Weeklong vacations to exotic locales are exciting and adventurous, BUT can be pricey and can eat up a lot of vacation time if you're not retired. Sometimes all you need is a 4-5 Day Getaway somewhere in the U.S., maybe even your own (or a neighboring) state. Retired or not, the 4 Day Getaway can be perfect. If you’re still working, tack on a couple of vacation days to the weekend and the 4 Day Getaway will feel like you’ve vacationed without taking a lot of time off work. For retirees, the 4 Day Getaway can save some cash by traveling between Sunday and Thursday. You can pack a lot into 4 days - sightseeing, shopping, outdoor activities, and dining with time left to relax. Planning the perfect trip can be a lot of fun once you get past the first 3 all-important (but most stressful) steps - Choosing Your Destination - Making Travel Plans - Booking Accommodations.
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| We chose beautiful Monterey and hiked near Big Sur. |
Destination. Where do you want to go? Whether flying or driving, you want to choose somewhere you can get to in a few hours to avoid spending a lot of time getting to and from your destination. Choose a destination with weather conducive to the activities you want to include. Our trip to Monterey in June was perfect for biking and hiking with temps hovering around 70, but if we were planning on beach time (in bathing suits) we would have chosen a different destination (brrrr).
Travel Plans. Road trip or flying? If flying cross country, catching an early non-stop flight will afford you time to hop in a rental car and drive to your destination with time left to enjoy your first day. Although we had to drive 2 hours to our Sedona destination from the Phoenix airport, we were fortunate enough to get an early non-stop flight, so we could take advantage of a full afternoon of activities on Day 1. (The time change helped too!) For closer destinations, there’s always the road trip. Our road trip to Asheville, NC was 9 hours. Flying time would have been the same (or more) after tallying up the hours it takes to get to the airport, sit and wait, fly, rent a car and drive the two hours from airport to hotel (no nearby airport). Road trips can be fun, especially when you have beautiful scenery and fun stops along the way. If choosing the road trip option, plan some attractions to see on the way to your destination. Stops on the road trip can be a fun part of the agenda.
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| This was our balcony view in Sedona! |
Accommodations. Make your accommodations part of the experience, not just a place to lay your head at night. Our girls getaways almost always include a spa experience so we try and stay at spa resorts when we can. Don’t forget scenery - our Sedona trip would not have been the same without a balcony view of “Snoopy Rock”. While in San Francisco, our stay at a boutique hotel with it’s old style elevator and cozy rooms was part of the adventure. If you are an AARP member, always mention that - you might get a discount. When traveling with a group of friends, splurge on the fancier accommodations and share the cost.
Once you’ve tackled destination, travel plans, and accommodations, the rest is easy and fun. What are you going to do? What do you want to see? Where do you want to eat? Use Trip Advisor and travel blogs - they can be your best friends. Create a list of desired activities, build an agenda and make dining and activity reservations if you can. With a 4 day getaway, you almost have to have an agenda to help your vacay run smoothly and reservations save you from wasted time and disappointment.
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| On our bike ride down the Pacific coast. |
Dining. Dinner reservations will cut down on time wasted waiting for a table, so make them if you can! Trip Advisor is extremely helpful when choosing your restaurants. Take advantage of the reviews, pay attention to price, and try cuisine that is native to the region (again, part of the adventure). On our girls getaway to Asheville, NC, we had fun trying each restaurant’s version of fried green tomatoes. In Monterey, it was the clam chowder!
Activities. In addition to regional cuisine, try regional activities! Challenge yourself to attempting something on every trip that’s out of your comfort zone (within reason). In Sedona, we climbed a mountain. In Monterey, we kayaked at night with the seals, otters, and bioluminescent plankton and biked down the coast. Don't forget to make reservations for activities as well! Our Alcatraz Night Tour in SF had to be booked 90 days in advance. A nice mixture of physical activity, sight-seeing, and shopping makes for a great getaway. Relax in the evening with a yummy meal, a crisp wine, and stimulating conversation!
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| Kayaking with sea life. |
Next Week: Part II of the The 4 (or 5) Day Getaway - Destination Ideas
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