<p>My husband and I are having an important anniversary this April and we haven’t planned anything! Last year, we had to cancel a trip to Italy at the last minute due to the volcano. We thought we would set the money aside and go this year but somehow (TWO kids in college) the money evaporated. </p>
<p>Anyway. I am a teacher and only have April school vacation to work with and we have decided that we deserve to go away. He got a bit of a bonus at work so we feel comfortable spending a little bit on ourselves. We are considering:</p>
<p>Flying to Arizona (Scottsdale or Phoenix?) to a resort.</p>
<p>Flying to Hilton Head or Charlston, SC for a few days.</p>
<p>Sanibel or Captiva, FLA (Flights are very high and very difficult to get).</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>Wait until the summer and try to get a deal to London or Ireland (We want to save the Italy trip until we can take the kids).</p>
<p>Any advice or other ideas? We are on the east coast.</p>
<p>Depends on what you like to do. I have been to all 3 places you mentioned.</p>
<p>Hilton Head if you want to golf, play tennis or walk on the beach. Too cold to swim in April and really nothing else there.</p>
<p>Sanibel is really just the beach. Great shelling but won’t spend days doing that. </p>
<p>I love the southwest but only if you want to get out and see/do things. If you just want to go to hang at a resort, probably not worth going across the country. Lake Powell is actually really cool and I love, love Antelope Canyon which is just outside Page, AZ. </p>
<p>I LOVE all three of your choices…Phoenix/scottsdale will have the most to do unless you really just wanna veg out (HH and Sanibel)…agree with a trip to sedona…</p>
<p>I don’t think there will be any bargains this summer for Europe; just my opinion…</p>
<p>Well, we are leaning toward Scottsdale, Phoenix area. We’ve been looking at resorts in the area and will combine some relaxation with some day trips, shopping, hiking. Does anyone have an opinion on resorts in that area? We’ve seen some beautiful ones online but would love some recommendations. Thanks!</p>
<p>I’ve never been to any of the places you listed so i don’t really know which to suggest but have you ever been to the outerbanks in nc? That’s one of my favorite places to visit… Absolutely gorgeous.</p>
<p>Where do you live? If you are around NE, Bermuda maybe a good choice around April. It is very romantic and very beautiful. I don’t think it is any more expensive than what you have on the list. You won’t need a car. We got around on their pink bus (public transportation). It was a cheap way to see the island.</p>
<p>My vote for Hawaii–any of our islands are gorgeous. We also love the area around Mesa Verde, the south Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest. Those areas are within driving distance of one another and there are a lot of places you can hike as well. There is a “Rails to Rim” railroad car you can take from Williams to the South Rim, if you’re interested as well. When we toured AZ, we stayed at the less expensive places and in the South Rim of GC in cabins, which we highly recommend. Sorry to be straying from your request, but those are places in AZ we found especially beautiful!</p>
<p>^^^ I was just going to post the same thing…</p>
<p>If you are staying in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area you really can’t go wrong by checking out reviews on Trip advisor; there are so many beautiful resorts in the area…</p>
<p>We love Scottsdale but love HH even more. In April, you won’t be in the ocean but all the resort pools will be open. There are many nice oceanfront resorts. You can walk or bike on the beach, play golf, bike on the many trails, shop, boat, eat, drink, go to concerts, theatre, have afternoon tea in Bluffton, explore beautiful towns like Beaufort, easily visit either Savannah or Charleston for a day trip. Lots to do and the weather will be beautiful. I’ll be there in a week and can’t wait!</p>
<p>I really like The Sanctuary Resort on Camelback Mountain. Very low key and relaxing. Just a short distance down the road, you can hike to the top of Camelback Mountain.</p>
<p>We love Puerto Rico. It is easy to go to because they are part of the US, so you don’t need a passport and they use dollars. It will be great weather there in April as it is most of the year.</p>
<p>All those suggestions sound great but I think we are getting excited about the Arizona Spa/ resort idea. We went to Bermuda five years ago and loved it but want to do something different. We only have six days so Hawaii wouldn’t be a good choice this time. i definitely want to get to Hilton Head but the flights are really high due to it being school vacation week. I’d rather wait and go there when it’s more reasonable and a bit warmer.</p>
<p>I did check out The Sanctuary and it looks beautiful! Any others have experience with Phoenix/ Scottsdale resorts? I have been on Trip Advisor and AAA and have read the reviews but it would be great to hear some first hand experience. Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>Himom, Thanks for your suggestions, as well! We have been to the Grand Canyon and loved it but we are trying to find someplace that will satisfy my “need” for a frozen drink by the pool and my husbands need to hike, explore, etc. The Grand Canyon in April is too chilly for MY plan :)</p>
<p>Keep us posted where you decide! We were considering the Grand Canyon this year, but may have to wait until August to go, when it will probably be too hot.</p>
<p>Can I suggest the Pacific Northwest? We did that for our graduation trip last year, and it was just gorgeous!</p>
<p>National Parks, especially Yellowstone are gorgeous as well, but in April will be VERY cold still. Maybe some of the others? Yosemite is always lovely as well. Have not toured many of them in April, so am not sure how they are at that time.</p>
<p>Has to be Paris in the Spring.
You can even hop on a Eurostar train and be in London for a day or two.
Romantic and cultural and you’ll remember it forever.
Have a wonderful time!</p>
<p>We’ve stayed at the Phoenician many times and it is breathtaking, but it was always work-related so someone else paid for it. I’ve never checked the rates, but I imagine they are high.</p>
In April, you won’t be in the ocean but all the resort pools will be open. There are many nice oceanfront resorts. You can walk or bike on the beach, play golf, bike on the many trails, shop, boat, eat, drink, go to concerts, theatre, have afternoon tea in Bluffton, explore beautiful towns like Beaufort, easily visit either Savannah or Charleston for a day trip. Lots to do and the weather will be beautiful. I’ll be there in a week and can’t wait!</p>