Maybe it was just two years ago that you and your dear husband tied the knot. Or maybe it was two decades. When you have a good man, and we hope you do, every anniversary marks a special opportunity to show him how much he means to you. If you can’t imagine your life without him, if just the thought of having never met him leaves your stomach turning over, then you know he’s worth the time and the money it takes to surprise him with an anniversary vacation that will tug on his heartstrings and show him he’s still the man of your dreams. We love the idea of making your anniversary an excuse to take a special vacation every year – just the two of you. If you don’t do so already, you should start this tradition.
The key to doing this, of course, is finding a destination that caters to his unique passions or pastimes, yet one that you can still enjoy. We’d like to lend a helping hand in this, so we put together a list of vacation spots we think you’ll find useful, as well as ideas for gifts to give him that pertain to each location.
For the man who loves the outdoors
While there’s many different ways to enjoy the outdoors, we will cover a few of the most popular here. For the rock climber and hiker in your life, consider Arches National Park or nearby Zion National Park in southern Utah. Exciting hiking trails, beautiful red rock formations, and plenty of rock climbing to go around – your hubby will love it. Get him some new climbing or hiking gear to get him even more excited about the trip. Make it a two or three night stay by camping out with your husband on the park grounds, complete with new camping gear.
But maybe your man prefers lush greens and white water rapids to the stark beauty of the desert. No problem, rent a log cabin in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. You’ll find plenty of hiking and river rafting opportunities. If you plan it right, you can rent a cabin not far from Ashville, where you’ll find everything from fine dining to a diverse arts and culture scene.
For the beer lover
Craft beer is big right now. Over the past decade there’s been an explosion of creativity in the brewing world, so much so that many craft beers now rival the finest wines in the world for subtlety and complexity. And men dig it! If that’s your man, take him on a beer tasting trip that will make all his beer snob friends jealous. Arguably, the two best places in the country for beer tasting right now are central California and Burlington, Vermont. In central California, you’ll find legendary breweries like Russian River, Bear Republic, and Lagunitas, among many others. It gets even better around the Burlington, Vermont area. There you’ll find Hill Farmstead, the Alchemist, and Lawson’s Finest Liquids: three of the most revered breweries in the world! If your man loves craft beer, he’ll be eternally grateful for an anniversary trip to either of these beer destinations. If you go this route, get anniversary gifts for him ahead of time that he can use on this trip, like a personalized beer stein.
For the beach bum
Maybe your man’s the type who feels most alive while in the ocean, paddling after waves on a surfboard. Or maybe he feels most at peace with his toes buried in white sand while drinking a cold beer and watching the waves crash. Whichever it is, a beach vacation can be a great way to tell your hubby how much you love him. Of course, beach options abound, but here are a couple we’re particularly fond of: Topsail Island, NC and Laguna Beach, CA. Topsail offers a quiet small town feel. There’s family restaurants, beach-themed gift shops, pristine white sand, and 80 degree water that has been warmed by the Mexican Gulf Stream. If a low-key beach experience is what your husband loves, Topsail Island is the perfect place for him. Laguna Beach, on the other hand, offers the best of SoCal beach life: the surf and the sand, of course, but also dramatic cliffs overlooking the ocean, a vibrant art scene with museums and galleries, hip bars and restaurants, and a lively night life. So, if your husband’s looking for more than a place to dig his toes and drink a beer, Laguna Beach might be it. Gifts for this trip include new swim trunks, a new beach towel, or a portable Bluetooth speaker. At the end of your first anniversary trip together, you should get a travel destination map to hang up in your home. Find creative ways to mark which destinations you’ve been to. This will give you even more to look forward to every year that you get to take a special trip together.
There you have it. Some of our best summer anniversary vacation suggestions to show your man how much you love him. What’s been your favorite vacation with your husband so far?
