A wealthy and philosophically contrarian ex-employer once told me his secret: Go to a seasonal tourism area during the off season. Nobody, for example, goes to a ski resort in the summer. Yet many businesses cannot afford to close down entirely, and will lean over backwards to cater to the small clientele they do get. Decide an area you want to see – then figure out what’s in that area for which April is emphatically off season. Book a week there, and expect to be pampered.
Niagra Falls
My honeymoon was Savannah, GA with a couple days in Charleston, SC. We had a great and relaxing time, and it meets all your criteria.
If you want to head west, there are plenty of nice places in California, but that cuts into the time and money budget.
San Diego/Coronado
Ventura/Santa Barbara
Monterey/Santa Cruz
San Francisco/Half Moon Bay/Marin
Mondocino (probably wouldn’t spend a whole week there)
Eureka (probably wouldn’t spend a whole week there)
Napa/Sonoma (especially if you like wine)
Avalon/Catalina
There’s also Portland, OR. Love it!
My husband and I went to Lake Tahoe and San Francisco for our honeymoon. We fell in love with Tahoe. We stayed on the California side, so our hotel didn’t have a casino, but literally across the street was the Nevada side, complete with casinos. So we would cross the street, goof off at the casinos, eat like pigs at some pretty fabulous restaurants, then cross back over to our nice, quiet hotel. We loved it. During the day, we just wandered the city, looked in the little shops and sat and watched the Lake. Sounds boring, but we really enjoyed ourselves.
Let us know what you decide!
Mendocino
Ivylad and I had a fabulous time in Key West. Lots of great food (especially seafood) and lots of fun things to do. It’s a very laid back place and you can walk down the street with an open container.
Back when we were first dating, the wife and I took a weekend trip to Sanibel Island and just had an amazing time. We got a good deal on our hotel (the Sandpiper Inn, if I remember correctly) and they provided beach supplies and bicycles. The whole thing was so laid back and relaxing – just bicycling around, swimming, eating, napping.
Also, if you go this route, go to McTee’s restaurant (I think that’s the name) and get the all you can eat cajun shrimp. So delicious.
Probably not a good idea for the OP. Many of the best views and attractions are on the Canadian side.
I’d agree with New Orleans. Nice city, tourist oriented, lots of things to do, but the kind of things you can do on your own pace rather than following somebody else’s schedule.
Vacation rentals by Owner is a great place to rent a condo or cottage. It can be cheaper than a hotel and more comfortable. My brother found a great place in Hawaii, and I found a lovely cottage on Pender Island for my honeymoon. (Pender is in Canada but I love it there).
Love that site! We’ve rented two cottages in Hawaii and an apartment in Paris using them. All three have been bigger, nicer and cheaper than hotels.
If you want to be in a city then Chicago gives you a lot of the same activities you’d have in New York but at a more relaxed pace. Restaurants, museums, city tours, and just general urban exploration. Obviously weather won’t be at it’s best in April, but you’ll have plenty of indoor stuff to keep you busy (besides the sex, I mean).