Looking for ideas for a honeymoon in the USA for 14 nights..........anyone got any good ideas (And "don't do it" isn't an option!!).

Only thing is we have to have a renewal of vows ceremony there as to cut a long story short we are getting married in secret this June but as far as family are concerned we are getting married abroad next May (when said "Honeymoon" is required!)

All help greatly appreciated

Sneaky devil.........but good luck to you both. I hope that no-one finds out what you're doing before May 2013.

How about 14 days and nights in Las Vegas ?

You'd have to be a bit disappointed as a relative to fork out for a trip to a wedding in the USA, visas etc, to find out when you're stood in a church that the minister starts with "We're here to renew the vows..."

I'd start rehearsing the answer to the first question "Why didn't we get an invite to the real wedding then ?"

Pick a part of the country, and do a fly drive. Almost anywhere can be interesting. We did part of Texas (Dallas, FW, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and some little places in between those) last year and it was above our expectations.
Try to see some pro sport as part of the trip - you would be amazed at how the americans can put on a show at such an event.

Speaking as someone who two weeks ago today was stood in a chapel in Las Vegas renewing his vows, I'd recommend The Little Church of the West. It's up the top end of the strip, opposite the Mandalay Bay hotel and convention centre.

I wouldn't recommend 14 nights in Vegas though, 4 was enough for us to see pretty much everything we wanted to see. Maybe mix it in with a few nights in California taking LA and San Francisco.

Just curious to know how many years you had been married before you renewed.

I would like to renew when we have been married 20 years and would love the full "Vegas Treatment"

Tacky!!

How long has Princess Diana been dead? That was the same day we got married.

(I kid, of course I remember - 30 August 1997)

The reason we (and I use that in the loosest sense of the word) picked March 2012 is that it happened to be Mrs G's 40th birthday.

I spent the last year and a bit in Colorado and did a fair bit of road tripping/travelling. It's totally depends on what you feel like doing, are you planning on being active and hiking in parks and stuff like that or do you want to do more of a chilled out kind of thing? Some people find the big cities boring and would just want a holiday off regular tourist routes. One of the biggest surprises for me in the USA is how amazing Utah is. Anyway, I suppose I'm just asking for you to narrow it down a bit, id be happy to tell you of some great spots if I know more of what you are after.

Puget Sound WA

Just google some images to see what I mean. Having visited 38 of the 50 states, the Pacific North West is still my favourite area by far

Alaska is supposed to be really nice.

Looking for a decent big city break for a week and then somewhere more relaxing really. Am liking the vibe of San Francisco or the likes so that's some kind of starting point.

Any idea's would be great thats foe sure.

Plenty to do in Seattle WA and then plenty of scenery & coastline to visit. Puget even looks great when it's pis[is[/iing down

Las Vegas is not romantic at all, it's very tacky with a seedy underside. Some lovely places south of Los Angeles on highway 1 down towards San Diego.

As for San Francisco, just don't! Try Carmel, Salinas or the Monterrey peninsular, some lovely scenery.

San Fransisco = Widnes. Cold, damp, foggy, got a bridge, got a prison and the locals are strange.

I went last year to see my sister get married at the Forever Grand wedding chapel, in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas and ended up missing Keighley win a grand final.



I flew to Toronto, which is a fantastic city, for 4 nights. Then travelled by train to Niagara Falls, crossed the border in to the USA and got a taxi to Buffalo Airport to catch an afternoon flight to Vegas.

I had 6 nights there which was enough to be honest. Then I flew to New York for a 4 night stay.

I didn't spend too much time in San Francisco, so I can't really help there, I would agree with the Monterrey peninsula though. Its very nice. Monterrey also has a nice aquarium if you're interested in anything like that. I would feel bad about myself if I didn't recommend you try to get over to Yosemite. I've been lucky enough to see some amazing places around the world and Yosemite is right up there with the best. Cod'ead knows his stuff, the northwest is great. I know dozens of people who say Seattle is one of the nicest cities. Im not much of a city lover and even I liked it there. Oregon is nice too, my girlfriend went to college there a few years ago, she's from Colorado, which is beautiful and she left to go to Oregon, because of the scenery, so it must be outstanding. Anywhere around mt hood would be pretty cool. The trees up there are worth the trip alone. Honestly mate your spoilt for choice, I'd recommend you have a few places you definitely want to see and then get a car and enjoy exploring the places in between too.

NYC and then the mountains or Key West (the latter is very relaxing - nothing much to do but hang around and eat / drink)?

The Outer Banks in North Carolina is very nice. Great beach houses and plenty to do in the area. We've been to Jamestown and Busch Gardens.

I know this isn't the topic of the thread and you may not wish to divulge, but how come you're having a 'secret wedding' then a vowel renewal and telling everyone it's a wedding?

Widnes doesn't have the largest Chinatown outside China.
San Francisco hasn't got into Super League by virtue of a crap bid by Halifax.
Widnes doesn't have streetcars.
San Francisco doesn't smell bad.

I could go on.

I found the locals in SF to be stunningly polite and helpful, not at all what I expected, which was strange.
I found the locals in Widnes to be polite and helpful, not at all what I expected, which was strange.
So we almost agree on that bit.

SF does'nt smell?

Cannery Row and Pier 39 absolutely reek... Granted, The GG bridge is a superb piece of engineering and Alacatraz is fascinating, but, other than that, the place is a let down.

Vegas is fine for 4 days max. Drive across to Yosemite, have a few nights there, then a few nights on Death Valley and the Grand Canyon, then over to Monterrey for a week, and if you have time, a few days in Ventura, but only if the California State Fair is on. Saw shania Twain, the B52s and The Village People there a few years ago.

Absolutely staggering number of tramps in San Francisco.

I'd have to back up what Richie said about Texas. Did Dallas and San Antonio a few years ago and it was really enjoyable with loads more to do than I'd initially thought.
Can also recommend Phoenix and Tucson (flew there from San Antonio) and if you're in that area stop off for a day or so at Sedona. I'm not particularly one for staring at landscapes but even I had to appreciate how beautiful this area is. Not too far from the Grand Canyon there either.

Plus, like Richie says try and get to a sports event if you can. Been a few times, mostly to baseball (Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Florida) and whilst you might not find the sport itself that interesting the sport is only half of the whole thing. The Americans know how to put on a show and look after their spectators!

I was on my stag night that night. The wedding was on the day of the funeral.

Anywhere back to the OP, I think California is very hard to beat. Start at San Fran for 3-4 day then work down the 101. Id highly recommend the spindrift inn on cannery row (fireplaces in every room and views of monterey bay complete with sea otters) then down big sur. Despite its rep LA is fantatsic for a few days then down to sea world at san diego. Perfect fortnight