{"id":98895189,"date":"2018-08-16T04:10:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T08:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/?p=98895189"},"modified":"2023-08-21T12:06:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T16:06:20","slug":"the-art-of-the-regular-weekend-getaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/the-art-of-the-regular-weekend-getaway\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of the Regular Weekend Getaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Social media is rife with extravagant vacations. Month-long stints in Italy, two weeks in Greece, etc., etc.. I even follow a couple who decided to live in South America for a year just for the double-taps on IG. <\/span><\/p>\n

But for most of us, trips like this aren\u2019t feasible. Not only because, umm … money, but because of our 9-5 jobs and other obligations. And while I used to feel kind of bad for myself for not being able to jaunt off to Turks & Caicos on a whim, I\u2019ve actually come to terms with the idea of taking regular, consistent getaways when I can get them — sandwiched right between Friday night and Monday morning — the glorious weekend!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Couple<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t always been good at getting away on the weekend. I lived in Arizona for three years before I visited Grand Canyon National Park<\/span>. During that three years, I visited nearly 10 foreign countries. While on a trip to Peru, a fellow traveler asked how The Grand Canyon was. \u201cI want to visit soon,\u201d he said. \u201cAny tips?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheepishly I confessed that I had never been there. <\/span><\/p>\n

I think about that a lot, actually, when it comes to travel. It seems so exotic to get on a plane and visit a faraway locale, when people around the world come in droves to visit a place <\/span>right by you<\/span><\/i>. Since then, I\u2019ve committed myself to the regular weekend getaway — whenever I can get one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Search hundreds of cheap flights to great destinations that are just perfect for a weekend getaway!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not the only one ditching town on the weekend. About <\/span>43% <\/span><\/a>of adults from ages 18-29 take a weekend vacation multiple times a year, and 19% take one once a month. Around <\/span>64%<\/span><\/a> of Americans plan to take a summer weekend getaway annually. Escaping, even for a couple of nights can feel like a true vacation — if done correctly. <\/span><\/p>\n

The perfect weekend getaway is really an art. And after living in pretty\u00a0low-key\u00a0places in the last six years (Glendale, Arizona, and Gainesville, Florida), I\u2019ve tried to get away at least one week a month. But there are a few caveats I try to follow after being burned too many times on a weekend vacation that went awry. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here is my perfect regular weekend getaway formula:<\/span><\/p>\n

It needs to be close…<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Happy<\/p>\n

Only you know what this number is, but for me, it\u2019s about 3.5 hours. If the drive is longer than that, I feel like I spent most of my getaway driving (especially since if you leave after work, you arrive quite late). As for flying, I typically only fly somewhere if I have a full three days off, and reserve it for holiday weekends. It\u2019s the best when you can fly out Friday night and return Monday afternoon, giving you a solid two days to explore your destination. We once flew from Gainesville, FL, to St. Kitts because we had a holiday weekend. The total flight time was about 3.5 hours, and we had Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday to relax.<\/span><\/p>\n

…but far enough<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Man<\/p>\n

Some people like staycations. But I hate to pay for a hotel if my bed is down the road. It doesn\u2019t feel like a real getaway unless I actually <\/span>get away<\/span><\/i> and eat at new restaurants and see new things. That being said, I\u2019ve had some great weekend getaways that are an hour or so away from home. We used to love visiting Sedona, which was a little over an hour away. It had such a different vibe than Phoenix Valley that it truly felt like a break.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prepare a loose itinerary<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Three<\/p>\n

With a quick trip, you don\u2019t have time to waste. I like to map out what we will do and see beforehand, including some restaurant research. Sometimes I do this on the drive or the flight. When I have an idea of what I want to do or see or eat, I actually fit a lot more in. We recently drove from Gainesville to Savannah, Georgia, for the weekend and our Saturday schedule looked a little like this:<\/span><\/p>\n