If candle-lit dinners and rose-strewn beds aren’t your style, these honeymoons might be for you
Using your quarantine downtime to plan your wedding or honeymoon? Or did a coronavirus pandemic-induced travel ban put your predetermined honeymoon location out of reach for now? Here are some ideas that may appeal to you, especially if traditional “romantic” destinations and rose-strewn bedding don’t do it for you.
Mini-moon
Red Mountain Resort, Utah
If you are short on time when it comes to honeymooning, make your way to Red Mountain Resort, a holistic retreat in charming St. George, for a long weekend. The gourmet meals are delicious, there is an acupuncturist on site and the list of fitness classes is extensive. Each day’s schedule is packed with activities that you and your spouse can choose, so it quite easy to squeeze a lot of fun into just a few days.
Choose from wellness activities like tai chi, music therapy or a session with a Shaman spirit guide. Top it all off with a hike in nearby in Snow Canyon State Park. Full-day excursions to Zion National Park will have you hiking some seriously amazing terrain, including The Narrows hike that has guests trekking among zebra-striped slot canyons and wading through the waters of the Virgin River.
COVID-19 status: Red Mountain Resort will reopen Sept. 3.
Glamping-moon
Reconnecting with nature doesn’t always have to involve tin-can meals and bug bites. Instead, try glamping it up, honeymoon-style with Under Canvas – so named for its luxury, safari-style tents. You’ll have all the creature comforts you need. Inside, there’s a wood-burning potbelly stove, comfy bed and bathroom. Outside, adventure is easy to come by. All glamping sites are strategically located near national parks like Grand Canyon, Zion and Yellowstone.
Days begin with a hearty breakfast in the lobby and then choose from activities like rock climbing, Jeep tours and stand-up paddleboarding. Come evening, gather around the fire pit for live music. Basically, it’s impossible to be bored.
Under Canvas camps also welcome pets (in exchange for a daily fee) so you don’t have to leave your dog behind at the kennel. However, be prepared to go off the grid: The camps don’t offer Wifi in the hopes you’ll spend your time outside with the three-dimensional people. And since the accommodations are tents, there is no A/C.
COVID-19 status: All Under Canvas locations are open and they’re also taking reservations for 2021.
Need a social distancing-friendly vacation? This is the summer to try glamping
Foodie-moon
Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla.
With pre-wedding workouts and diets a thing of the past, indulging in a culinary-focused honeymoon is the ultimate reward. The Epcot International Food Wine Festival, typically held in the fall, makes for a fun foodie vacation. If you can’t make it to the festival, you can still eat around the world any day of the year.
At the festival, there are special tastings and pairings and dining events featuring chef personalities (past chefs have included the likes of Maneet Chauhan, Rick Bayless, Rock Harper and Art Smith). The Party for the Senses is one of the most popular events.
Here you’ll mingle with well-known chefs and vintners and sample ultra-creative dishes. Plus, there are loads of hands-on workshops where you can boost your cooking cred and learn from celebrity chefs, bakers and mixologists. Not to mention, culinary demos and beverage seminars, too.
COVID-19 status: Epcot Center has been open since July 15.
Wellness-moon
Four Seasons Resort Lana’i: Lanai, Hawaii
This one will have to wait until at least October but couples will appreciate so many things about the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i, a five-diamond resort less than 10 miles off the coast of Maui.
This fancy getaway provides plenty of ways to ease into full-on relaxation mode. Start by spending breezy afternoons around the lagoon-shaped pool overlooking Hulopoe Beach, where your lunch is delivered to your lounge chair. Next, consider taking a yoga class, strolling down the beach or walking over to Sweetheart Rock, a cliffside spot where you can watch the waves roll in.
“Whether on a boat or a beach, time spent near, in, on or under water has been shown to relax our minds and bodies,” says Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, who has spent more than 20 years studying our relationship to water. “Stress chemicals are reduced and feel-good chemicals increase and heart rate and breathing rate slow.”
That said, booking a dive or fishing trip on the hotel’s luxe, high-speed boat can make a world of difference. The water is so clear and you’ll often have 100-plus feet of visibility. It’s not uncommon to come across green sea turtles, dolphins, large schools of brightly colored fish and rays. Afterward, hit the spa for a couple’s massage and dine on Japanese cuisine at cliff-side Nobu Lanai.
COVID-19 status: According to its website, Four Seasons Resort Lana’i is currently closed through September due to the pandemic and Hawaii’s quarantine mandate but is taking reservations for Oct. 1 and beyond. Out-of-state travelers can check the website for updates on when the resort will open to non-Hawaii residents.
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