Weddingbee Blog

Two weekends ago we were in Vegas for Bridesmaid H’s little white chapel wedding, the last of three weddings in four weeks. When we arrived home we tried to keep the momentum going but my body had another idea. I’m not sure what happened but I re-injured my neck and landed myself in a lot of pain and discomfort—just in time for the weekend. Despite muscle relaxers and pain medication I am unable to work on the projects I had planned.

I’m nursing my neck back to health and should be back to normal in a few days. In the meantime I am dreaming of our minimoon. To recap, I’m vacation poor, so we put our plans for Hawaii on hold, and toyed with the idea of a road trip with a tear-drop trailer. The trailer thing didn’t work out so I started my research again.

If you live on the West Coast, or if you are hoping to visit I highly recommend using the resources at Sunset Magazine.

We subscribe and Sunset was where I first saw the tear-drop trailers. I decided to return to their website to see what sort of hidden gems they could offer in the Oregon, Washington, andBritish Columbia area (in other words, within driving distance). They did not disappoint. I marked all the possibilities for Mr Pretzel to review. I’d love to tease you along with all of the great destinations that we found but who am I kidding? I just want to show the beautiful pictures of the resort that was hands down the winner.

The Rockwater Resort at Secret Cove

We’re going north of the border! Located 2 hours north of Vancouver on British Columbia’s sunshine coast, this resort was awarded 2nd best Seaside Hideaway by Sunset Magazine. Eagles soar nearby and the water is smooth as glass in the cove. The resort offers hiking, kayaking, sailing and other activities. But perhaps my favorite feature are the Tenthouse Suites. * all photos courtesy of the Rockwater Secret Cove unless otherwise noted.

“For the romantic escape that truly inspires, the Rockwater Tenthouse Suites offer the ultimate experience. The enchanting silence of the arbutus forest combined with the awe-inspiring view of Malaspina Strait provide a perfect setting of peace and serenity. Each private luxury Tenthouse is appointed with deluxe furnishings, from fine linens on the king-size bed to the hydro-therapy tub with a view, rain forest shower, propane fireplace, shoji screens and radiant floor heating. The private verandas include outdoor furniture for your relaxation while you enjoy the expansive ocean views. For your convenience, each Tenthouse has two luxurious Warm Buddy bathrobes, coffee and tea maker, clock radio with iPod hook-ups, complimentary high speed wireless internet service, mini refrigerator, board games and a small library.” - The Rockwater Secret Cove

Yes please, order me up one of those! Let’s take a closer look at the tenthouse.

Your own oasis…

…with a view from bed!

Even some of the tubs have a view!

Romantic dinner for two?

Private deck

There was no question, WE WANT A TENTHOUSE! A wedding almost threw a wrench into that plan. The whole resort was on hold for the week after our wedding because the following weekend they were hosting a wedding. The bride and groom had reserved the whole resort for their guests from Tuesday until Sunday. The meant that we could book ourselves a tenthouse for Sunday and Monday night but we were on a wait-list for Tuesday night (we are only taking a three day minimoon). I booked the tenthouse for Sunday and Monday and said a quick prayer for Tuesday. Not even a month later the lovely people at Rockwater called me to tell me that we had a tenthouse for Tuesday night! YAY!

We’ll be newlyweds, but I am sure we’ll venture out of our tenthouse a time or two. To take advantage of the beautiful location I booked us the summer adventure package which according to the website includes:

• Breakfast for two each morning of your stay
• Two 60 minute Bliss Massages at Rockwater Spa Without Walls
• One hour horseback ride for two people at Malaspina Ranch
• A four hour kayak rental for two. Explore Smugglers Cove Marine Park and Secret Cove. Travel along the beautiful shoreline in a tandem or solo kayak. Pack a picnic and pull into a bay to sunbath and enjoy your time together.

Hmm… a spa without walls. That sounds amazing right now.

Mr P and I are excited to take out some kayaks to go exploring.

The thought of three relaxing days in this beautiful place keeps me going. Mr P and I are pretty happy with how our minimoon is shaping up. The only thing that we are less than excited about is the 5+ hour drive from Seattle to the Rockwater. Mr P in particular isn’t looking forward to this part of the trip. He asked to look into flying to Vancouver and renting a car but that would still mean 2+ hours in the car… BOOOO. Just a couple minutes ago I called Mr P and told him I had the most rock-star solution to our driving problem. I just said one word: SEAPLANE.

Source

Needless to say, he’s excited. We’ll see if it will work out. This minimoon is shaping up to be a mighty-moon! It might only be three days long but it isn’t short on excitement or luxury.

Are you planning a minimoon? How are you making it special and relaxing?