Nothing says cozy (or sexy) like a cabin. Add in evenings before a roaring fire after active days, billowing layers of inviting down-bedding, windows that showcase incomparable views, and kitchens well stocked enough to allow for creative culinary seduction—and you’ve got the honeymooners’ recipe for unsurpassed outdoorsy romance. While rustic has its moments, you’ll want to go artfully luxe this time. It is, after all, a celebration. Below, find two favorites, each remote enough to ensure social distancing successes.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Expect to see a moose or two at this design-buff pleasing enclave of tiny-house inspired, contemporary cabins. Located just minutes from Grand Teton National Park and the ski slopes of Teton Village, Fireside stretches across eight acres of wilderness. Twenty or so stylish, sustainable, LEED-certified, stand-alone suites beckon, each with s’more enticing outdoor fire-pits and ample decks. Designed by Wheelhaus as pint-sized wunderkinds, each cabin sports sloping roofs, high ceilings, oversized windows and stunning, modern craftsmanship. Bringing nature inside, furnishings include whimsies, such as tree stump side tables, and splendors such as goose down pillows, Tempur-Pedic mattresses and multiple shower heads, positioned to unravel weary muscles in blissfully healing blasts. While Fireside’s sleek but diminutive interiors tempt indoor play, honeymooners will want to strike out to discover the largesse of mountainous Jackson Hole, one of the United States’ most captivating, wild valleys. Pedal one of Fireside’s complimentary cruiser bikes to explore the multitude of twisting bike paths, accessed just out your front door. Head to the park to hike and scan the landscape for wildlife, from bison to grizzly bear. Rock climb, fly fish, horseback ride or raft the rapids in summer; or ski and do other snow-worthy sports during winter months. All year round, ease into the warm waters of Granite Hot Springs, located thirty miles away. Fireside has packages that include jeep or RV rental. $239+
Amarillo, Texas
It won’t cost you an extra dime to bring your own horses to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Doesn’t that sound like quintessential Texas thing? An otherworldly expanse of land in Texas’ colorful Panhandle, steeped in history, this park region’s jewel box gem is its jaw dropping canyon, a monument which overtakes 120 miles, sometimes dropping 1,000 feet to its bottom, and stretching 25 miles wide. A haven for fitness buffs, it boasts 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails—not to mention 1,500 dedicated acres for horseback riding alone. Hence, the lure to bring your horse. Don’t have a horse? No problem. You can rent one, as well as other recreational vehicles, once you arrive to this untrammeled terrain, less than an hour from Amarillo. A place of huge sunsets, abundant wildlife and fascinating flora, the Palo Duro Canyon area was once only the domain of rough and ready campers. Now things have changed. For honeymooners who want to “glamp,” Doves Rest offers a splendorous alternative – immaculate, elegant cabins, more like homes, the sort you’d like to inhabit forever. With Western flair and upscale design elan, the twelve well-appointed cabins edge the canyon’s rim. There’s no other development in sight, so you look across the ethereal geology, drink in hand, metaphorically owning the place. At night, the stars burst from the heavens. You’ll want to stay up late, even if you’ve gone riding, hiked, or zip-lined with your eyes closed. Room to book? Try Lighthouse for its Texas-sized vistas. Impress him or her when you coalesce with Dove Rest’s mighty concierge service. They can arrange flowers, in-room massages, grocery shopping, golf tee tines, airport transfers, guides and more. $250+
