I love when I ask couples to list the highlights of their honeymoons, and they rattle off every single thing they did on their trip. THAT is the sign of a successful honeymoon! Eric and Marisa fit into that category. From the way they tell it, there wasn’t one bad moment of their trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Eric is the Director of Advancement Communications at Centenary College and Marisa works as a Resource Center teacher at a school in Maywood, NJ. He says, “We had never really been to that part of the country before, and it was something different from what everyone else does.” Portland, pictured above, was their first stop on the trip. Renting a car let them travel along at their own pace.

Their honeymoon was a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, with stops in Portland, Seattle and Cascades National Park (above). They also hopped across the Canadian border to check out Vancouver and Victoria, BC.

Eric says the whole trip was a bit of a “whirlwind” – but in a good way. They spent time hunting out vegetarian cuisine and staying in some very cute B&B’s. Just one of the many great moments was their visit to the top of Seattle’s Space Needle. Marisa thought was very cool, and Eric overcame his fear of heights for his new bride. These incredible views were the obvious payoff.

Check back all week while we travel along with these two for a whole lot of fun times.

As we said earlier this week, Oliver and Lisa didn’t have many firm plans when they arrived in Costa Rica for their honeymoon. Lots of their experiences were found along the way, including their best meal at Mi Lugar, better know as Ronny’s Place, a restaurant in Manuel Antonio. Oliver loved the “really good food and drinks” and says the place offers, “great view of the ocean.”

But that’s not all that Ronny has to offer his guests. His piña coladas made inside a giant coconut are what keeps locals and tourists coming back. The secluded location – it’s the only building on a 90 acre farm – means romantic sunset views. The menu includes fresh local seafood and also beef and pork dishes. It was a memorable meal for Oliver and Lisa.

Because they had a rental car, the honeymooners had freedom to stop at any local spot that tempted their palates. Pulling over for an afternoon snack and a beer was much better for them than reservations at a five-star restaurant. They made sure to imbibe the local brew, Cerveza Imperial.

While honeymooning in Costa Rica, Oliver and Lisa wanted to do things their own way. Having their own transportation allowed them to make their own schedule and go at their own pace. Oliver says, “We rented a car so we would have unlimited freedom, and it was probably the single more expensive part of the trip, but very worth it.”

He adds, “We flew into San Jose, and immediately drove out towards the Caribbean Coast to Puerto Viejo. After a two nights there we drove to Arenal. On our third day there, we drove to Monteverde, which was one of the most beautiful drives I have ever been on. After Monteverde, we drove to Manuel Antonio for a couple nights, and back to San Jose.”

Overall their travels by car were relaxed and easy. Cities were obviously a bit crazier then the country. He says, “Even thought it was the ‘rainy’ season the climate was still very tropical, so the typical afternoon rains did happen. But it was never overbearing… We live in Seattle, so a little rain never stops us.”

Being in the driver’s seat meant they could stop whenever and wherever they got the impulse. For example they stumbled upon this, “pretty neat wood carving shop where we bought two bowls.”

Avoiding tour groups may mean you miss some of the must-see spots, but it also gives you the opportunity to find those hidden gems along the way. Discoveries become accomplishments you remember forever.

And no matter where you go, making friends with the locals, like this guy above, will get you far.

Oliver and Lisa Hutton were married in Chico, CA and then headed south to Costa Rica for ten days. I fell in love with their trip as soon as I saw the first few images.

Oliver is a graphic designer, and spends his free time on photography. Lisa is a speech therapist. Though Oliver says, “our view of romance probably doesn’t fall in line with most other people’s,” he believes there was a romantic “spirit to the entire trip and the freedom we had to explore the country.”

At first I was a bit unsure at how their honeymoon would work on the site without the usual details of resort amenities and a week’s worth of great meals… these two can barely remember any of the places they stayed. But in talking to Oliver, I quickly realized those details were unimportant for them. Their trip was much more about exploring and finding great moments along the way.

Their trip was laid back and fun, with experiences centered around the untouched beauty of the country. Beds along the way were just a place.

So what if they have no memories of their hotels… we’re cool with that. Oliver says, “We never made any reservations… our plan wasn’t about the hotels. It was more about the places and people we met.” Travel along with these two every day this week as they discover the best spots of Costa Rica.

About a three hour drive from Cancun are the pyramids at Chichen Itza. On their Meixican babymoon, Kay and Eijiro made the three hour drive to see the ancient Mayan site. The shot of Kay above is in front of the Kukulcán Pyramid, also know as El Castillo.

The babymooners have some very helpful trips for visiting these impressive ruins.

First, make SURE you have a full tank of gas. Kay says, “It’s not like the US where you have a gas station every few miles.” They made it okay, but were getting nervous for a while. When you do stop, she advises, “always filling up completely since you never know how long it will be to your next stop.”

Second, she advises skipping a hired guide. Lots of locals hang out at the gates and insist you need a guide to the pyramids. While it’s great to support local businesses, she said the site wasn’t actually that huge and, “the map we had was fine to get around.”

Lastly Kay – who’s traveled to Mexico numerous times as a Continental flight attendant – says Cancun honeymooners may want to explore the Tulum ruins south of Playa de Carmen for a closer day trip.

These two clearly had a great vacation. A babymoon is the perfect way to make a memorable “before” because life certainly won’t be the same after the baby comes.

Thanks so much to Kay and Eijiro for sharing this sweet, relaxing and adventurous time in their lives. And congrats to them for welcoming their beautiful baby girl Maya Kawada into the world on August 27, 2009 at 6:05 am!

Anyone who loves the movie Amélie as much as I do recognizes The Two Windmills — or Les Deux Moulins — as the café where our heroine do-gooder waitress served up coffees. Chris says, “I made Marissa walk about two miles out of our way to see it.” I love the detail of the guy in the green jumpsuit who I like to think is Collignon himself.

Set in the Latin Quarter, La Gueuze looks like the quintessential French café, though they specialize in beer from around the world. Chris says, “We had wine because really all we wanted to do in Paris was drink wine.” As you should, honeymooners. 

Paris may be best known for croissants and crepes, but this new bride and groom pair packed in the ice cream. They continue to rave about Berthillon ice cream, available in various spots on Île Saint-Louis. And to be fair, Marissa awarded an honorable mention to La Crêperie des Pêcheurs on rue Saint-André-des-Arts.

As a guitar player and drummer (we’ve heard him do a killer cover of Poker Face. For real.) it’s no surprise that Chris made his way into several French music stores. Check out this directory if you’re interested too.

I love going to markets in other countries to get a sense of what people eat in their daily lives. Marissa stocked up on moutarde and chatted with the adorable shop-owners about what condiments best compliment a meals. She and Chris enjoyed simple, everyday stuff from the grocery store like wine, bread and cheese.

Do you see a food + drink theme with these two? That’s why Tim and I love them!