Eco Cottages

When Steve and I first started thinking about our honeymoon, we thought we might only take a mini-moon right after the wedding. We considered a mini-moon for two reasons. First, we're paying for our honeymoon ourselves so having a shorter, simpler trip would allow us to better afford it. And second, the places we were thinking about going were all tourist spots and we probably wouldn't relax much. If we went to a country in Europe or South America like we considered, we would spend a lot of time exploring and we really wanted to use the days after the wedding to relax. The Caribbean would be a perfect compromise--there are many affordable all-inclusive packages and it's perfect for relaxation--but October is hurricane season for most of those islands. We thought that if we took a mini-moon, we could take a longer honeymoon at one of these locations in the Spring.

In terms of a mini-moon location, we thought about going to a place where neither of us has been before: California! I know, it's sad, but us east coasters have never been out west!

Last Spring, when Steve went to the NYC Go Green Expo, he got me a lifestyle and fashion Eco magazine. When flipping through it, I saw these photos:

Images from here.

How adorable is this cottage? It's one of the three Venice Beach Eco Cottages in Venice Beach, CA. Each cottage has its own style and the one above is called "Le Bebe." Right in Los Angeles, you can rent your own little one-bedroom cottage on the beach, and the best part is that they are completely Eco-friendly! They are solar-powered, have Energy Star appliances, and are made from non-toxic building materials. The fabrics are organic and the paint is low- or no-VOC. One of the cottages ("Aunt Zoe's Place") even has an energy-efficient outdoor hot tub that's made with recycled milk jugs, and uses ozone and UV light to clean itself.

Image from here.

Because we try our best to live Eco-friendly lives and Steve is obsessed with green homes (he hopes to have one someday), Steve and I loved the idea behind this place. It seems like it could be a nice cozy retreat for a mini-moon. Ultimately, we ended up changing our Honeymoon plans (which I'll share soon) but I would love to stay at one of these cottages one day. If anyone is considering a trip to LA (for mini/honeymoon or otherwise), this is a hotel option worth checking out!

*I have absolutely no connection to Venice Beach Eco Cottages and they have no idea that I am writing about their facility. I just love the idea behind them and thought it was worth sharing with you!