Where would you go?

[tink9702]

I'd go on the deal sites and see what they have for ideas! Couple places we've enjoyed a lot without kids/prior to kids:

Niagara Falls/Toronto/Fingerlakes area in NY
Washington DC
NYC
Hawaii (probably above your budget)
San Diego
Cape Cod, MA
New Orleans

 

[JaimeK]

Toronto/Niagara Falls/wineries
Quebec/Montreal
Napa/Sonoma/San Francisco

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

If you like nature, I'd suggest out west like Colorado or somewhere. It's great weather in the summer and not too warm for hiking and outdoor type stuff. There's also rafting, fishing, etc.

NOLA is amazing, but having lived there-July is not the time to go. It's hot and humid much like Orlando with rainy season.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

San Francisco?
Jackson Hole?
Lake Tahoe?

 

[scdak]

Nashville, Atlanta, Pigeonforge TN, Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Antonio, New Orleans.............that's just my favorites off the top of my head But Niagara Falls, Upstate NY, NYC, Boston/Cape Cod, Washington DC are high up on my list too!
BUT with 26 cruise under my belt (and one more in 17 days, not that I am counting) ...........I would have to say a cruise would be my first choice - its truly a vacation for me - I can do as little or as much as I want, I can experience short visits in various ports, have great meals, be entertained in so many ways, the list goes on and on for me!

OP whatever you decide...........have a great trip!

 

[wendow]

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniv this year, and we went away without our kids for the first time in 12'ish years. We'd only been away for a night or two on our own and it wasn't really on our own since it was when we went to the hospital to have a baby lol.

We went to WDW for our anniv. Fun, but really, really hard without our kids to go somewhere that is our family vacation spot. If I could do it again, I'd go for a cruise. I've never been on one and I'd love to try that with just my dh.

Wherever you go, have fun!!

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

One place I LOVED that was a romantic, yet adventurous getaway: Sedona, Arizona. We stayed at a hotel called L'Auberge de Sedona. Hands down BEST hotel I have ever stayed at. It is a bit pricey without any discounts but somehow I managed to snag a 3 night stay for about $725(plus I got some Ebates and had an offer from AMEX for Jetsetter.com). It's a 2 hour drive from Phoenix and a 2 hour drive from the Grand Canyon. PLENTY to explore. We went this past July and it was actually beautiful weather wise. However it can get to be in the high 90's(but dry, not humid) in Sedona, still, not as warm as in Phoenix. I don't know that I could do 7 days in Sedona, but maybe 5 in Sedona and another 2 at the Grand Canyon.

 

[Moomduck1]

Right now is a pretty perfect time to travel to Europe since it is about 1 Euro to $0.93 USD. By summer there are predictions that the USD will be on par with the Euro. Plus if you travel somewhere like Greece which is experiencing some economic hardship, the deals are even better. Greece is an amazing place with beautiful sites, great food and very friendly people. Gate 1 Travel has an 8 day essential Greece trip for less than $1200 per person with flights (sometimes they have deals that make it even cheaper). If I had $3000 and 1 week, this is where I would go.

Gate1 has some great trips. We are doing their Scandinavia one in May. You'd definitely have a lot to do. Good prices too. I'm from PA too. You can cruise to Bermuda for under 3000, and also New England/Canada. We've done both and loved them. We cruised Alaska as well, but we took our kids. We flew SW to Seattle but that was back when flights out of Phili were cheap. My parents just cruised to Alaska and they couldn't get airfare under 700 each, so I really don't think you can cruise it in july for under 3000. Maybe in the off season when rates are cheaper. My DH and I did Newport, RI for a long weekend and loved it.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

I would not do disney, I know people do honeymoons and see the romance, but it is too family oriented to me. I would not do a cruise. There is too much time stuck on the ship, that did not appeal to me.

Other people had great suggestions, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans, Colorado, California cities like san fran and san diego and Mexico- all good.

I think discovering something new together and creating a memory all your own is awesome.

Consider fall trips to maximize your budget. Airfare and lodging are cheaper. Fall is still Summer in many places or even more beautiful in others.

 

[MomToOne]

If you haven't been before, San Francisco and Napa are great for a couple. My mother also loves Santa Rosa which is in the same general area. It's not too much for a week - they are short drives between each other. When you are tired of wine, look for an olive oil tasting

And Hawaii is always wonderful in my book. I love Maui. DD15 and I also stayed on the North Shore of Oahu this summer and loved it. Honolulu and the sights were a short drive away, but we were out of the craziness of that area. I loved just relaxing on the balcony of our rented condo, looking at the ocean.

 

[nhgirl]

Bar Harbor Maine is my favorite place in the Northeast. I have stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn. Very nice. Just my two cents.

 

[sunshinehighway]

From the East Coast, I'd go to Europe. Which country or countries would depend on your interest. Maybe look into a few countries and see what they have to offer and plan from there.
I do agree with the poster who mentioned fall to maximize budget. Fall is also busy and less crowded in many places.

 

[HeatherC]

If you are in PA, I would probably do a Royal Caribbean cruise out of NJ on their brand new ship..Anthem of the Seas.

Their ships are really incredible and have a ton to do for active people. I can't see being bored on their newer ships. Plus, you could drive to the port and no hassle of flying, etc..

If you wanted to fly, San Francisco and California Wine country is beautiful.

 

[morgan98]

$3,000 is more than enough to do a REALLY nice vacation for just the two of you. And you're on the Budget Board - you can make that money stretch! Where do you want to go? Virgin Islands? Europe? Stay in the US and maybe visit some landmarks you haven't seen? The possibilities are endless. You know what I have always wanted to do and it sounds silly and crazy but I have wanted to take one of those Groupon Getaway emails and write them all down on a separate piece of paper(or at least the ones I'm interested in) and draw from a hat. They always sound so fun and something I'd not usually plan myself!

Unless you have frequent flyer points or get free hotel stays through loyalty programs, I do not think it is realistic to think you can do Europe for $3k. Flights tend to be expensive depending on your home airport.

 

[bear_mom]

We had a great time in New Orleans, so that would be my recommendation based on your budget. But, as another couple with an anniversary in July, we rarely go away on our actual anniversary. July just isn't an ideal month to go most places.

If you had a larger budget I would 3rd or 4th Hawaii.

 

[McKelly]

I would fly into San Francisco and go to Sequoia National park, Yosemite and the other parks out there. Enjoying nature won't cost too much. You could swing through Monterey (17 Mile Drive) on the way back and take the Pacific Coast Highway back up to San Francisco - although I'm not sure how much of that stretch is right on the Pacific.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Unless you have frequent flyer points or get free hotel stays through loyalty programs, I do not think it is realistic to think you can do Europe for $3k. Flights tend to be expensive depending on your home airport.

It is totally doable through a tour company or travel agent. Gate 1 has some amazing pricing that includes flights out of New York. OP could drive since they are in PA. My parents have traveled through Gate 1 several times and recommend them highly.

 

[morgan98]

It is totally doable through a tour company or travel agent. Gate 1 has some amazing pricing that includes flights out of New York. OP could drive since they are in PA. My parents have traveled through Gate 1 several times and recommend them highly.

We usually go to Europe about twice a year and I have learned to do it on the cheap. I still think that $3k for two people for a week is tough. An 8 day Italy package, which appears to be the shortest, is running about $2,100 a person on the site you mentioned. Factor in meals and some incidentals that are not included and that is definitely more than $3k. You may be able to do 3 nights over a weekend in a large city for $1,500 person with some research and bargains, but that is a long way to go for that short of a stay.

Note I did not search all Europe, I just used a week in Italy as an example.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

We usually go to Europe about twice a year and I have learned to do it on the cheap. I still think that $3k for two people for a week is tough. An 8 day Italy package, which appears to be the shortest, is running about $2,100 a person on the site you mentioned. Factor in meals and some incidentals that are not included and that is definitely more than $3k. You may be able to do 3 nights over a weekend in a large city for $1,500 person with some research and bargains, but that is a long way to go for that short of a stay.

Note I did not search all Europe, I just used a week in Italy as an example.

Italy is definitely on the more expensive side for Europe. I specifically mentioned in my post to look at cheaper countries such as Greece, but other places like Croatia, Turkey or Russia are good options too and have just as much interest as somewhere pricier like Italy. Even a week in Paris could be done for under $3k because I have done it before when exchange rates were less favorable.

 

[BelleBee]

A cruise would be fun and there are a lot of activities to do onboard. I am partial to NCL or Royal Caribbean but I've never tried Celebrity Cruises. If you want quiet adult getaway, check out Beaches Resorts in Negril, Turks and Caicos or Ocho Rios. We did 21 days at Disney and enjoyed every minute but our DD is grown so very little guilt. Whatever you decide.....ENJOY!

Beaches are family resorts. Sandals are adult only.