Many of us lack the time or budget needed to plan big vacations. However, you may still be able to have that adventure you’ve been longing for on a smaller scale. Weekend getaways are the perfect option to recharge your batteries while fitting a trip into your busy schedule. Typically it’s best to pick a location that is closer to your home to limit the travel time needed. Whether it’s a short drive or flight, staying closer to home allows you to make the most of the few days you have free to enjoy your trip. Another benefit is because these types of trips are shorter, you can plan several throughout the year to give yourself something to look forward to.
Planning weekend getaways gives you plenty of options to choose how you will spend your downtime. They are meant to be short (2-4 days) and because of this they generally require a smaller budget. Another positive aspect is they typically are easier to plan even on short notice. Finding last minute deals on a destination can really save a lot of money you could use while vacationing. As we discussed on an earlier post, short trips have the same health benefits as longer vacations so do yourself a favor and plan that trip!
Weekend Getaways: Camping
Camping trips are great options for weekend getaways. They are the easiest to plan, and typically can be done very cheaply. We have loved camping our entire lives and still do to this day. Investing in some decent camping gear can give you years of enjoyment for a relatively low cost. There really is nothing better than sitting by a campfire underneath the stars while telling stories with your family or friends.
Remote Locations
If you’re brave enough, getting away from it all to a remote camping spot is a fantastic way to get in touch with nature. While living in Colorado, we happened to see some tire tracks heading back into the mountains while fishing one afternoon. Colorado allows you to camp anywhere on state land for free. Knowing this we let our curiosity get the better of us and decided to follow the tracks. After 45 minutes of bumpy trails and narrow squeezes, we came upon a spot that even our 4-wheel drive wasn’t going to get through. We decided to hop out and check out the area and found a perfect campsite!
For several years this became our go to camping spot when planning weekend getaways. The only thing we had to pay for for these trips were food and booze and we would typically pull a couple of trout out of the lake for our first nights dinner. Since it was such an inexpensive trip it allowed us to splurge on the booze. This was the birthplace of the Car Bar (opened 12:01am-Midnight 🙂 ). We spent many hours here eating great food, sharing cocktails and stories (always ghost stories at night), and enjoying nature with frequent wildlife visitors.
The Perfect Campground
Even if you have to pay for a campsite, camping still provides an economical way to spend a weekend away from home. The benefit to the extra expense is typically restrooms and shower houses are provided onsite which are a big draw for families. We’ve stayed in all types of campgrounds. Some may be a little more crowded but they provide playgrounds, pools, or hiking trails. Some are a little more remote with plenty of space in between sites.
Researching campgrounds can help you find your ideal location. Many campground websites provide a map of the campsites so this also helps you pick an ideal location. (More remote site or closer to the amenities provided). Also, when clicking on a particular site it will detail what is provided at the site. (picnic table, fire ring, water/electrical hookups, etc.) You really can tailor your getaway to what you are most looking for. Best of all, if you lack all the camping gear you can even find campgrounds that provide cabins onsite. This allows you to get in touch with nature while having a solid roof over your head!
Man’s Best Friend
For us, and many others, the biggest draw to camping is it allows us to bring our dogs along on our weekend getaways. Even though we have found some great kennels over the years, we always felt guilty kenneling our dogs. Campgrounds are usually pretty dog friendly as long as you abide by their rules. If you choose to do backwoods camping, having the dog along will help give you some peace of mind as well. It never hurts to have a member of the group along that is highly in tune with what is going on around you. Also, they can really help keep you warm on those colder evenings spent in the tent!
Weekend Getaway: Head to the Beach
Is there anything more relaxing than lying on the beach listening to the waves crash against the shore? If you are looking to get away from your daily grind and recharge, spending a few days at the beach is a great option. Having lived in many beach towns, we know that a beach vacation can strain the budget. However, if you are willing to travel in the off-season you can find huge discounts while getting away from the crowds.
Best of Both Worlds
Relaxing by the beach comes with other perks as well. Beach towns are usually pretty full of shopping and nightlife. Beaches are never short on restaurants and bars with amazing ocean views or live music venues to dance the night away. Spending time in that laid back beach vibe is the perfect way to unwind and have a great time.
Relaxation with a History Lesson
Less than a year after COVID shut the world down, we were anxious to get out and travel. Cassandra’s 40th birthday was approaching and we wanted to celebrate. We looked for something near us in SC because we weren’t ready to board a plane just yet. After a little research, we ended up stumbling upon Tybee Island, just outside of Savannah, GA. We found a fantastic deal on an AirBnB since it was in the offseason. The location was perfect being as it was a short walk to the beach and a few nice restaurants. It was nice to enjoy the beach without the crowds and it couldn’t have been more relaxing.
American Prohibition Museum
Since we were so close to Savanah we decided to spend some time there as well. A quick Google search of things to do in Savannah brought many options for us to occupy our time. The biggest surprise was the Prohibition Museum. We were unaware that Savannah had an extensive history in the Prohibition Era. In 1735 King George II announced the first law prohibiting alcohol use in the colonies in Savanah. Even to this day there are existing buildings that were used as speakeasies in the 1920’s and early 30’s. It was interesting to visit these establishments that were a part of the history of this era.
The biggest surprise was the museum itself. We knew a little about prohibition but the museum provided an extensive insight to this time in our history. Everywhere you turn there were artifacts or information posted that described the times. In fact one detail that really stood out was that the government instituted the income tax after the loss of the revenue from taxing alcohol. So for us in the states that have to pay income taxes, you can thank the government taking away alcohol for that!
The museum had actors/actresses throughout reenacting scenes from the era. However they didn’t stop there. They also placed animatronics in some of the displays or lifelike wax figures to really bring the museum to another level. Of course our favorite part of the tour was finishing it off with a Prohibition Era cocktail at the onsite speakeasy.
Weekend Getaways: The Big City
Planning a vacation to a city in the US can be a bit costly. Hotel prices are high, parking is at a premium, and going out tends to be expensive. On the plus side, cities have plenty to see and do for all types of interests. Also, major cities will typically have an airport near them so it makes getting there more convenient. You can visit a city on a smaller budget if you keep the trip short. For these reasons, we think checking out new cities is perfect for weekend getaways.
Our Weekend in San Francisco
One of the first trips we ever took together as a couple was a weekend in San Fran. We were living in Southern California at the time and thought it would be great to drive up the coast and spend a weekend there. Northern California is typically much cooler and cloudier than down south but we lucked out with perfect weather the entire time.
There was so much to see and do in San Fran that we kept quite busy during our stay. We had the energy to keep up that pace since we were still in our twenties! Our first stop was Fisherman’s Wharf to pick up some lunch. We had the absolute best clam chowder served in a bread bowl from a little stand at the wharf. With full bellies we decided to stretch our legs and visit Chinatown.
Cassandra grew up in New York and visited Chinatown in NYC before but this was my first experience. At this time, I had yet to leave the country so Chinatown was an incredible experience for me. It was such a large area and it truly felt like we had left the US and went to a market in China. Since then I have visited other Chinatowns and have travelled to Thailand. To this day, I still feel that San Francisco’s Chinatown is an authentic experience for those that have not travelled outside the US or in particular, to an Asian country. We had to end our experience with hopping on a trolley to head up the hill for a better view of our destination the following day, Alcatraz!
Alcatraz Island
While most of us are familiar with Alcatraz being used as a federal prison, it had a purpose long before this took place. The island was actually the site of the first lighthouse on the California coast in 1854. After a brief stint as a military outpost, it served as a military prison for approximately 65 years. Its isolated location made it ideal for housing prisoners. Alcatraz is approximately 1.5 miles off of the coast and is surrounded by cold, choppy waters. Trying to escape off the island without a boat is nearly impossible. Escapes have been attempted, but there is no evidence that the escapees have ever survived the swim to the coast.
Alcatraz was designated as a federal prison from 1934-1963. The island housed some of the most notorious criminals in American during that time. Among others housed there, Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly were two of those that spent time at Alcatraz.
Today Alcatraz is a popular tourist destination. We made reservations for a boat ride to the island and did the self-guided audio tour. The tour provided in-depth information about Alcatraz and the prisoners it held. We were able to walk around at our own pace exploring the different sections of the prison and even got to go into some of the infamous prisoners’ cells. Our favorite part of the tour was walking out to the Yard and feeling the desolation of the island. A detail I found interesting was that when the wind was right, the prisoners could hear those celebrating on the mainland during holidays or special events.
Golden Gate Bridge
No trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. I was shocked by the sheer size of it as we drove up to it. It is not surprising that when it was completed in 1937 it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge held that title for nearly 30 years! The color was actually picked to help make the bridge more visible to ships in the dense fog that the area is known for. Visiting the bridge and getting to drive over it was a great way to end our trip to San Fran.
Short weekend getaways can lead to some fantastic, memorable experiences. Twenty years later and countless trips both domestic and abroad, our San Francisco vacation remains one of our favorite trips ever. It was the beginning of our travel journey together. We hope that our experiences can inspire you to look into getting away. If time is short or your travel budget is small, planning a quick getaway may just be exactly what you need.
For more travel tips or advice please visit our podcast or check out other posts from our blog. As always, we really appreciate you spending time with us as we get to relive some of our favorite travel experiences!
