honeymoon

Affordable West Coast Honeymoon Idea – Little Creek Casino Resort

 in Honeymoon Destinations / Honeymoon Ideas / Travel  tagged honeymoon / Seattle / travel / West Coast Honeymoon by

You’ve picked out your dress. Decided on matching wedding bands. Sampled a dozen or so dishes from the catering hall. Maybe even fought a little bit about the ice sculpture.

Now it’s time to think about your honeymoon. It’s your hard-earned reward after months of decision making.

But don’t forget – you have to plan that as well!

If an affordable West Coast honeymoon is on your radar, you might want to consider Little Creek Casino Resort.

For true immersion into the Pacific Northwest, Little Creek Casino Resort provides the distraction-free escape that newlyweds desire, with premium two-room suites running around $255 a night and access to their top-ranked golf course and luxurious spa just steps away.

Only one hour outside from Seattle, Little Creek is a full-amenity resort tucked into the Kamilche Valley. The resort features a spectrum of lodging choices, including 90 newly remodeled rooms. The revamped accommodations showcase increased living space, new décor, bedding, enlarged bathrooms with towel warmers and glass walk-in showers. Owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, beautiful Native American design is reflected in each room’s style and colors which complement the artwork featured throughout the resort.

Located on the South Puget Sound, Little Creek serves some of the freshest seafood in the Pacific Northwest. The popular Squaxin Island Seafood Bar offers favorites like local Dungeness crab and ocean-fresh oysters. Honeymooners can enjoy their evenings visiting the Skookum Spirit Cigar and Wine Lounge, where a variety of choices await and live music is played on weekends. Their casino sets the standard for gaming excitement in Western Washington, as it features the latest in electronic and table gaming with both smoke and smoke-free casino floors.

Salish Cliffs Golf Club is a notable amenity at Little Creek recently named to Golfweek’s “2018 Best Courses You Can Play in Washington”. Traversing 300 feet of elevation change, Salish Cliffs offers a pure golf setting that is free of homes, parallel fairways and other hindrances. With bentgrass greens, tees, and fairways, this par-72 championship course offers a memorable, and very fun, round for all golfers.

Seven Inlets is the ideal retreat, incorporating local Native American healing elements and design for a truly Western Washington inspired spa experience. A 50-minute couple classic Swedish couples massage is comfortably priced at $160. Seven Inlets offers a relaxing collection of massage therapies, organic facials and body treatments that incorporate seasonal, all-natural products.

Guests can book Little Creek’s “Stay and Relax” or “Romance Package” to truly enjoy the romantic treat of an affordable West Coast honeymoon.

**Content provided by Little Creek Casino Resort.

Honeymoon Destinations – The Caribbean’s Bonaire

 in Honeymoon Destinations / Honeymoon Ideas / Travel  tagged Bonaire / honeymoon / honeymoon destinations / honeymoon ideas / travel by

Honeymoon destinations are getting harder to tell apart. More and more honeymoon destinations have fallen victim to over commercialization. Most tend to have similar atmospheres. One resort may look like another, which looks like yet another, and so on. While many new brides and grooms might not care, others may be looking for a truly unique spot. In this world, there are those who cannot live without McDonald’s and Starbucks. There are also many who feel comfortable all alone on a deserted beach. As “they” say – to each their own.

In past articles, I’ve featured Belize as one of THE honeymoon destinations that should be on your list. And it still should be. But recently I have also come across another extremely beautiful place that should be STRONGLY considered as well – Bonaire! It may actually just have moved into first place on our list!

Bonaire is of the last remaining Caribbean islands that still has an exciting “undiscovered” feel. While its neighbors Aruba and Curacao have many of the amenities that most modern Americans are used to – like the aforementioned McDonald’s and Starbucks, Bonaire is much less developed. You won’t find any of the sprawling resorts or big hotel chains that populate most of the region. In fact, the pink flamingo population rivals that of actual humans. Traffic lights are also non-existent. Very few building are higher than a palm tree. Bonaire is committed to conservation, so local powdery beaches, amazing coral reefs and picturesque tropical vegetation all remain unspoiled. Imagine that!

Sound interesting?

Bonaire also has one of the mildest climates in the Caribbean. It only rains an average of 22 inches a year. An easterly trade wind helps keep you cool. Both water and air temperatures hover around a constant 80 degrees. Bonaire is also located outside of the area’s hurricane belt. So you won’t have to worry about your honeymoon being spoiled during the storm season. Just thirty miles east of Curacao and fifty miles north of Venezuela, Bonaire can be reached with a direct flight out of Newark or Houston (via United Airlines), and on Delta Airlines out of Atlanta. Short flights also take off out of Aruba and Curacao.

If being underwater is your style, Bonaire is a diver’s dream. In fact, it’s basically a sea lover’s dream in general. There’s plenty of boating opportunities, kayaking, wind surfing and deep sea fishing. Should you find yourself too water logged, then feel free to stay on land to bike or hike. Heck – just plant yourself on a beach! Whatever your activity, it’s available in Bonaire.

Still sound interesting?

If Bonaire sound like it belongs on your list of honeymoon destinations, then please consider our friends at Harbour Village. Harbour Village offers Dutch-Caribbean styles suites with the same privacy as a residential stay. There’s fine dining with magnificent waterside views. A five-star PADI dive shop. Boat charters, island tours or other types of excursions can be planned for you by the Harbour Village concierge. Need to relax after months of wedding planning? Then you’ve come to the right place for stress free relaxing as well.

For more information on Harbour Village Beach Club, visit harbourvillage.com or call 1-800-424-0004.

***Images courtesy of Harbour Village.

10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Belize

 in Travel  tagged Belize / honeymoon / travel / vacation / wedding planning by

belize-mayan-wedding-12-12-12

In case you didn’t know, Belize is a small coastal country in Central America. After reviewing and featuring dozens upon dozens of honeymoon or vacation destinations, we’ve found that Belize is a lesser-known treasure. It’s easy to get to and very affordable. So when considering your perfect honeymoon spot – why not put Belize on your list?

Here are ten facts that you probably didn’t know about this very cool country:

  1. As of February, 2016, the Belize currency exchange is extremely easy for American visitors. The Belize dollar is locked at $2 Belize for every $1 USD. Basically – you double your money. So it’s pretty simple to see how much something costs in USD when you go shopping.
  2. Almost everyone speaks English in Belize; it’s the only English language-speaking country in Central America. While English is the official language of Belize, Kriol is the language that the natives all speak as well. So save your money on that online Spanish class. You’ll be able to communicate just fine!
  3. The climate is always just right! With an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C), it’s always warm, yet still comfortable. Costal sea breezes along with jungle rain forests keep you cool even in the hottest summer months. Even in winter (November-March) the temperature in Belize rarely falls below 60°F (16°C), while the summer (May-September) is around 86°F (30°C). Worried about your hair frizzing? Humidity is also fairly consistent at around 85 percent. Overall, the climate is pretty much near perfect. So don’t pack your boots or mittens. It’s all flip-flops and shorts.
  4. Like cats? I mean – really BIG cats? Belize has the only Jaguar reserve in the world, otherwise known as Cockscomb Basin Wildlife sanctuary.
  5. Like fast food? Sorry, you may be out of luck. Popular franchises such as McDonalds, KFC and Burger King cannot be found. You’ll have to stick with fresh local food and great weather. A typical Belizean lunch might include tamales, meat pies, seafood, cassava, garnaches (fried tortillas with beans, cheese and sauce), panades (fried maize shells with beans or fish), chirmole (soup), coleslaw, escabeche (onion soup) and vegetables
  6. Do you snorkel or scuba dive? The Barrier Reef is Belize’s top tourist destination and in 2014, it attracted over 300,000 visitors, which is about the same as the official population of the country. The reef is also vital to Belize’s fishing industry.
  7. Are you a bird watcher? Over 540 species of our little feathered friends have been recorded in Belize.
  8. Get your monkey on! Belize’s Black Howler Monkeys are one of the top 10 loudest animals in the world.
  9. There are two seasons in Belize – rainy season (May to November) and dry season (February to May).
  10. Whale sharks, which are harmless to humans, are also spotted in Belize waters. The best time to watch for them is in the spring. Whale sharks are actually quite gentle and can be playful with divers. See? Not all sharks are man-eaters. The biggest risk associated with swimming with whale sharks is being accidentally hit with one of their big tail fins. Keep your eyes open!

Have we peaked your interest about Belize? Feel free to contact our friend Lara at RomanticTravelBelize.com to arrange for the honeymoon or vacation of a lifetime.

Where Will You Go for Your Honeymoon?

 in Travel  tagged honeymoon / travel / vacation by

Need an idea for your honeymoon? After all, you’ve picked out your rings (or have you?), your wedding dress, the color that you’re making the bridesmaids wear, a menu designed to please EVERYONE, and hundreds of other details that you never even though about. But after it’s all over – where will you go?

Check out our Pinterest board – Favorite Places and Spaces. We add to it every day, so be sure to visit frequently.

[pin_board url="https://www.pinterest.com/weddingringblog/favorite-places-spaces/" size="custom" image_width="100" board_width="900" board_height="450"]

Need Help Choosing Your Perfect Honeymoon Spot?

 in Wedding Planning  tagged destinations / honeymoon / wedding planning by

Perfect honeymoon destination

Choosing the perfect honeymoon getaway can one of the toughest wedding-related decisions you make. It ultimately comes down to how you would like to spend your first days as a newlywed couple. What do you enjoy –  lazy sun bathing on a Caribbean island, visiting historic landmarks, or zip lining through a tropical forest? How to Choose the Perfect Honeymoon Spot details the most popular honeymoon locations in terms of price, ratings, and overall newlywed experience.

**Image courtesy of Huffington Post/damien_p58 / Flickr.

Belize: An Affordable Slice of Paradise

 in Travel  tagged Belize / honeymoon / travel by

Belize

Once the wedding is over, the ice sculpture has melted and the gifts have been safely put away, it’s obviously time for the honeymoon. But with today’s challenging economy, traveling to a far off exotic location may be difficult. Flights can be very long and very expensive, and once you get there the costs might keep piling up. There’s almost no end in sight! However, when planning a trip to the honeymoon destination of your choice, you may wish to consider visiting Belize. It’s beautiful, affordable and home to the second largest barrier reef in the world, so you can forget having to travel all day across the globe for a top notch diving experience. And what could be more unusual, more cutting edge, more chic than a visit to the Mayan Ruins of Belize! Can you think of a more romantic way to spend a night of your honeymoon while on top of a Mayan Temple? Wow! That sounds magical and brilliant! Where do I sign up?

Belize-turtle

As far as travel goes, Belize is just a brief flight from Houston, Dallas, Miami or Atlanta; you can catch the approximately two hour flight daily from either of these gateway cities. Also, if the hustle and bustle of city life is getting you down, then you definitely want to keep Belize in mind. Apparently there are only four – count ‘em FOUR – traffic lights among the 300,000 citizens. English is this land’s official language, but you can also break out your High School Spanish or Kriol if you want. And ladies, don’t forget the proper swimwear! Belize is home to fabulous beaches and beautiful waters.

Belize-Belize

Overall, Belize offers a safe visit to paradise, and the 2:1 currency exchange ratio (one US dollar equals two Belize dollars) can work in your favor, too. See? Tropical bliss does not have to break the bank! Keep in mind that the overall climate is generally cooler than most of the surrounding countries, so if sweating is NOT your thing, you have a fairly good chance at remaining reasonably comfortable during your journey. Consider Belize your own little cost effective slice of heaven that’s just a hop, skip and jump away from some of the United States’ travel hubs.

For more information, please visit Romantic Travel Association of Belize.

More articles about Belize:

10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Belize

Belize – Central America’s Secret Honeymoon Destination