Honeymoon planning

Mac and I threw several ideas around during our honeymoon planning stage while he was still deployed. I voted for an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. He suggested a cruise. I began pricing out the different options and looking at dates. We also talked about going on vacation when he got home from Afghanistan.

We then shifted our travel plans to a nice trip around the holidays. Given our passion for Virginia Tech (and our pending reappearance in the ACC championship game), I looked at cruises leaving from Miami after the Orange Bowl. Our past performances in the ACC championship game obviously led me to believe that we would win. Whoops. After watching Clemson play defense for only the second time that season, we realized Miami was out. We figured we’d once again play in the Chick Fil A Bowl.

Bowl selection day was tense across the Hokie Nation, and rumors swirled of a pending Sugar Bowl bid. UVA’s bid to the Chick Fil A Bowl essentially confirmed the rumors, and Virginia Tech was tapped to play in the Sugar Bowl. New Years and a bowl game in New Orleans? Yes, please. I quickly hashed out a plan with my friends, Ashley and Lauren, and we bought tickets and booked a hotel in the French Quarter. We decided to spend the better part of a week in New Orleans and had a blast. Unfortunately, our little vacation was not cheap. Mac and I spent close to $3000 for everything.

So how does this story relate to our honeymoon planning? Mac and I still wanted to take a proper honeymoon after the wedding (since it was six months after the Sugar Bowl trip). But where? Even with 60% off sales and a military discount, all-inclusive resorts aren’t cheap for a week. Throw in flights and possible hotels en route, and we were looking at another pricey vacation. Cruises aren’t much better.

But wait. We live in North Carolina where you can drive from the beach to the mountains in a few hours on one interstate. I mentioned a “stay-cation” to Mac, and he was interested. Neither of us has been to the Outer Banks. Honeymooning in the Outer Banks checks the blocks of a warm, beachy destination without breaking the bank too much. It’s also driving distance from Fayetteville (about four hours).

Senior year Spring Break introduced me to the wonderful world that is vacation rentals. I checked out Home Away, whom we used to find our Spring Break house. The Outer Banks have a lot of home and condo rentals, but a fair number are for large parties (if you’re looking for a family trip, check them out). Eventually, we found a house with three bedrooms that was only $750 for the week. I visited the Outer Banks official website and requested a travel guide. Our local AAA office also has the guides (free with our AAA membership). Now to plan an itinerary.