The insurance thing is only true if you don’t have a loan, because most banks require you to carry insurance if you do. And if you have a reasonably new car, you’d be crazy to not carry any insurance on it.

Unless you have a loan, because most banks require it. And unless you’re buying a used car cheap, you’re likely to have a loan.

I moved from MA to NH, and I can tell you that you don’t save much money by registering in NH. We don’t have excise tax, but our registration cost every year is based on the value of the vehicle. So it’s essentially the same thing, just in one bill from the town rather than split between the RMV and the town.

Also, as much grief as the RMV gets, in NH you have to know where to go for different things. You normally get plates (and yearly decals) from the town office, license from the DMV, but if you want a special plate, that is the DMV too. Inspection costs vary from station to station, and you usually have to schedule them. Everything expires on your birthday, so “Happy Birthday! Now pay your car registration bill!” Oh, and the town office is open 9-4 M-F, and closed 12-1 for lunch, so you might as well take the day off to go.

They charge other taxes, or they are southern states that don’t get all the winter damage we get.

What if their residence is officially MA for taxes but they move their car to another state for 184 days of the year because it’s a $250k car and they are just avoiding the excise tax? Then they bring their other $300k car here for 181 days, and just go on vacation somewhere else for the few days they don’t have a car here?

The 30 day limit is to make it very difficult to do this to get around paying your fair share. Don’t believe that people with money wouldn’t do this either. They would claim they shouldn’t have to register it here, even if they live here because the car isn’t here most of the time. They have nice cars that use the roads, but register the car in a state with low/no taxes.

That’s exactly what the rule/law is supposed to do. But MA law says 30 days rather than a majority, because they have to set the limit somewhere, and people will always try to get around it on a technicality. “Well the car was here for 181 days, so that’s not a majority, so I register it in the other state.”

Of course it’s also that MA wants their cut of taxes too when someone is living here for a good part of the year, and it makes sense.

The reason it is like this is because someone would claim residence in some other state that doesn’t have taxes on cars and register their car there. They could have a friend in Alabama, claim it’s their home state, but live in MA 364 days a year, and skirt the law. So they made a law to force these people to register it here, since they are using the roads, etc. The idea behind it is solid, but of course there are situations like OP’s who get caught up even though they never really lived here, they just visited. This is why the cases need to be looked at when they pop up, and not just blindly apply the law. Common sense needs to be used, but that’s of course lacking in many offices.

We may do that in the future! I have been to Montreal a couple of times, but we want to stay relatively close to home because of our kids and stuff going on the following weeks. I will keep that place in mind when I go!

Don't get it swinging too much, or it'll come back and take your knees out.

I saw some "Honeymoon" packages at some hotels that had this... That's not our style of honeymoon.

You may have me sold on BBQ! This place looks really good, and I just talked to them and they have some nice packages! I am leaning towards this place for sure.

I found the Yankee Inn in Lenox, which looks nice, but I have no idea what's out that way to do during the day. I also don't know if it's really nice, or the photos just make it look nice...

Yeah, I didn't mean to eliminate ski area ones entirely, just that skiing wasn't our thing, but heading up to that area certainly is, and then we can sled or visit the shops in the area.

I was honestly not sure what to expect here. Would I either get downvoted, or get some wise-ass responses? Thankfully most of the responses have given me some good options!

Ah haha, now I got you!

$500/night is pretty steep for us. If that means I take off the extras, then that's what it will have to be. I know it's an anniversary, but my wife would kill me if I spent $1000 for a room for 2 nights. I have some backup ideas if this won't work out, but based on the ideas others have given, they seem to be in the range of $200-300 a night, which is not that bad.

I think this may be the way to go, I will check it out!

I had never heard of that place until the auto-response message, and I had no idea what to think until I started scrolling through the photos. I think I caught something just from looking at it.

This place looks gorgeous!

Thanks I will check them out, I looked at some of the photos and they look nice!

Yeah, I must have the golden touch to get all the keywords hitting the auto-mods.

I thought it was silver too until I saw the label.