What are good non-beach places in the US to honeymoon in mid-October? We love hiking/kayaking/photography.?

Answer 1

Oregon is magnificent in the fall! Take a look at the Columbia Gorge, stay near Multnomah Falls, and kayak on the rivers that feed into the Columbia.

Or head closer to the Pacific; the southern half of the Oregon coast has great rivers (the Rogue and the Deschutes are famous for kayaking and rafting). Port Orford has a magnificent seacoast, and Bandon looks like a tiny New England fishing village, with a charming Old Town/Fisherman's Wharf area.

In October 2005 I helped put on a three-day car rally from Portland to Port Orford and back, and by the end of the day Sunday I was telling friends that I had finally seen enough fall colors. :-) Not that I was tired of them, but we put in 664 miles from Friday to Sunday, with only about 50 on interstate highways (and frankly, even I-5 in the middle of the state is incredibly scenic).

It's going to seem like an odd recommendation... but take a look at the Oregon Department of Transportation Web site, in the Sources field, to get a sense of where things are. The site has Web cameras at crucial highway spots throughout the state, and while the ones in downtown Portland could be in almost any crowded modern city, you can at least see where some of these places are in relation to the primary "points of entry" for tourists (Portland in the north, Medford/Ashland in the south).

If you're early enough in October you might also still be in time to see a play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, which is a charming city in the Siskiyous. Ashland is gorgeous in the fall, and you have your choice of modern luxury accommodations or restored 19th-century hotels like the Columbia (our favorite, close to everything and charming, but since it's a honeymoon, be sure to get a room with a bath, it really IS a 19th-century hotel and not all rooms have them!)

You could spend a day or so in Ashland, then kayak down the Rogue River, or try the Coquille River, and end up in Bandon.

I wish I had more pictures of the Port Orford Rally, but there are a few on line at the Oregon Rally Group's home page, also in the Sources field. Nothing though captures the feeling of coming out of a dark forest road with trees intertwining overhead, leaves green and golden all around you, and then bursting out into a little coastal valley with farmland stretching out to the dark fir-covered hills on the far side, the mist just beginning to rise from the green fields and curl among the orange maples and yellow-brown oaks. If I were taking a second honeymoon, that's where (and when) I'd go...

Answer 2

Upper Michigan (may be too cold in Mid October). The Great Smokey Mountains are beautiful for hiking and photography. Lots of house rentals there. We just went last April. It is way under-rated (stay away from Pigeon Forge, by the way...)

Answer 3

I had to find out where Rodanth was located. The barrier island seems nice. Myrtle Beach is a tourist trap hell in my opinion. If I were going on a honeymoon in mid October, I would head to the mountains of western Carolina.

Answer 4

Yellow Stone would be nice, But any state park is good Arkansas is a nice state to go camping in there is allot of state parks and lakes Texas( there I live) has allot to see and do. There is the Sam Houston National forest. It has a lake in the center that is so nice. You can get a book that has ever thing from the lakes and camp ground to museums and other fun places to go in Texas by calling this number 1-800-452-9292 I hope this helps

Answer 5

Pigeon Forge is a good place. They have kayaking, hiking, and good places to take photos. There is also Cades Cove. Cades Cove has Abrams Falls. Haven't been to the falls myself, but my husband said it is a great place.

The hike
This creek is named for Cherokee Chief Abram, who once lived on land now submerged under Lake Chilhowee, located on the western corner of the park. The trail starts by crossing a large footbridge over Abrams Creek. The stream here is a popular foot-cooler. To the right after the footbridge is a side trail to the Elijah Oliver house. Elijah Oliver was the son of the first white settler in Cades Cove in 1818, John Oliver. Another family dwelling, known as the John Oliver House, is the first house you see as you start the loop road.

The trail begins to climb gradually to reach a height above the stream, then turns a corner to the right and descends again to follow the river. The trail stays level for a considerable distance. In this stretch children frequently depart the trail to enjoy the water while their parents wait patiently. The trail then climbs toward a rocky point of Cades Sandstone at the top of Arbutus Ridge, and switches back to the right and descends again to Abrams Creek. It switches back again to the left over a side creek on a log bridge and curves right to follow the creek again for a flat stretch.

The trail then makes a final climb above Abrams Creek. It curves right at a point where you can hear the falls below you, then descends steeply to another log bridge over Wilson Branch. After crossing this bridge, the trail curves left to follow the creek on the other side. In a very short distance, another bridge appears to the left. Cross this bridge to follow the short spur trail to the 20-foot Abrams Falls. The pool at its base is 100 feet across and is a popular playground for children.

Be careful in the water at Abrams Falls because the rocks are extremely slippery, and it is easy enough to catch the edge of a rock in a fall. Parents should probably escort small children across the faster part of the stream (and the slicker rocks) to the shallow sand bar at the center of the pool.

From the turn onto the spur trail to the falls, the Abrams Falls Trail continues straight ahead. It winds along the bank of Abrams Creek for another 1.7 miles until it connects with the Hatcher Mountain, Hannah Mountain, and Little Bottoms trails at a ford over Abrams Creek that is dangerous in high water. From its junction with the Abrams Falls Trail, the Little Bottoms Trail leads in another 2.3 miles to the Abrams Creek Campground, off the Foothills Parkway and U.S. Highway 129 at the extreme west end of GSMNP.

Answer 6

Check out the Pocono Mountains... Pa.

They have some nice honeymoon resorts, there.

Answer 7

New England would be good if you're into foliage.

I'd suggest Northwestern, CT (Cornwall, Canaan) and the Berkshires in MA.

Answer 8

you could go to the grand Canyon. it is beautiful and great for photographs. you can even go camping in the bottom of it if you want. i didn't go camping but i rode one of those donkeys down the path.

Answer 9

Colorado is great- good time to get discount pricing on condos too.

Answer 10

Check out the State of Texas...we have it ALL! No kidding! What we don't have...you don't need.