Mini moon help needed

Have you been to the Falls before? It's quite nice and not a far drive to other landmarks too. Honestly I would do it but I am a travel bug.. both FH and I have travelled very little during our upbringings so I think that influences our travel decisions. Is it possible to have more days and nights away? Might be easier with more time available.

I don't think it's too far for 3 days and two nights. People do that for weekend trips all the time like socal to NorCal. It sounds like it would be fun!

For me, 11 hours of driving, round-trip, during a 3-day trip would be a lot. Especially if you'll be leaving soon after the wedding. I'd be concerned you'll be so exhausted that you wouldn't really get to relax and enjoy yourselves. Where do you currently live? Is there anything closer? Staying in a relatively close city in a luxury hotel or a quaint bed & breakfast would be more appealing to me -- especially if it will be right after the wedding. Daughter and SIL waited a week to take their mini-moon, and stayed at a resort less than 2 hours from home. It was in a city they'd been to many times before, but their accommodations were MUCH nicer than what they'd typically stay at and they scheduled "adventures" they'd never done before like a hot air balloon, etc. to make the trip more special.

Are you planning to drive to Niagra Falls the day after the wedding? I think it sounds like a great mini trip if your FH is down for it. I know a lot of people say they are exhausted after the wedding and wanted a day it two to relax, but we are planning just a small private ceremony and dinner at a local restaurant afterwards so I’m not too worried. My FH and I are talking about taking a small road trip after our wedding since he can only take a couple days off too. We’ll probably venture about 6-7 hours from our home and I’m looking at lots of places we can stop along the way for sight seeing, eating, and to not be cooped up in the car for hours and hours on end.

5.5 each way is a lot for a couple of days. But then again I drove 16 hrs to spend the day(afternoon) in NYC one time.
I agree with PP who said you might be exhausted. The wedding day will wear you out, and I know driving exhausts me.
Is there somewhere you can look into flying for cheap? Or even staying at a nice hotel near your home. I do recommend taking that minimoon, but you want to be able to enjoy it and not just use it to catch up on sleeping.

How expensive are the flights? I would see if you can snag a cheap flight to Niagara instead of driving.

Go wherever you want! If you can switch between driving that's even more helpful! I do not know if the Pocono mountains(camping) is any closer or if it something you'd consider. But I've heard great things about it. Good Luck! Have fun!!

We ended up driving 8 hours the day after our wedding. It was a really fun road trip! We had breakfast with friends and then headed on our way. I told every person that we came in contact with that we just got married the day before. My husband laughed at me but then started doing it! 🤣
It was great to reminisce over the day together. We called immediate family to thank them again and share our love. Highly recommend, especially if it's somewhere you really want to go.

If it’s the one thing that you are excited about I think an extra hour or two in the car is worth it. You want it to memorable

Niagara Falls is a great location! It's also near a lot of other cool things. Hiking the gorge is amazing, there are some awesome restaurants, and some really nice shopping areas. Plus the casino if you like gambling a little bit. To me, 5 hrs is nothing, I regularly drive 8 from VA back home to Buffalo, then back on a weekend! Yes, it can be exhausting sometimes, but if it's something you both want to do go for it!! We are driving about 3 hrs to the Finger Lakes after our wedding, for 2 nights then back to VA. Super short mini moon because of my work. But it's worth it to us!

As far as being tired after the wedding, we're not having the traditional big party after the ceremony, so I'm not too worried about that. Our big party is actually a month later. After the ceremony, we're just going to a late lunch with our few guests (10 including us), so we do have the evening to unwind and relax before a long drive. However. Of course there is a however. 😂 Talked to my FH last night more in depth about the mini moon and the idea of going to Niagara. He mentioned that what he was picturing was just a couple of days relaxing and being "amorous" (his word, not mine. Lol). Up to this point, he hadn't expressed his vision. So, he doesn't really want to do tourist type things. More hanging out as a couple without worrying about being parents. Good food, alcohol, and intimacy.

So I'm back to the drawing board, trying to find a place closer to home. If he's thinking quiet relaxation, we definitely don't have to drive very far. The Poconos and the Catskills are about an hour and a half. And we can put the extra gas money into getting a nice romance package.

Yes, I was excited about going to Niagara, but marriage is about compromise. And his vision will be awesome too. I know if I said Niagara was what I really wanted, he'd go and, I'm sure, have fun. But I don't want him having regrets, thinking he'd rather be having quiet couple time. Plus, I know my future daughter would have a blast at Niagara, so maybe we shelve it for now and take a family vacation there next summer. Maybe bring my mom so we can have some romance in the "honeymoon capital of the world" while she spends time with her bonus granddaughter.

Thank you all so much for your help. All of your comments were helpful. Wish me luck finding something! 😁

Personally I don’t thin 5.5 hrs is very much driving, but that’s up to you and your preference! I actually live near Niagara Falls and there’s lots to do there! If you have passports/enhanced licenses then there’s even more on the Canadian side of the border. Buffalo, NY has lots to do as well! Only 20 mins from the falls and lots of restaurants, brewery’s, hiking, etc. if you’re looking for something relaxing and are into wineries there’s the Niagara wine trail, Chautauqua, or Seneca lake. Let me know if you have questions or are looking for other recommendations!

If you did make it to Niagara Falls, I would recommend the Canadian side of the US side. But it sounds like you are in the Eastern part of NY? A nice cabin get away in the Adirondacks or the Hudson Valley area would be romantic and give you that time away. You could also go into the Berkshires (just over the state line into Massachusetts) and there are some cozy little towns and lots of less touristy but fun things to do! And good food. Though I’m a little biased because my fiancé and I met in the Berkshires.

We're driving 8 hours to Montreal for a 5 day mini-moon. As long as you have a great time, who cares how long it takes?