, like walking an hour at most. Wouldn't want to spend hours on a trail. We don't like camping. We like museums just to explore. We like eating in restaurants. We like having time to read. We're not big nappers, maybe for an hour in the day if we feel tired. I always thought I wanted to go to London but now I don't remember why I felt that way. Ireland seems like it would be so pretty but what would we do? I like the idea of looking at some travel books. I'll go see what I can find on my day off from work. There is a Lewis/Tolkien tour in England. I’m dying to do that someday. ive also wanted to go to Prince Edward Island. Edited November 4, 2019 by fairfarmhand 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Come to New Orleans! You both like to read, and we have some of the best indie bookshops around (many come complete with a feline mascot to pet while you browse). You like eating at nice restaurants, and we're constantly one of the top cities for food. Whatever you like, we have it. Except Tex-Mex, we have Mexican but I'm not sure about Tex-Mex. You like pleasant walks, and we have plenty of choices. City Park is 50% bigger than Central Park in New York, it's a gorgeous setting with centuries-old oak trees and a free and fabulous outdoor sculpture garden. Also botanical garden, miniature train setup, city putt, and art museum. If you'd rather walk on the wild side, you can go to the Barataria Preserve at Jean Lafitte National Park. If you like the idea of DC, you'd probably enjoy lots of the historical stuff here. Sites, tours, museums, monuments. Streetcars, street performers, tons of art and history museums, oh of course the WW2 museum!, plenty of random things like escape rooms, tons of festivals at the right times of year. And me. I am here 😁 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 13 hours ago, fairfarmhand said: ive also wanted to go to Prince Edward Island. There are some cruises that hit PEI on their New England/Canada itineraries. Wouldn't do if you want more time. I know someone who loves to go up there and spend a week. I'm just kind of a fanatic about cruising right now, so I thought that was a happy coincidence that I could hit PEI on a cruise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 On 11/3/2019 at 6:04 PM, Night Elf said: Next October is my 25th wedding anniversary. DH and I want to do a trip somewhere. We did a sailing ship cruise for our honeymoon. We're starting to save money out of each paycheck to go towards this trip plus we'll have some other money we can use by then, so we'll have about $3000 give or take. What to do?? Cruise like Carnival or some other line? We did the Caribbean for our honeymoon. There are a few features of a large ship that would hold our attention but for the most part we'd be sitting on the deck reading books. I don't know what we'd do in a port. I looked at Carnival today and they seem to have two stops on a 5 or 6-day cruise. So would we get bored? Washington D.C. - DH hasn't been in 50 years and I've never been so we could explore together. We like the idea of the Smithsonian and the National Mall. I don't know what else we'd do. We'd fly there and use taxis. Or would Uber be better? Would we enjoy a destination like that over a cruise where we were limited to what we could do? Any other ideas? I'm clueless!! A beach would be beautiful but I'd only want one day on a beach. So if we went somewhere with a beach, there would have to be other things to do. We also like the idea of a cabin in the woods. We'd love walking trails but we won't want to walk every day for a week. We'd need other things to do. We've considered the possibility of out of the country but feel that would get even more expensive than we would like. For example, I'd love to visit Iceland but I don't have the wardrobe for it. *laugh* We could do England or Scotland or Ireland. How does one keep a trip like that on the frugal side? We can be gone up to 7 days but would prefer to not be over that. We'll have to board our dog and one week is all I can think of doing to him. Thoughts? If we could make a decision soon, we could maybe alter how much we can save so we can be better prepared. What if you stayed in Alexandria, VA? It's only a few miles from the Airport, so you wouldn't need a car. You could metro from there into DC, and if you wanted to skip the metro for a day or two, you could visit Mt. Vernon or just peruse Old Town Alexandria and check out their restaurants and bookstores. There is a river cruise on the Potomac that leaves from Mt. Vernon. There's also a restaurant there. The American Indian museum has a nice restaurant too, so you can take a break from museum browsing to eat without leaving the location. Fall is a nice time in DC. The weather could be just about anything, but it's not crowded with tourists. If you have a bonus day you can check out Baltimore or Annapolis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 DC does sound like a good choice for you. There are so many museums, memorials, and historical places to visit that you would have plenty to choose from. There tour companies to take you places, but it is very easy to traveling the metro on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) Alexandria is a great home base when you are in DC! (Lived there.) The Smithsonian is actually a system of 20 museums and galleries, with 17 of them on the Mall. So there is plenty to do! If you get tired of art galleries and museums, you can walk along the Potomac, visit little shops in Old Town Alexandria, go explore Chinatown or Georgetown...Uber around (and Metro) and have a blast! I find, for anniversary trips, it is less the place than the person I'm with 😉. Edited November 7, 2019 by Chris in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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