Mrs. Butterscotch, Seattle
Age and Occupation: 29, Advertising Sales Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, City Worker
Engagement Date: September 24, 2006
Wedding Date: August 11, 2007
Blogging Since: June 19, 2007
Venue: church ceremony and private club reception
About Me: I am marrying my high school sweetheart 11 years after high school ended! I am a self professed shoe fanatic with a closet full of shoes and only two feet. Planning a wedding has been my fun project since he surprised me with a proposal in Paris. We are spending our last few months preparing for our big day by wrapping up all the small things, buying a house and best of all preparing to live together for the first time.
Help Me Pick!
February 1st, 2008 @ 6:28 pm by Mrs. Butterscotch
2008 has a lot of milestones in store for the Butterscotches. We are celebrating our 30th birthdays (30 is the new 20, thank you very much) and we also will hit our 1 year anniversary of wedded bliss. I plan on having a big birthday month extravaganza, but I want to do something extra special.
I have been dropping hints to Mr Butterscotch that I think we should do one fabulous trip to combine those two monumental occasions. And he agreed!!! But I feel like I am overwhelming him with ideas! I have narrowed it down to a few places I would like to visit for either the first time or for a repeat visit.
So I turn to you the wonderful readers, I need help!
1. Italy- I have been, Mr Buttah has not
2. Greece- Neither of us have been
3. France- Mr Buttah proposed to me at the Eiffel Tower
4. Bora Bora- Neither of us have been
5. Africa- Neither of us have been
6. Spain- I have been, Mr Buttah has not
Or stay closer to home…
7. New York- Both of us have been
Which location should I start really pushing for? Or do you have any other places I should think about?
47 Responses to “Help Me Pick!”
Italy or France…I want to go there, therefore you should go there, and I can live vicariously through your posts. 
What about a Mediterranean cruise? That way, you could theoretically go to France, Spain, Italy AND Greece. Although I might just be projecting, because I would LOVE to go on a Mediterranean Cruise!
Go somewhere in Africa… Have an experience instead of a vacation.
I spent 4 months in Ghana and it was an amazing time that I’ll never forget. My fiance traveled across the continent years ago and it was also life changing for him.
There’s nothing like spending some time in a place vastly*different* from where you live. I think it would be amazing to share with your husband as well!
GREECE!!! I love love love it there and cannot wait to take my Fiance there someday. Why not combine it with a couple day stop over in Italy?
I’m not much on having to follow someone else’s itinerary so I don’t think I would enjoy a cruise, but who knows? You might so then you could fit in quite a few stops!
(Cause I know not everyone has a ton of time like I did when I got to travel and take my time in college)
I’d say Africa or Greece. Italy and France will be tough to afford with the Euro/dollar exchange rate. Also, go for an adventure!
UGH NOT GREECE - unless you do the islands. If you stay inland you will be totally unsatisfied.
What interests do you share? Would you love a cooking vacation? A wine tour? (Napa cottages are AMAZING - honeymooned there). Something else?
Do you want to go for activity or relaxation?
What about someplace off-beat like Austria? Or Norway?
Do the Mediterranean and you can hit Italy, Spain, France, and Greece as well. Look at cruises on MSC, an Italian cruise line that operates in the Med (and other places). A very different feel from the big cruise lines, and there will be very few Americans on the ship. You can pick an itinerary you like, and the ship docks at a different place every morning and then cruises overnight. You can sign up for guided tours in the day, or just wander on your own all day. I have been on two, and they are super. We usually tack on a few days on land beginning and end. Note that you can start and stop your cruise at any stop, if you have a preference - you are not tied into the start and stop as listed on the formal itinerary. My next one will be their itinerary that also stops at Casablanca!
Well, I would go to Spain or Italy in a heartbeat - but since the dollar is at its lowest ebb in years, and Europe so crazy expensive, have you thought of going north to Canada?
Montreal/Quebec city will give you that french feel, and the Lake Louise area is also gorgeous and romantic.
Greece! I would definitely go somewhere neither of you have been before. I find it much more fun to explore a new place together than to have one person “showing” the other person around, which always happens if one person has been there before.
Greece uses the Euro too though. Visit the island of Cephalonia for a slower pace than Mykonos.
Greece b/c it’s so stunningly beautiful and neither of you have been there (though I also adore the idea of a cruise that will hit several countries).
Mrs. butterscotch,
If you can, definitel go to South Africa, especially Cape Town. It’s go mountains, beaches, interesting history, the opportunity for a safari, great wine (and food too!). Also in West Africa, Senegal has some interesting places to see and also beautiful beaches. If you are turning 30, why not do it up and go somewhere completely new and different as you enter a new time and phase in your life.
i vote for south africa or bora bora since both you guys haven’t been there. however, what about a cruise?? i heard it’s sooo much fun.
I think rather than pick a location first, think about how much you are willing to spend, and pick the best location that fits your price range. For example, going to Bora Bora is SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive than going to Greece (I know this first hand since we were going to go there for our honeymoon — 12 nights in Bora Bora was going to cost us a minimum of $14,000 with just the hotels and airfare from LA, while we are able to do 14 nights in Greece for under $9000). I don’t know how much you want to spend on the trip, but that can certainly dictate quite a bit of how much you see, how long you are there, and what activities you are able to do.
i pick bora bora or greece. both places i have never been as well and we would love to go.
someone suggested cruise, i think that’s a fabulous idea!!!! you get to visit mo places and eat tons of good food! multi-stop! yeeeeaaah!
You didn’t say what time of year you are planning the trip, so that would affect my suggestions BUT we spent a month in Greece for our honeymoon (neither of us had been) and it was fantastic. If it were me, though, I’d hit up South Africa and East Africa and make it an adventure. Or — if you want an easier flight and a cheaper trip, one place you didn’t list that is amazing is Argentina. You can do Buenos Aires, the Mendoza wine region, and pop over to Uruguay for a little ritzy beach scene.
Greece or Italy!
AFRICA. Or New York, but I’m from New York, so I’m biased. Africa would be an awesome trip. France would have a nice touch citing your past experiences there, but…you should do something different, exciting, something you both will experience for the first time as a couple on your 1 anny…at least I (bossily) think so. I wouldn’t want it to mash in with all the other times you’ve been to France or Spain or etc. In any event, New York has some fun activities in the summer time, and there’s literally. always. something. new. to. do. You’ll never get bored. And if you want pizza or chinese or burgers or a fax machine or a cd at 4am, it’s at your fingertips. Good luck with your choices! I’m trying not to envy you (as I am the queen of indecision, making one would most definitely disappoint because what about all the other options?), but I DO, OH, I DO. Africaaaaaaaaa, only in my dreams, haha.
Italy! We’re going on our h’moon. I’ve been before, but not to the Amalfi Coast, so we’re spending most of our time there. Maybe you could also pick an area of Italy you’ve not been?
Greece is a close #2.
I think Africa would be very interesting, actually. Didn’t one of the bees go to Madagascar?
Africa would be my choice.
Ok here is some more info: We are planning on going in either August or September. We dont have a budget in mind yet. And I think we would want to go for about a week or so.
Master P-Hmmm….I wonder what is in Berkeley! You so silly!
If you can afford the plane tickets, and the time off, a lot of places in Africa are quite cheap compared to the U.S. or Europe. South Africa has a wide variety of attractions. East Africa has some amazing beaches and great scuba diving/snorkeling, as well as safaris.
Go somewhere neither of you have been!!
My fiancee and I went on a Mediterranean cruise - we really liked it!! We went to Santorini Greece - AMAZING. I would go back to the greece in a heartbeat!!
Africa - I went to Kenya this past summer - it definately is an experience. Not really a vacation in the typical sense - unless you want to see poverty and have people begging the whole way. It is an experience and it was a great one! But with the state of Kenya (where a lot of safaris in Africa take place) I wouldn’t go right now. South Africa might be neat though.
I would LOVE to go to Bora Bora - i think it sounds awesome! I’ve never been - but if I could choose - it would be Greece or Bora Bora!
If you are looking for an Experience– Africa
If you’re looking for rest and relaxation– Greece or Bora Bora
If you’re looking for a laid back culinary and cultural experience–Italy, France, Spain
I vote for Italy only because I’m in the process of planing my honeymoon there and just researching has made me in love with the country.
I vote for Greece, Africa, or Bora Bora since neither of you have been there before. Although really, any of the places sound like a great time.
Oh all good choices. I think it really depends on what you would want to do… and especially budget.
My first choice would be : Bora bora… especially since both of yous havent gone!
Italy or Greece!
why don’t you go to Scandinavia in the summer? It’s light there pretty much all day and the cities are beautiful. I’d recommend Stockholm and then a few days on the surrounding islands. You can then combine city and country. It is really expensive there–esp if you like to drink on holiday.
Italy is fantastic! Last summer, I rented a villa in Tuscany with my fiance a bunch of friends and we had the best time.
But I have to say, my all-time favorite vacation was to Sicily. Sicily has all the great stuff about Italy but combined with a bit of African influence from Morocco. The food is fantastic (great fish, great cannolis). And the scenery is amazing! Taormina is a great little town-full of fantastic shops and food. We stayed in a brilliant hotel with bouganvillea growing all over the outside, looking out over the Med. And there’s a volcano, Mt Etna! It’s constantly smoking! Roman ruins, baroque cities, some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Europe. And inland, is some of the most amazing mountain scenery! If you go in May/June, all the spring flowers are just blooming and the mountains are covered in pink, but the beaches are extremely hot and it’s warm enough to swim. Check out this website for great villas. I’ve haven’t stayed with them yet, but I’ve spoken with them many times and they’re super nice.
I’m seriously thinking about going back this year. I think it’s my favorite place on the planet!
Africa!
I ammend my recommendation. If you only have a week and would be flying from Seattle, I’d pick somewhere a little closer that Italy or Greece to maximize your vacation time. Or at least pick a city in Spain/France/Italy/Greece that is a direct flight.
And if you end up going in August, definately NOT Italy or Greece. September would be much better for those places.
Africa- go on safari in Zambia (less tourist-ridden than Kenya/Tanzania), and then fly down to Cape Town for a little cosmopolitan adventure. It’s a fool-proof fabulous vacation.
somewhere in africa! my dream is to go there! and it’s a whole continent that neither of you has been to.
i’d choose someplace where the dollar is strong, then you can afford to live luxuriously without feeling too guilty. 
how about morocco? it’s exotic and the pictures i’ve seen of the place look beautiful! or perhaps turkey or somewhere in eastern europe. it’s much cheaper compared to spain, italy, france…
Greece is the word!
I’m European, so I would not pick Italy, France or Greece..
Bbut I would pick africa any day. How about Cape Town - nice and metropolitan at the same time as very african, great food, fantastic wine, Lovely friendly people, you can do Game Reserve driving and see all the 5 big animals (lion, elephant etc etc), Great White Shark Diving…
It’s the best holiday i’ve ever had….(And everyone speaks english as at least second language…as well as africans, Xhosa and number of other languages)
Italy is always at the top of my list, but Bora Bora sounds so fun and exotic.
Whatever you choose take lots of pictures so we can see ;0)
Greece is my dream! I think we’ll go for our five or ten year.
We’ve also been talking about our one year (in July) and are looking at more of a min-vacation. We’ll stay in the United States and do a long weekend. It’s complicated a little bit by being near the 4th of July (Disneyland is out) but I can’t wait!
Somewhere neither of you have been!
my dream would be bora bora, so that’s my vote. besides, neither of you have been. however, it can get pretty pricey so you may want to save that for 5-10 years of wedded bliss.
second vote would be italy, but i’m a little bias since mr. gray grew up there
