Adirondacks Travel Tips

A visit to the Adirondack Mountains region is best spent enjoying the great outdoors. Look beyond the luxurious cabin complexes built for yesteryear's local millionaires, and you'll find that the region holds a treasure trove of adventure activities. You can hike up High Peaks one day and kayak through the St. Regis Canoe Area the next. You can even take an airplane tour over Tupper Lake village or paddle down Old Forge's famous canoe route. And when you're ready to snuggle in your sleeping bag, you'll find that there are plenty of campgrounds waiting for you. But there's more to the Adirondacks than the beautiful wilderness; you'll find another main draw is the bustling town of Lake Placid. Home to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games, the little village proudly displays its Olympic history. And after the first snowfall, Lake Placid and its quaint neighbor, Saranac Lake, turn into winter wonderlands, complete with world-class ski slopes and an après-ski lifestyle for your inner Olympian.

Why Go: For some, a quiet mountain retreat is just what the doctor ordered after an exhausting wedding. And on the East Coast, there is no better place to seek refuge than in the Adirondacks. You'll discover that this area has year-round charms: spring greenery, summer hiking, fall foliage and winter skiing. Find a quaint bed and breakfast in one of the smaller towns, like Tupper Lake, to minimize your hotel expenditures and to optimize the intimacy.

Best Times to Visit Adirondacks

The best time to visit the Adirondacks is from May to August, when the weather is warm and the top sites are open for longer hours. But the region can get crowded this time of year, so you should book your accommodations at least two seasons in advance. November to April is the best time to experience the winter sports season in full swing, but be prepared for single-digit temperatures. The shoulder months of September and October are generally less crowded, but in smaller hamlets like Paul Smiths businesses start closing up shop for the winter season.

Outer Banks Travel Tips

History drips from the Outer Banks: Here, aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright took their famous first flight (at Kitty Hawk), the pirate Blackbeard fought his last battle (at Ocracoke), and the mysterious Lost Colony disappeared (where is anyone's guess). But this chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina -- OBX for those in the know -- isn't just for history buffs. Fishing, windsurfing, nature watching and ATV driving attracts the adventurous types while the beach, mini-golf and the aquarium entertains families and young couples. And each island has its own charm: The old lighthouses, rugged dunes and secluded beaches in the south couple with vacation rentals, water sports and kitschy beach shops in the north, all to form a unique seaside destination.

Why Go: Newlyweds often forget about this sliver of beach on North Carolina's eastern coast. The Outer Banks are like the Cape Cod of the South, but even less developed -- and that's saying something. Affordable bed and breakfasts and a handful of hotels speckle the coastline and offer reasonable rates. And although these shores lack the dreamy resorts and fine dining of other honeymoon spots, they make up for it with privacy and pristine sands.

Best Times to Visit Outer Banks

The best time to visit the Outer Banks is from March to May or September to November, when rates drop and crowds disappear. Similar to other parts of the Southeast, the temperatures stay relatively warm and humid -- with average highs hitting the upper 80s in the summer -- until the winter months, when the weather dips into the 40s.