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Valencia
Just Said Yes September 2017

California Honeymoon for cheap

Valencia, on April 4, 2017 at 6:49 PM Posted in Honeymoon 4 26

My Fiance and I are young and paying for our wedding ourselves so we want to do a honeymoon as cheap as possible as we will obviously be paying for that ourselves as well. We are from Utah and want to do a California honeymoon so we can drive there to save on airfare but we aren't sure where to stay. We want to have a mostly relaxing honeymoon with activities available if we want. I have no idea where has the best hotels as well as activities near by.

26 Comments

Latest activity by Ang, on January 6, 2023 at 4:57 PM
  • Kristin
    Master January 2034
    Kristin ·
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    What about CA do you want to see? There is a lot to do here. I'm from a smaller town that has wine country in the north and beaches in the south. It just all depends on what you want to do!

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  • Orchids
    Master March 2018
    Orchids ·
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    What kind of activities do you want to do? We're going to Sea Ranch just outside of Gualala for our honeymoon. There's beaches, hiking trails, diving, and lots of quiet.

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  • Catie
    Expert October 2017
    Catie ·
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    I love San Fran but it's pricey. But tons to do and see. Also not a far drive from Stinson beach. Awesome drive and beautiful scenery.

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  • Mrs.Whooooo
    Master May 2017
    Mrs.Whooooo ·
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    I'd recommend avoiding bigger well known cities like San Diego, LA, San Fran, Santa Barbara since they will be more expensive. If you want to see one of those places, stay in a smaller city, prices will be cheaper.

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  • Valencia
    Just Said Yes September 2017
    Valencia ·
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    We want to do museums, zoo's, aquariums, and hole-in-the-wall type shops and restaurants any time we aren't at the pool or beach. We mostly want to do California because it seems like the most "tropical" place that's within driving distance.

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  • vghjfcxgxfgdh
    VIP June 2017
    vghjfcxgxfgdh ·
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    So California has a whole lot to offer, more than just surfing and movie stars like some people think.

    If you're driving, stop in Lake Tahoe/trukeee. You could make your way north and hit napa for wine tasting, however it's kind of overpriced and boujee IMO. Healdsburg,Windsor and Santa Rosa are much cheaper. From there you could go north towards humboldt (redwoods/camping).

    San Francisco is great, and has plenty of good opportunities for a nice dinner/brunch out. You can get some sightseeing (golden gate,coit tower, guiradelli square,baker beach).

    From there you could head south towards San Jose /mountain view/Cupertino and drive by the Apple Google and Facebook headquarters if you're interested in things like that (my friend lives by apple and says people actually stop and take pictures like a landmark lol) . If you're going to sf, look to stay in San Jose and just take the cal train up to the city for the day (takes an hour which is how long it takes to drive) , there's also the Bart system in the east bay (Pleasanton, Livermore)

    There's also Santa Cruz for Beach/hiking/redwood forest/camping opportunities.

    From there, you could drive through 5 hours of nothingness and hit Santa Barbara, LA, and San Diego. Of all the souther California cities I have listed, I love San Diego the most. It's got better beaches, there's great nightlife, and there's a lot to do.

    Anyway I hope this helps and you enjoy your time here!!

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  • lyla
    Master July 2017
    lyla ·
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    September is the warmest time of year for us and people will be back in school so it's a perfect time for a beach honeymoon! This is what I'd do (I've lived here almost my whole life):

    Day 1: Drive in. Sleep somewhere in Escondido/Carlsbad.

    Day 2: Go to the San Diego Zoo. Then drive up to OC.

    Days 3 + 4: If you want a beach town vibe for a decent price, I'd recommend San Clemente. You could also get to Laguna very easily from there. These beaches are amazing and relaxing.

    Day 5: Go to LA for a day for a museum/amusement park. Sleep in LA outskirts or Ventura.

    Day 6: Start the beautiful drive up the coast. Have lunch in Santa Barbara. Keep leisurely driving up that winding beauty. Take time to savor the views. Don't drive at night because it's on cliffs and bridges. Stop to stay somewhere on that stretch: San Simeon/Big Sur.

    Day 7: Keep driving up that beautiful coast. Check out the Monterey Aquarium. Stay somewhere in Monterey. It's cold up there but very serene.

    Day 8: Explore San Francisco. Stay somewhere in Sacramento/Davis (super cheap), which is on your way home.

    Day 9: Drive the rest of the way home.

    If you'd rather relax and not move every day, you could spend your entire stay in Southern California (perhaps San Clemente and Ventura, as they are cheaper but beachy) and do day trips to the zoo, Long Beach Aquarium, LA museums. You could also do the Central Coast very cheap since there are lots of campsites and cabins. Be aware that the climate and landscapes change tremendously from Southern CA to Central/Northern CA. If you're looking for that sunny beach feel, you won't get it up north; the high for Sept in LA is 81 but 63 in San Francisco.

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  • Valencia
    Just Said Yes September 2017
    Valencia ·
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    Those are amazing suggestions and super helpful! I don't feel so lost now, thank you!

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  • Abby
    Dedicated June 2018
    Abby ·
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    I've been to San Diego a few times and my family has always rented a condo. It can be comparable to hotel prices for a week and a bonus is you can do some grocery shopping and at least get some stuff to cook at the condo so you're not eating out for every meal which adds up quick!

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  • Alissa
    Devoted May 2017
    Alissa ·
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    It really depends what your budget is. Orange County is nice but all of California is fun!

    My wedding is in old OC courthouse. Then we are going on all over Cali.

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  • Chantel
    Dedicated April 2017
    Chantel ·
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    San Diego

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  • Erin Wood
    Master July 2017
    Erin Wood ·
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    If you are thinking tropical you definitely want Southern CA. Northern CA beaches are gorgeous but cold and foggy. You might get rain in September as well.

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  • DC
    Super May 2018
    DC ·
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    San Diego

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  • CourthouseCouple
    Devoted August 2017
    CourthouseCouple ·
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    Some really good ideas here! I'd also like to add that using an airbnb could get you closer to some of your destinations for less than a hotel. Especially if you're planning on staying in one area for a few days.

    You can easily find "beach front property" (within a couple block walking distance) for less than a hotel.

    Side note: we're staying on a sail boat the night of our ceremony that we booked through airbnb. Possibilities are endless!

    Living in Southern California I'd suggest San Diego area over LA.

    But both have all that things you've mentioned.

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  • T
    Super August 2017
    Toya ·
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    San Diego is the best

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  • A
    Super May 2017
    AokiPartyof3 ·
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    Just a tip, Malibu/Santa Monica/Venice there are a TON of gorgeous beach side homes to rent on airbnb ... for cheap!

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  • Marilyn
    Devoted June 2017
    Marilyn ·
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    Born and raised Cali loving gal so I have lots to say lol. From what you described, I would say Los Angeles and surrounding cities. There are some amazing beaches along with even more beautiful museums and art galleries! Downtown Los Angeles has art galleries too. Depending what type of people you are Venice Beach is always a great place!! So much life and culture, yet DIFFERENT than your usual laid back beaches! Great restaurants on the boardwalk and down the ways at the pier there are rides! On abbot Kinney they have hole-in-the-wall shops. Long beach has an aquarium and is near San Pedro Fish market. They have the best seafood I've tried in my life. Cali is a great place to honeymoon!! Good luck on deciding.

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  • Must Love Cats
    Master October 2017
    Must Love Cats ·
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    Following

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  • FutureFuji
    VIP September 2017
    FutureFuji ·
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    Are you planning NorCal or socal? I am from NorCal and I disagree with everyone saying it will be cold. When I get married sept 16, I am worried about it being high 90's possibly even over 100 degrees. Yes SF is always cold but the rest of the bay can get HOT! Especially inland. I would also consider looking into flights they are pretty reasonable. This past weekend I did Oakland to SLC round trip for $160 on southwest.

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  • GettingMarriedinMay
    Super May 2017
    GettingMarriedinMay ·
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    Check Southwest flights as they usually have good deals and you won't have to waste a lot of time driving (if you don't want to). I grew up in So Cal and now live in Nor Cal and there is SOOO much to do here. It all just depends on what you are looking for. Nor Cal gives you Tahoe (which is absolutely beautiful and relaxing), SF (which is alot of fun, lots of walking but pretty expensive), Napa (which I havent been to yet since I'm not a wine drinker but everyone that goes talks about how nice it is) and even Monterey which is beautiful. You may even be able to grab a whale watching trip which would be cool! So Cal offers amazing weather and so many beaches with lots of good food and chillin. You can AirBnB your way thru Cali for a more affordable option as well. Long Beach (where I was born and raised) has the Pike which is also where I happen to be getting married next month! Lots of restaurants and you can even rent a boat for a marina cruise or take a boat ride over to Catalina island and spend the day there. They have zip lining and you can also rent a golf cart too - it's alot of fun. There are a ton of things to do - you can even be touristy and check out Hollywood, or Universal Studios or if you plan in advance, you can join a live tv taping of a ton of different TV shows. That's always a lot of fun too.

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