Maybe you yearn to relax after the wedding, but your fiancé is anxious to go out on the town. Or perhaps you want exotic spa treatments, but your hubbie-to-be adores extreme sports. Don't worry. You don't have to take separate honeymoons. We've gathered a few ideas that will please travelers of all stripes.
Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Couples visiting The Springs Resort & Spa ( pagosahotsprings.com ) in Pagosa Springs will find luxuries while nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Those seeking elegance can reserve the "O" Suite, which R.D. Whittington, vice president of sales and marketing, describes as perfect for honeymooners, with its king bed, hot tub, oversized living room, gas fireplace, private sauna and balcony. The hotel will add a romance package that includes champagne, massages, truffles and more. A variety of restaurants are within walking distance, including the Coloradan-Asian fusion restaurant Alley House; it's located in a restored cottage built in 1912 ( alleyhousegrille.com ).
Couples have access to the famous hot springs 24 hours a day, as well as a full-service spa. Through the hotel, you can book adventure packages with Wilderness Journeys Pagosa ( wildernessjourneyspagosa.com ), which include exploring Pueblo ruins, touring an 1890s mining town, mountain biking, fly fishing, river rafting and hot-air ballooning.
Monterey, Calif.
For dramatic romance, head to Chateau Coralini ( chateaucoralini.com ) in Monterey, a stunning coastal spot south of San Francisco. The resort and spa is in an 1891 mansion, which scheduled a wedding as its very first event. After the 2008 restoration of the mansion, it once again hosted a wedding first. You can order couples' treatments at the chateau's day spa.
Just minutes from the inn are all kinds of activities: The River Road Wine Trail ( river roadwinetrail.com ) features 12 wineries open for tastings. Nearby is the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (mazdaraceway.com), which features both car and motorcycle races. Monterey is close to the famous Pebble Beach golf courses. Couples can also indulge in kayaking, hiking and whale watching. And if you're lucky, you may spot Clint Eastwood at Mission Ranch ( missionranchcarmel.com ), his hotel and restaurant in nearby Carmel.
Cleveland, Ohio
If you're up for a road trip, the region around Cleveland is full of entertaining diversions. Start at the J. Palen House ( jpalenhouse.com ) in the up-and-coming Ohio City neighborhood. This inn is a restored Victorian home that serves a sumptuous three-course breakfast every morning. Innkeeper Scott West notes that although the house is old, all of its rooms are newly restored with hot tubs in the bathrooms. Within walking distance are a few innovative restaurants, including The Flying Fig ( theflyingfig.com ), which serves locally produced food, and Momocho Mod Mex ( momocho.com ), a funky joint that offers atypical versions of Mexican food. Although J. Palen House isn't right downtown, it's less than a half-mile from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ( rockhall.com ), several theaters and venues for both nightlife and sports.
Once you've had your fill of city living, drive a half-hour to the Walden Inn and Spa ( yourwalden.com ) in Aurora; there, you can trade city chic for country relaxation. The Walden Inn offers a full spa, trails for horseback riding, a golf course, a tennis course and a swimming pool, along with spacious suites with king beds, hot tubs and fireplaces. The inn also provides special amenities, among them a private theater where couples can watch a movie and snack on fresh popcorn and wine.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Iguazu Falls
Spend half your honeymoon wining, dining and exploring Buenos Aires, then hop a bus or flight to Iguazu Falls for a breathtaking encounter with nature. Buenos Aires is Argentina's largest city, with lots of history, great restaurants and a rich nightlife. Stay at The Glu Hotel ( thegluhotel.com ), a chic boutique hotel in trendy Palermo Soho, a neighborhood of restaurants, shops and artists' studios. Spend your days visiting buildings that date to the late 1500s, then tango until dawn at one of city's many nightclubs.
After you've experienced the city, head to Iguazu Falls, a network of 275 different waterfalls that stretch along a 2-mile rim shared by Brazil and Argentina. You can see both the Argentine side, with a close view of the falls, and the Brazilian side, where the view is more panoramic. Stay at Hotel das Cataratas (hoteldascataratas.com), the only hotel in Iguazu National Park in Brazil. You can splurge on a room with a balcony overlooking the falls, and if you're adventurous, go rafting or rappelling in the park.
