A Few Places to Consider for Your Honeymoon

Finally! The wedding is over. Phew! Now, you can relax for a few days, maybe longer, and the two of you can unwind and do what you want when you want and make very few decisions.

The honeymoon is the very first thing (OK, almost the very first thing) you'll embark on as a married couple and it will help set the tone of your married life. It's very important whether it's just a weekend in a special place, a week on a tropical island somewhere, or ___?

Here are a few destinations to consider.

We'll start with my personal fave - the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. I'd only suggest two nights but Yosemite is a spectacular place to visit, so if you live in California or are coming here for your honeymoon, this grand old lodge is a great spot to visit. This is a magnificent old lodge, built in 1927, but, unfortunately, in recent years, the rooms have been found somewhat wanting, so here is a solution. Plan on staying outside the park (I'd suggest Ducey's Lodge at Bass Lake, about 30 minutes from the southern entrance on Hwy. 41) and go and have a drink and walk through the hotel and the grounds. You might see if you can get a reservation for lunch or dinner but it's usually reserved only for guests staying at one of the Yosemite hotels or campgrounds. I go there every time I visit the park. (I'm less than 90 minutes away.) If you stay at Ducey's you can easily drive into the park on two days and see most of the highlights and drive back down each night. Bass Lake is a wonderful, small lake with water sports available, a few gift shops, movie theatre, etc. The food at Ducey's is excellent and the rooms are very, very nice - ask for a room with a lake view. After you check out of Ducey's (or wherever you stay), you can go back through Yosemite and out another highway - one, closed in winter, will take you into the high country over Tioga Pass and into the Lake Tahoe area, another will take you towards Sacramento. Or, you could head down into Fresno and go south and visit Kings Canyon and/or Sequoia National Parks. These three parks are all different and each is wonderful in its own way. (Visit www.webportal.com/ahwahnee for details.)

Next, I'd consider the "city by the bay," San Francisco. It has something for everyone - you can take tours, munch on a shrimp cocktail at Fisherman's Wharf, go on long walks, shop, dine at fantastic four and five star restaurants, take a cable car ride, or, just relax and do nothing at all. I'd suggest a hotel near the wharf so you can take in bay views and be close to several interesting shops and eateries. If you're flying in, don't rent a car - San Francisco has a great bus system, plus the cable cars, and taxis are less expensive than paying parking lot charges to park your car. Be sure to take the elevator up to the 52nd floor which is the top of the Bank of America building and check out the view. (I would go at sunset.) Men will need to be in a coat and tie if you want to enjoy a drink or a meal at the Carnelian Room. You can go horseback riding in Golden Gate Park and also rent boats there at Stowe Lake. And, tea at the Japanese Tea Garden while you're in the park, is great fun. Enjoy a shrimp or crab cocktail as you roam through Pier 39 or Fisherman's Wharf. You might even want to grab a loaf of that yummy sour dough French bread to snack on back in your hotel room. Take a cable car and ride it to the end of the line where you can help turn the car around before hopping back on for the return trip. (Check out www.theinsider.com/SF for more information.)

Looking for a tropical island? What about the Bahamas? On this group of islands, you can relax to your heart's content in the Outer Islands, then hop over to Nassau/Paradise Island for some casino action. You can opt to stay at the Atlantis, a megaresort with over 2000 rooms, several restaurants and lounges, water sports, a casino and a spa. Or, you can choose a small private hotel to relax more privately, such as The Pink Sands on tiny Harbour Island. This hotel has only 25 private cottages, each nestled among lush gardens, and has the only beach on the entire island. The sand is an expanse of creamy pink, and the water graduates from shades teal to navy blue. The best way to get around this island is by golf cart or bicycle. To enjoy the true Bahamian spirit, grab that rum punch to sip and enjoy the crooning of local musicians. (Go to Bahamas.com for additional information.)

What about heading south, waaay south, all the way to - Argentina! This country is a lot like Europe was in the 1920's. In Buenos Aires, you'll stroll along the wide tree-lined avenues, enjoy a latte in a cozy café, and stay in a grand hotel. When you tire of visiting the "Paris of South America," you can head off to sample the Austral summer wines, or travel towards the edge of the Amazon and enjoy the warm mist at Iguaçu Falls. Or try Patagonia to see the ice blue glaciers. And, everywhere you go in this warm and friendly country, you'll hear the romantic and passionate notes of the tango - and you'll know you're "Not in Kansas" anymore but in Argentina. (Visit www.argentinadiscover.com for more details.)

Hopefully, I've given you a few spots to look at.

Happy honeymooning!