30th anniversary destination suggestions?

[Murphy101]

We got married in winter not thinking how winter would affect vacation:honeymoon plans.  LOL

I think I’ve narrowed down possible places to go for 3-6 days to:

Salt Lake City

DC

New York City

Atlanta, GA

Of note maybe:

Neither of us likes winter. But it’s the season we must endure it here or there. But we will not even slightly be interested in snowsking.  I like to ice skate, but Dh does not.

Pending the presentation, we would enjoy a live show, museum, zoo and the usual type indoor thing.

Dh is a major foodie. Good food that isn’t $50 a plate is a must. Would prefer to not eat at chain restaurants.

We can rent a car, but it’d be super great to not need to.

Of these city suggestions: which would you choose and what would you recommend as a not miss item for the itinerary?

[Carol in Cal.]

D)  None of the above.  I'd go to San Diego and stay at the Catamaran, right on the beach.  It is always beautiful there, the food is great, and there are city things to see within cruising range.

[Murphy101]

21 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

D)  None of the above.  I'd go to San Diego and stay at the Catamaran, right on the beach.  It is always beautiful there, the food is great, and there are city things to see within cruising range.

My mil loves loves loves San Diego. 

And if it was get in the water season - I’d be all over that idea because I love being in the water. 

Alas. My Dh does not. Like not even a little bit. He would go on maybe one dinner cruise to make me happy. Maybe.

If I’m at a beach - I’m going to be really cranky if I’m not also in the water. 

[whitestavern]

Charleston, SC and maybe add Savannah if you stretch to 6 days. Charleston is a foodie paradise!! You wouldn’t need a car in either. If Savannah, stay by the river area. You can walk everywhere or hop on a trolley. If you stay in the old part of Charleston, same thing. There are a few worthwhile museums or plantations that are outside the area. You could choose one and Uber. So loved both those cities. I’d definitely go back, and I rarely return to places I visit. 

[athena1277]

Of the choices listed, I’d pick Atlanta.  We went there for a vacation several years ago.  We got the City Pass, which includes some of the stuff you are interested in.  We stayed at a hotel right by Olympic Park, so we were able to walk to several things, including restaurants.  Still needed to drive to some places.  It will be cold in December, but not the bitter cold of the other locations.

[Frances]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

D)  None of the above.  I'd go to San Diego and stay at the Catamaran, right on the beach.  It is always beautiful there, the food is great, and there are city things to see within cruising range.

I agree except with the lodging location. I’d stay in a VRBO or AirBnb in a residential neighborhood near Balboa Park.

[Frances]

1 hour ago, Murphy101 said:

My mil loves loves loves San Diego. 

And if it was get in the water season - I’d be all over that idea because I love being in the water. 

Alas. My Dh does not. Like not even a little bit. He would go on maybe one dinner cruise to make me happy. Maybe.

If I’m at a beach - I’m going to be really cranky if I’m not also in the water. 

There is tons to do in San Diego besides going to the beach. We’ve had two wonderful winter vacations there and never went to the beach once or had any desire to do so, as I much prefer the colder beaches in OR.

[JustEm]

Dh and I are going to Puerto Rico for our 15th anniversary this winter. Flights are cheap, no passport needed, warm enough to swim, and we can hike in the rain forest. I'm very excited.

Of the places you listed, I'd go to Atlanta. Dh and I spent a few days there for a wedding and it was a nice city.

[Elizabeth86]

Winter sucks, so idk Florida? 

[mom31257]

Atlanta does have a lot to offer and isn't as cold as some places, but we loved Charleston (as someone else suggested). I would go there. 

We were homeless the summer of our  30th anniversary because we sold a house 45 days before we could close on the new one. We are educators, and, thankfully, it was summer. We hit the road and covered 8 states and 3600 miles. It was so much fun! 

[DawnM]

Following for suggestions.

Our 25th hit right at the start of Covid AND 2 months after we got a new 2 year old into our house!   

We still need to do something, although it will probably be more like a nearby lake dinner cruise because of all we have going on.

[Scarlett]

I am confused……are you attending a conference of some sort and those are the cities where you can combine that with your anniversary?  
 

I love Hot Sorings AR as a vacation spot.  Even in Winter it can be lovely….stay on Lake Hamilton. Go to a bath house.  Enjoy the downtown area.  

[lmrich]

I live in Atlanta and love it, but I think you will want a car. 

I will be the third to suggest looking into Charleston SC. If you are there for just three or four days, it will be fine without a  car. It is a lovely city and a foodie's paradise! 

[Alice]

DC would be easy without a car if you stay in the city. It’s not the most beautiful time of year here but it’s less crowded which is nice. There are the usual indoor things...all the free museums. You can ice-skate by the Sculpture Garden on the mall while dh sits and drinks hot chocolate and looks at the sculptures. There are shows...Wicked I know is coming to the Kennedy Center around Christmas and there are plenty of other options that I have been eyeing. The Zoo has a fun Zoolights event in December. There is also a fun model train exhibit at the Botanical Gardens in December. It’s not just model trains but there are buildings made out of plant material...it’s hard to explain but if you look up Seasons Greenings at Botanical Gardens you can see examples. We have gone many years and it’s really pretty cool.

If you are talking January or February, it’s probably the best time for museums which are at their emptiest then. Most homeschoolers go to the Smithsonian in January for that reason. There are a ton of food options....we like to use the Washingtonian Cheap Eats recommendations to look for things that are not as expensive. You can easily spend a ton of money but there are also a lot of cheaper options for food. Another advantage here is that most of the museums are free and so you save money that way. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by Alice

[Murphy101]

2 hours ago, Alice said:

DC would be easy without a car if you stay in the city. It’s not the most beautiful time of year here but it’s less crowded which is nice. There are the usual indoor things...all the free museums. You can ice-skate by the Sculpture Garden on the mall while dh sits and drinks hot chocolate and looks at the sculptures. There are shows...Wicked I know is coming to the Kennedy Center around Christmas and there are plenty of other options that I have been eyeing. The Zoo has a fun Zoolights event in December. There is also a fun model train exhibit at the Botanical Gardens in December. It’s not just model trains but there are buildings made out of plant material...it’s hard to explain but if you look up Seasons Greenings at Botanical Gardens you can see examples. We have gone many years and it’s really pretty cool.

If you are talking January or February, it’s probably the best time for museums which are at their emptiest then. Most homeschoolers go to the Smithsonian in January for that reason. There are a ton of food options....we like to use the Washingtonian Cheap Eats recommendations to look for things that are not as expensive. You can easily spend a ton of money but there are also a lot of cheaper options for food. Another advantage here is that most of the museums are free and so you save money that way. 

I had no idea that the museums were free or about the cheap eats! Good to know! Thanks!

[Murphy101]

5 hours ago, Scarlett said:

I am confused……are you attending a conference of some sort and those are the cities where you can combine that with your anniversary?  
 

I love Hot Sorings AR as a vacation spot.  Even in Winter it can be lovely….stay on Lake Hamilton. Go to a bath house.  Enjoy the downtown area.  

I could spend a couple days in Hot Springs and then everything I’d ever have wanted to do there would be done unless the lakes were accessible for swimming. And I HATE driving in winter in Arkansas.  It’s like they built every road as a double dog dare as winter population control. 😁

I’m hoping to get 5-7 days. And I’d like to go somewhere that it’s a direct flight from here and that we have not been before. 

[Murphy101]

4 hours ago, lmrich said:

I live in Atlanta and love it, but I think you will want a car. 

I will be the third to suggest looking into Charleston SC. If you are there for just three or four days, it will be fine without a  car. It is a lovely city and a foodie's paradise! 

I’d be fine with getting a car.  I’d just rather spend that money on fun stuff if I can, but it isn’t a deal breaker. 

[Murphy101]

15 hours ago, mom31257 said:

Atlanta does have a lot to offer and isn't as cold as some places, but we loved Charleston (as someone else suggested). I would go there. 

We were homeless the summer of our  30th anniversary because we sold a house 45 days before we could close on the new one. We are educators, and, thankfully, it was summer. We hit the road and covered 8 states and 3600 miles. It was so much fun! 

That’s sounds amazing and horrifying at the same time with current gas prices.   I suppose if you spend less than $250 for 2 days of gas/hookup, it would be break even with a cheap hotel or Airbnb though I’m not sure the gas would be that low. 

[Zinnia2]

We celebrated our 21st in NYC this summer, and it was amazing.  I loved every single minute of it, and I can't wait to go back.  We did not go to any shows, just walked the city, a museum, and lots and lots of great food.

I also love DC, and I think Atlanta is a great city, too.  No experience with the others.

[Splash1]

We spent our 30th in Saint Lucia in an all inclusive.  We really enjoyed it.  Our 40th I hope to go to Italy.   Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also on our list but not during hurricane season which is when our anniversary falls.

 

I love both NYC and Washington DC and would choose those from your list as I love museums, and history, and good food, 

[Toocrazy!!]

I think NYC or DC would be great. Big enough cities with good public transportation to do everything on your list. I love NYC! 
If you want slightly warmer weather, Charleston SC is wonderful! No zoo, but their aquarium is really nice. And the food! It’s really growing in that area. So much to offer. 
 

[Frances]

1 hour ago, Murphy101 said:

I had no idea that the museums were free or about the cheap eats! Good to know! Thanks!

Pretty much any large city will have great cheap eats options, especially for ethnic food. I always use Trip Advisor recommendations and just select the two lowest price categories and the specific neighborhoods we want. You can also filter on type of food, meal, etc. We’ve had amazing, inexpensive, non-chain food every place we’ve travelled doing this.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Frances