5 Retro Stateside Honeymoons

Planning a wedding and looking for unique honeymoon ideas? You don’t have to leave the States to indulge in a lovey-dovey blast from the past. Pack your high-waisted swimsuits, matching monogrammed robes and Polaroid camera and hit the road. Stateside retro vacation destinations are more romantic now than ever. Whether you’re planning a minimoon, a babymoon or a full-fledged honeymoon, these U.S. cities will take you back in time with their vintage-style vibes, old signage and iconic architecture.

Soak in the Sonoran desert sun

A stay in Palm Springs, located in Southern California just under a two-hour drive from Los Angeles, is reminiscent of an episode of The Jetsons. The midcentury-modern homes, towering mountains and tall, skinny palm trees set the scene for an Elvis and Priscilla Presley-style vacation; the couple honeymooned there in 1967, and their daughter Lisa Marie was born nine months later. Stay busy visiting local hot springs, golf courses, vintage shops and art museums, or lounge around lazily at your hotel pool with big hats and a crisp bottle of bubbly on ice.

Relive magical memories and make new ones at Disneyland

Welcoming visitors from all over the world since 1955, Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, is just about an hour by car from LA. The original amusement park (there are now six Disney parks across the world) will take you back to your childhood by restoring a sense of wonder and nostalgia in a literal fairy-tale setting. Ride Peter Pan’s Flight, share a Dole Whip cone with your honey, pose for pictures with your favorite Disney characters—the possibilities are endless at what many call the Happiest Place on Earth.

Brake for photo ops and neon signs at famed roadside attractions

Step back in time at the historic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, which still has its original architectural features.

Fancy a road trip? From Chicago to Los Angeles, historic Route 66 is a 2,400-mile highway that was paved in 1938 and still looks much like it did seven or eight decades ago. Though the road was officially decommissioned as a U.S. highway in 1985, it’s still easy to travel along. Drive east to west until you reach the Santa Monica Pier. And if you’ve got time for a small detour, make a visit to the Grand Canyon (breathtaking views, plus Native American culture and history) along the way. Other must-visit sites include Cadillac Ranch, the Petrified Forest, Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch and the oldest church in the U.S., the San Miguel Mission.

Find delightfully corny activities in the Poconos

Birthplace of the heart-shaped hot tub, Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains are just a one- to two-hour drive from New York City hotels. If you’re looking for a wacky, over-the-top vacation, you’re headed to the right place. The Pocono Mountains, more commonly known as just the Poconos, were a wildly popular honeymoon spot in the 1950s. Both Lucille Ball and John F. Kennedy—a number of celebrities, actually—loved to vacation there. From skiing in the winter to watersports in the summer and wine tasting any time in between, a honeymoon in the Poconos is less rest and relaxation, more discovery and adventure.

Share an awe-inspiring vista

Find yourself surrounded in mist in Niagara Falls at the three waterfalls that straddle the border of Canada and the United States.

Right on the U.S. and Canada border, New York’s Niagara Falls has been a natural tourist destination since the 1700s. Hike through Prospect Point and tour the grounds of Old Fort Niagara, where French, Native American, British and American soldiers lived and worked from the 18th to 20th centuries. You can also experience the Niagara Gorge aboard the Maid of the Mist, a ship that’s touted itself as America’s “most amazing boat ride” since 1846 (a valid passport or visa may be required).