Wednesday 20 April 2011

Honeymoon!


Today was an exciting day because we finally got around to booking our honeymoon.  After months of umm-ing and aah-ing over exactly where in America we want to go (I've never been, and it's full of great places), we decided just to make a decision and stick with it.

So the plan is as follows:
1. We are flying into Las Vegas first, where we will be staying at the Venetian hotel in their luxury suite for three nights.  And fabulously tacky it looks too, I can't wait to ride the gondola!
2. During this time we will take an excursion to the Grand Canyon.  This is the only part yet to be booked, I'm thinking helicopter breakfast?  We are going in August, so it will be hot.
3. After three nights in Vegas we are flying to Houston, Texas, where we pick up a rental car.
4. We then have 19 glorious days to see as much as we can of the Southern States.  As Houston is on the Louisiana side of Texas, we're going to definitely go to New Orleans.
5. After 19 days, we have to be in Nashville to return the car and fly back to London.

I'm still not great on distances, but there are several ways we can get to Nashville, some short some long.  American friends or people who have visited the South, how much can we realistically hope to get done in 19 days?  Tom's only sticking point is that he must see Graceland (Memphis) and my sticking point was Nashville, which is the end-point anyway.  We are both into history and sight-seeing and I fancy seeing some Gone-With-The-Wind-Style plantations and houses and of course the Mississippi river.  Tom absolutely loves blues music and wants to soak up some Southern atmosphere.

I'm so excited now that we have actually booked.  I've travelled all over Europe but have never actually been outside of the continent (long-haul flights = expensive, but that's OK for a honeymoon).  Tom's only ever been to Florida as a child to do Disneyland and all the Theme Parks, so it's new and exciting for both of us.

14 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful honeymoon planned!

    Cannot help you out with where to go - though look forward to all the photos!

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  2. You can do quite a lot in 19 days. My family used to live in South Carolina and every summer we would drive to San Antonio (mid-Texas, about 3 hours further west than Houston). It took about two days to drive the whole thing. From San Antonio to New Orleans takes about 8-10 hours. There's lots of empty space, and plenty of highways, so if you find spots on a map you want to spend in daytrips, you should have no problem fitting it all in. :)

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  3. Oh! And if you drive from Houston to New Orleans on I-10, you will not only see the Mississippi, you will go on the longest bridge either in the US or the world (can't remember which). It's about 20 miles long. :D

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  4. You should definitely do teh champagne breakfast helicopter to the Grand Canyon! I did it a few years ago when I was in Vegas and it was AMAZING!! SO great to see the Grand Canyon from above and below...and you get to see a place in the Canyon you can't get too otherwise.

    Sounds like you have a fabulous honeymoon ahead of you - I'm jealous! :)

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  5. Amanda, that is good news. In my head America is massive and we were worried about fitting things in. But I know the roads are better than here and less crowded, so that should help. I could be 8-10 hours getting out of London sometimes :P

    We will definitely bear the Houston-New Orleans route in mind, that sounds good. I'm a bit of a geek so the longest bridge in the world does have a certain appeal!

    Thanks for the info :)

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  6. You're welcome! I will warn you about Houston - it's massive and the traffic there is horrible. If you drive out of it between 6 and 10 am or between 4 and 7 pm, you will be stuck in rush hour for hours. We always try to avoid peak times in Houston. :D

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  7. How exciting - and enjoy the "travelling hopefully" until you actually set off, as well. It strikes me that with all the US blogging contacts you've made there will be some excellent sources of advice around here!

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  8. How exciting! Only few months away =)

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  9. That sounds exciting. You'll be seeing more of the South than I have-- and I live here. Just kidding. I think you can get a lot done in that amount of time. I would suggest looking up road routes from New Orleans and such-- because as someone stated before, there will be A LOT of empty spaces and you don't want to spend all your vacation time in the car. If you stick to New Orleans and then head to Alabama and make your way to Tennessee- you'll be fine. Tennessee is one of my favorite Southern states. Nashville & Chattanooga are great. And the rolling hills - just beautiful. If you make it to Atlanta- let me know! I can always show you around ;)

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  10. awesome! swing up to nj and say hi, haha. really though, that sounds like a fun way to spend a honeymoon!

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  11. If you want to do some sightseeing in Houston, I recommend the Museum of Fine Arts. You can check out their exhibits online and even purchase tickets for any events you'd like to see. There is also the Menil Collection and the Museum of Modern Art.
    And there is a ton of shopping and great restaurants.
    But once you get out of Texas, everything is very close in relation! It just can seem like Texas goes on for soooo long!

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  12. How exciting to be planning your honeymoon! I'd love to visit the US when I'm older :)

    Thanks for your birthday wishes on my blog! Also, I really hope you enjoy The Lady In The Tower. I've got that one too and it's fantastic. I had a look at the Kindle spring spectaculur and have seen a few bargains so I'll probably buy a few books if I get a kindle for my birthday. Thank you for mentioning it!

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  13. How exciting. It will bring the day much closer I am sure!!!

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  14. Just found your blog today and wanted to tell you of a historical place to visit in Louisiana.... Close to the Mississippi/Louisiana state line, is a town called Delhi on Interstate 20. About 15 miles north is Poverty Point, the 2nd oldest civilization in North America. The people built mounds and today, you can tour the ruins of their mounds, including and Eagle-shaped mound. It's an amazing experience! Congrats on the marriage!

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