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Posted by: da40971 on 2009-07-07, 03:41:37
There is a secluded lodge in Olympic National Park. British Columbia coastal towns are lovely. (And you can have high tea in Victoria and visit the gorgeous Butchart Gardens.) The best Chinese restaurants outside of Hong Kong are in the Richmond suburbs of Vancouver, Canada. Try the restaurant Karin. Go to the San Juans on the ferry from Anacortes for the day for whale watching. They have a nice whaling museum and many of the better, smaller boats have marine biologists on staff. I always stay somewhere where there is a mini-bar fridge. Many places will give you a small refrigerator at no charge if there is no mini-bar. The budget motels will do this. (Sigh.) I take the cold things out of the mini-bar and put in my own yogurt, milk for coffee, cheese, fruit, etc. I bring a stick of butter, packs of raw sugar from Starbuck's, packs of decent mustard, and some good ham. Because I am a coffee freak, I bring some good ground coffee--half a bag or so from the local supermarket--and a portable filter to put over a coffee mug. And I throw some filters in my bag. An artisan bread, a hand-operated can opener, a beer opener, a wine opener, two spoons, two forks, and two serrated steak knives (pack in your check-in luggage if you are flying). Add a bar of Ivory Soap or liquid so you can wash your clothes in the tub or sink. With a long cheap plastic clothesline, you can usually find a place to hook it up in the room and toss the clothes on it so they will dry while you are out having fun. You can buy more food and snacks at a local grocery store. Remember to put the unused mini-bar drinks, etc., back into the fridge before you leave. Bring a bottle of wine. If you enjoy a particular cocktail, buy a plastic flask and bring your own vodka, tequila, gin, whatever. Add cold orange juice from the 7-11 and you are good to go. Or rum and Coke. It's your honeymoon. When you make some of your own meals and drinks, you save a lot of money. Eat out for lunch. Lunch is always a better value than dinner. Then you can have a picnic supper. This may seem like a lot of stuff to bring, but on your honeymoon, how many clothes do you actually need? And if you get cold, you can always pop by Goodwill for a jacket or a sweater. More options: Tour the Oregon and Washington wine country. There are almost always free wine tastings. You can catch a show at Chateau Ste. Michelle (reserve in advance) or see a free show at one of the less fancy (but just as good) wineries. Columbia valley wineries are producing some fine wines now. And go to the casino at Mulkleshoot or Snoqualmie or wherever for one evening, just to see the scene. The food is terrible, so eat before you go. I usually set a $10 or $20-dollar limit per person. (I'm not a gambler. This is just for people watching and having fun.) Stay away from the table games. The employees usually know where the best nickel slots are and if you ask them quietly, they'll tell you. Get one of the no-cost membership cards. It gives you some benefits (I once got to play tic-tac-toe with a chicken for free) and you can always toss the card after you leave. And sometimes they have pretty good concerts at no charge. Unfortunately, there is very limited smoke-free space at these casinos. (Last time we went, maybe about six months ago, my friend broke even and I won $90. She pouted so I bought her a very gooey brownie and a glass of Port.) Check The Stranger and The Seattle Weekly for indie bands coming to or hailing from the Seattle area to play at places like Neumo's, El Corazon, etc., when you will be in the area. Tickets are very inexpensive for some great shows. Try the Seattle Underground Tour (reservations are required and it really is under ground, not weird underground XXX stuff). The aquarium down from Pike Place Market is lots of fun and not overwhelming. And then you can walk up the hill and have a great, satisfying, relatively inexpensive lunch at the Crumpet Shop. I like the soup of the day and crumpets with gooseberry preserves. There is a good Mexican restaurant in the market, too. I just can't remember the name. If I were you, I'd pack my passports (so you can go to Canada and come back in), and poke along and drive the backroads from Oregon to Seattle and then over to the Peninsula or Canada as the spirit moves you. There's also Bellingham, and Gold Bar, and the falls at Snoqualmie, and too many other wonderful places to mention. Check Lonely Planet for places to stay. Check UW for students digs where they might be willing to put you up for a few days if you want a base in Seattle. Do your due dilligence on this; know as much as you can about the residents. Be flexible and enjoy. And if your budget allows it, try to spend one night at a 4- or 5-star hotel with a Jacuzzi tub, thick towels, comfy beds, and a view. (You don't have to eat at the hotel.) I recently stayed in a great room at the Four Seasons in Vancouver for less than U.S. $100 a night. Use Trip Advisor on the web to help narrow the choices. Find out when it is a slow night for the hotel. Then call the hotel directly and ask for the concierge or the manager on duty. Sweet-talk them and tell them that it's your honeymoon. "We only want to stay at your elegant hotel for one extra-special night to remember. It's all we can afford. What is the best rate you can offer us? " If your finacee could make soft, sniffling noices in the background, this might help. (Or not.) If you think they are giving you a good rate, charge it on your credit card, but check the cancellation policy first. Then go online and see if you can do any better. But for this one night, my best advice is to approach the hotel directly. Best wishes to the bride, congratulations to the groom, and may you have a long and happy life together. |
