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We all need a little adventure in our lives and planning the perfect weekend getaway is a fantastic way to achieve that goal. Whether you’re traveling solo, with your significant other, a group of girlfriends or your family changing your scenery is a great way to come home renewed and relaxed.
I’m going to walk through a few of the steps I take to finding the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.
First – What Do You Want To Do?
Planning a perfect weekend getaway starts with asking yourself what you really want out of the weekend. You might be in the mood for a relaxing vacation, seeks some serious challenges or even reading a book while basking in the sun.
Deciding what you want to do is the perfect place to start, here are some ideas I love:
- Beach getaways
- A cabin in the woods
- Chasing waterfalls
- Spa retreats
- Horseback riding
- Exploring like a local
Second – How Will You Get There?
Sometimes the journey to the destination is the best part of a weekend getaway. With many different ways to travel, you can turn a train ride into your getaway or maybe hop on a ship for the weekend.
Timing is everything and since you only have the weekend your schedule might be limited when it comes to some forms of travel so it is important to keep that in mind.
Figuring out exactly what you want to do and what you’re in the mood for is important and getting there by car, rail, plane, foot or even boat is a fun part of the adventure.
Third – Accommodations
Going away for the weekend means you’ll have to accommodations for a night or two; unless you’re sleeping in a train or boat this is an important part of the planning. A great tip I've learned over the years is booking your transportation and accommodation together in a travel package can sometimes save you a lot of money.
You might want to think out of the box and off the beaten path for this. There are hundreds of old inns and even historic barns that have been refurbished for you to stay at, whether you are traveling romantically or with the girls.
Fourth – The Decision
Now that you’ve narrowed down the specifics of your trip it is time to put them all together and find the perfect destination. Take a look at a map and your transportation schedules and see where the weekend of adventure will take you!
Some of my favorite getaways were to small towns off the main interstate like Ritzville, Washington and Banff, Alberta. I've also taken the Amtrak from Whitefish, Montana to Seattle and it was an amazing experience that made me fall in love with train travel which inspired another trip from Windsor, Ontario to Toronto. I love the character of small towns and how friendly the locals are, I’ve found some neat spots to explore by asking for local advice. And don’t forget to pack your sneakers because there is usually an epic viewpoint waiting for you to find.
Finding the perfect weekend getaway may take a little effort, but in the end, it is so worth the time!
