Mountainous Honeymoon Recommendations

[aweskamp]

My better half and I are getting married in Littleton this July, and we're in need of some honeymoon ideas. So far we've casted a wide net and are considering Telluride, Jackson Hole, Lake Tahoe, Anchorage/Wrangell-St. Elias, Lake Como/Zermatt, and Scotland. Do you guys have any experience with these locations or other locations you'd recommend?

Background:
- We have around 9-10 days to work with
- We are looking for places with a lot of outdoor activities, esp hiking/climbing
- But we also would like it to be based in a nice town where we can relax. In other words, she is not a camper
- Cost isn't a huge issue

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Vermont Mike]

Here's some you might want to add to the list (some require a lot of driving/not relaxing much):

Banff, Iceland (could do the Ring Road in 10 days), Norway (Wideroe Airlines offers an explore Norway ticket . . . unlimited flying throughout Norway for two weeks for $560 during July and August), Bar Harbor, Stowe, Carpathian Mountains

[huffy13]

Ouray or Lake City would be great too. Neat places to stay. But your list is pretty awesome too.

[prestone818]

Had ours in Vancouver and would highly recommend it. Awesome city with great food and things to do. Mountains are nearby with plenty of hiking options. Stawamus Chief, St Marks Summit, The Lions to name a few. More lake hikes with glacier views/hiking as you get closer to Whistler.

As far as JH...I love the area, but I wouldn't call it great for a honeymoon. Tahoe is also cool area, but I feel like hiking options are sort of limited and not as great as other destinations. Never been to Norway, but would like to check it out some day.

[SkaredShtles]

Dolomites.

/thread

[BratwurstGoblin]

My wife and I honeymooned in Kauai for 8 days last year, primarily for the awesome hiking and kayaking options coupled with relaxing towns and beautiful beaches. I can definitely make several recommendations there. Lake Como is great, but I can't speak anything for its climbing or hiking. Scotland has good hiking but less than ideal weather.

As mentioned above, I think Iceland is worthy of consideration. You can hit any number of outdoor activities, from hiking, climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, scuba/snorkeling (in drysuits), and kayaking. Hot springs abound, some of the world's wildest and most wonderful scenery, solid nightlife in Reykjavik, and peaceful, quaint villages. Plus it's cheap to get there on WOWair from the east coast. The one caveat may be lodging. Camping in many of Iceland's established campgrounds is really the way to go, or camper van, but if she's not a camper, traditional lodging can run $200/night especially in summer. I went to Iceland twice last year and there's good reason its popularity and tourism is exploding. Just love it there.

[Scott P]

Telluride

Pretty good place, with scenic mountains.

Jackson Hole

Excellent place and incredibly scenic. July will still have significant snow on the higher peaks.

Lake Tahoe

Meh. It's nice, but there are better places in the Sierra. I prefer the area along the east side of the Sierra, but farther south.

Anchorage/Wrangell-St. Elias

Excellent, but July tends to be very wet. June usually has better weather. July is still doable, but climbing conditions usually aren't prime then. Also, you can't really see much of Wrangell-St Elias if you don't want to camp. If you stay in some of the lodges around the outskirts, you may or may not ever see the mountains since you are going during the wet period. This is especially true with your short time schedule.

Lake Como/Zermatt

Very spectacular, but very EXPENSIVE, especially in July. I don't know what your budget is, but this will be the most expensive destination on your list. If you can afford it, go for it.

Scotland.

Do you like British history and castles? If that is not your main goal, know that the Scottish Highlands aren't any more scenic than the Colorado mountains. Think Trail Ridge without Longs Peak.

Maybe consider the Canadian Rockies as well. Lake Louise would be awesome and better than Tahoe or Scotland, as far as really spectacular scenery goes.

[spoony]

Have done Norway (Lofoten and Trondheim)...loved it, but the place is crazy expensive (more than Suisse). Great mountains, friendly people, crappy food, questionable weather.
Have done the lake region in Italy...great food, very romantic, but the mountains are mellow compared to high alps and there are a lot of tourists.
Have done Banff/Lake Louise area...Banff area is pretty great. Huge mountains, OK town, some cool hotels, some driving, mellow crowds (compared to Colorado, anyway), and moderate cost.
Have not done Zermatt, but have done other parts of Switzerland (Engadin Valley (St. Moritz area), Geneva, Zurich, Basel)...expensive, clean, can be romantic or sterile depending on location, great mountains, and amazing hiking.
Have done Telluride...great town, good food, you can get good deals, closer to home, limited mountain options unless you're willing to drive a little.

Have done Scotland, but never with significant other. Fun people, marginal weather, less "alpine" than other places on your list. Better for golf and pubs, IMHO.
Haven't been to JH in 15 years and never with my significant other.

Other thoughts (based on places I have been and enjoyed with my significant other): Annecy, France (good mountains, great food, cheaper than Suisse) or Salzburg, Austria (get your classical music on).

[robby40]

Kürsinger Hütte in Austria. I took my bride there. She is not a camper and she enjoyed it, or at least she didn't divorce me right then. Absolutely beautiful hike from the valley up to the hut along a stream in alpine meadows with cows with bells. When I was there is was leave shoes/boots at the door, a mat with blankets on the floor for each person to sleep on (I presume it is more fancy now, it is definitely a lot bigger) and beginning at midnight the quiet rumble of people getting up to climb Großvenediger and be back by 10AM or mid-day before the glacier gets too soft. There is simple, hearty food available for meals, beer and assorted necessities. It is not roughing it at all and has a very lovely communal feel about it. It is close to Innsbruck and the Südtirol/Alto Adige province of Italy, with its beautiful mountains, wonderful wine and is part of or pretty darn close to the heart of the Dolomites. An adventure trip, however not roughing too badly, and do not have to take along a bunch of hiking/climbing/camping/sleeping gear. Other huts would be awesome too.

http://www.kuersinger-huette.at/

https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Austrias ... 898866405/

[tlongpine]

Dolomites.

/thread

This.

Started our honeymoon in the Dolomites; ended in NW Sicily.