How to find walkable small towns with nearby hiking and open water views
Couples planning a short weekend trip often want walkable blocks of local shops and restaurants paired with nearby nature, but finding destinations that offer both local culture and scenic hikes can be difficult. Additionally, finding specific ceremony venues like an unobstructed lawn overlooking open water limits options further when trying to balance lodging, activities, and natural views.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Searching online travel forums for recommendations
- 2Relying on personal word-of-mouth suggestions from other travelers
- 3Searching for hidden gems or unconventional properties like estates, inns, and clubs that do not normally come up in standard wedding searches.
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My biggest non-negotiable is a grass ceremony overlooking completely open water. No beach, stone patio, buildings, or trees blocking the view. I’m basically looking for lawn → water → horizon behind us.”source ↗
“Hello. My husband and I get to escape for 3 nights in mid-October from NE Ohio. We love towns like Carmel by the Sea, CA, and Saugatuck MI. Think walkable blocks of local shops (not antiques!) and restaurants, live music, and then beautiful scenery around the area for some hikes (lakes/rivers/mountains).”source ↗
Where this came up
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