Where To Take A 2nd Honeymoon?

This year my husband, Neal and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.  It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was a being hustled and bustled around for a huge traditional Catholic wedding.  My mother insisted on a full Mass.  My husband good naturedly agreed.  I don’t think he knew what was in store for him.  Both of use came from large families.  I have 6 kids in my family with a huge extended family.  My husband being only one of 3 had a very large extended family as well.

The morning of August 4th 1990 it was raining but then the sun shined and turned in to an unusually hot, humid day in Northern Michigan.  As I looked down the aisle of the church my first instinct was to turn and run.  Oh my gosh the people.  THE PEOPLE!  Had it not been for a family friend at the back of the church I would have bolted.  I was terrified, but she fluffed my dress, told me to smile and shoved me down the aisle.

Then we celebrated in true Catholic style.  The final count at the wedding was 397 people.  We had a wonderful reception of family and friends.  I thank my parents for putting on such a fun and memorable wedding.

We traveled our first adventure alone, to Washington DC for our honeymoon with the whispers of war in the air.  The cavalry was marching in the parks, we stayed at the Vista International and saw many senators and representatives with their heads dipped in silent breaths of conversation.  Very intent, and we were a little spooked because we KNEW that the first Gulf War was looming.

So last night in bed, my husband curled up to me and asked, where do you want to go for our 25th wedding anniversary.  “I don’t want to go to Washington DC, because we’re at war again”, and I have to agree.  I also want to go somewhere new and different, and peaceful.

I grew up entitled.  We weren’t wealthy but my dad’s job allowed our family to travel to many places.  It allowed us to do things that I will always have memories of.  My husband on the other hand did very little travel.  He went to college in Arizona but had never really traveled.  His parents divorced when he was 9 ish and it was all his parents could do to make ends meet.

SO when he says where do you want to go I think of all these wonderful places I’ve been and that I’d like to take him to.  He suggested Mackinaw Island (the above photo was taken on Mackinaw Island), and in all seriousness that wasn’t in my imagination when he asked.  We live less then 1/2 hour from the docks and go to the Island pretty regularly.  No, I had in my mind visiting some place new, doing something fun and adventurous that we haven’t done in 21 years because of our kids.  I might have even envisioned concert hopping for a week (THAT won’t happen with my husband but a girl can dream!).

So now the question is “Where do we go?”  Somewhere affordable, somewhere NOT in Michigan, and somewhere we can have loads of fun.  Where we can feel young again?