Whether it’s time to reunite your gal pals from bygone school days, celebrate a special milestone birthday, reminisce with favorite female relatives or bond with a new step/bonus/in-law daughter, there’s nothing quite as special as a “girls’ weekend” (or longer!) trip together.
After a small drought in this department, I decided to make an extra effort to plot out trips with some key female relationships lately. It’s easy to let work and home obligations take over (especially those of us in the sandwich generation stage of life!) but with a little help anyone can enjoy the restorative benefits of recharging with the other cherished women in their life.
1. Make the time.
Finding a date and location are usually the very hardest parts. A few things that help are planning well in advance, picking a less sentimental holiday weekend (President’s Day ski trip or Labor Day camping trip) that might not be already claimed for family obligations, or setting up a tradition to hold fast on the calendar to a designated birthday month (my high school teammates and I share Sagittarius birthdays and my book club celebrates the anniversary of its beginning for big milestone years).
Most of us have constantly changing lives, so a giant group text often follows. I’m considering a new approach next year, taking a cue from the Netflix movie Wine Country (a great comedy and fun option for a movie night during your trip), with a giant conference call. Doodle poll, which often saves the day for choosing meeting times at work and volunteer groups, might also fit the bill here.
2. Find the right location.
One group of my girlfriends rotates among each other’s homes each year. Of course, it’s handy to have friends who live in cool places like Colorado and Washington to make this extra fun, but even the smallest, flattest town can be fun and, with what you save in lodging, you can splurge on an activity, spa day or other treat.
Another time, my friend and I chose a location by looking at the route maps of our respective frequent flyer programs to choose a warm weather spot where we could meet to enjoy beach time. Hello, Virgin Islands — for no flight cost!
You could also copy someone else’s trip so you already start with ideas and recommendations. Some of my favorites are: Scottsdale, AZ; Boulder, CO; New Smyrna Beach, FL; Hot Springs, AR; Bellingham and Leavenworth, WA; Miami, FL; and St. Thomas, USVI. Let me know in the comments if you’d like to know more about these places! I’ve found beaches, shopping hubs and antique hotbeds in particular to be more fun with female friends and saves the dudes in my world from enduring sunburns and shopping marathons they’d rather avoid.
3. Plan together.
I used to hear about groups of gals huddling at an aunt’s beach house for yoga weekends together and think I’d never luck into something quite that cool. But there are many accommodation choices at your fingertips and splitting costs among a group can open up nicer destinations than you might be able to justify in your own personal budget.
In addition to hotels and bed & breakfast inns, there are great condos and homes to rent. Vacation rental sites allow you to find the right combo of bedroom and bath numbers, kitchen accommodations and comfy furniture to lounge in. Watch out for places that might have six seats around the dinner table but only two beach chairs or bikes to make sure you have the right expectations on arrival. Having more than one bathroom can be a lifesaver when everyone is trying to clean up at the same time (or as our bladders all struggle with the same frequency issues!). Online sharing in advance can make sure everyone is on board with the location and price range.
Also, planning ahead with a TripAdvisor trip board allows you all to add suggestions and share easily. The “map” tab on that app lets you see what activities and restaurants are near each other. This is great when no one in the group is familiar with a site. Plus it can help you adjust on the fly when your wandering takes you on a different path than planned. The trip boards even allow you to plot the sites and restaurants by day within your trip to make itineraries (ok, admittedly sometimes I resemble the Amy Poehler character in Wine Country!).
4. Consider everyone’s food favorites.
After many girls’ trips with a broad range of budgets, diets and personalities over the years, I recommend a mix of eating in, casual dining and splurge spots. Starting the day with the free breakfast at your hotel or a simple bite in your rental unit made with food from a group grocery store run, Instacart order or Amazon delivery can save time and money. I’ve even been known to stash a few portable options in my suitcase from home so that the provisioning doesn’t have to happen the moment we’re first together and catching up.
Consider everyone’s varying financial and health needs (and realize some of those may go unspoken) when offering up food suggestions. Take advantage of ladies nights and happy hour specials to save on some tabs. Ethnic, gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly spots often accommodate the budget and health conscious alike.
My favorite food flow is room/home-based coffee, fruit and granola bars or trail mix as we all leisurely get up and get ready, [time for morning activity], brunch or casual lunch, [insert beach/shop/tour time], happy hour munchiesand a later evening dinner that features something special or memorable. Seek out a restaurant with great views, music or breezy outdoor seating so you can combine eating with memory-making, storytelling and reminiscing. Remember to get the server to snap a photo together while you have the chance!
5. Make some memories!
Choose activities that allow for conversation and comfort but sprinkle in some things that push you to grow as individuals and as a group. Ropes courses, belly dancing, road races or just adventurous new cuisine (has someone in the group never tried sushi, ouzo or eating Ethiopian food with her hands?) can make for special photos and stories that add to the adventure.
My friends, sisters and female cousins have managed to get me to try everything from sea kayaking to karaoke to hiking while 8 months pregnant! Some favorite memories involved raising money for a cause while finishing a “race” scaling inflatables and sliding into mud puddles, flamenco fun at a vacation club in Miami and steep but shaded hikes up Rocky Mountain elevations to picnic at alpine lakes where we could pat ourselves on the back for the ascent and pose for group photos amid wildflowers and snowy peaks.
Drop a comment or suggestion with your own girls’ trip tips or let me know if you’ve had a fun time in one of the destinations on my future wish list: Charleston, Nashville, Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, Napa and Denver!
More about the author: Angie is a Midwestern mom and marketer who spends her time teaching, traveling and taking pictures she hopes to someday get into proper photo books.
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