1 of 3
Image courtesy Central Coast Outdoors
2 of 3
Photo by Pierre Chouinard
3 of 3
If lying on a beach is your thing, then by all means, find some blue water and pull up a blanket. Drain the battery on your Kindle, sip a drink with a little umbrella in it, watch the sun set and do it all again the next day. It'll be paradise. But have you ever considered getting off the beaten path a bit? My wife and I recently returned from our adventurous honeymoon in Costa Rica, and here are a few more ideas meant to get couples out experiencing the first of many adventures to come. Looking for derring-do? Start here.
Bike California
Northern coast to San Francisco. San Francisco to L.A. Two days, four days or eight. Central Coast Outdoors co-owner John Flaherty says his bike-excursion company is extremely flexible and can include "whatever you want" for a two-wheeled tour of California's striking coastline. Costs range from $300 to $500 per person per day, which includes lodging. "We work with your budget and could do it for even less," he says. "And if the sky's the limit, it can obviously be more." centralcoastoutdoors.com
Explore Costa Rica
Check out the lush greenery and lava around Arenal volcano, dive in the spectacular waters of the southern Pacific Coast, or simply drive around in terror and experience the country's lack of driving laws. And how about a local connection? Book your trip through a Costa Rican online travel company started by 1997 University of Richmond grad Casey Halloran. vacationscostarica.com
Around the World With Alex Trebek
Yes, you read that correctly. You can fly with the host of Jeopardy! (who happens to be a geography buff) around the Earth, in a specially outfitted Boeing 757, for 24 days. Price tag? $140,000 for a couple. This specific excursion runs from Feb. 19 to March 14, 2013. Considering that this adventure is out of reach for most, you might consider building your own Trebek-less trek for quite a bit less. National Geographic Expeditions — an online adventure-travel agency — has plenty of worldwide thrills to choose from, each created with the knowledge of the publication's writers, researchers and photographers.
nationalgeographicexpeditions.com
Pick an Adventure
Jetsetter is the vacation-planning equivalent of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Browse their pre-built trip collections, or piece together your own custom voyage. You can also find "flash sales" aplenty on resorts and excursions, and visiting jetsetter.com/advice will put you in touch with a human being to help you create your trip. Hang-gliding and samba dancing in Brazil? An LGBT-friendly trek to Alaska? No problem! jetsetter.com
Pack Your Puppy
Unless you have friends or family willing to accept a pet for a week or more, chances are you'll be boarding [insert your dog's name here]. Bringing him or her along will force you to get out and explore a few times a day. Check pet-friendly destinations and accommodations all across the world at BringFido.com. The site also offers tips and reviews on how to fly with a pet, though I will say stuffing our pup in a cargo hold sounds rather alarming. bringfido.com
Fancy Ride
It's unlikely you can afford to purchase a Ferrari or Lamborghini (if so, call me), but renting one for the day is within reason. It may be a splurge, but hey, it's your honeymoon. Costs range from about $300 for a day for a pimped-out BMW or Mercedes all the way up to $1,600 for a flashy Ferrari Italia. Let your inner hip-hop mogul run wild. (If you head to Miami, you'll need to book far in advance.) gothamdreamcars.com
