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4 Ideas for a Perfect Weekend Getaway

  March 3

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perfect weekend

Last week, I hopped the train into NYC to go to a few meetings for work. It was so much fun, and a few other entrepreneurs and I even got a tour of Fox News! You can see several pictures from my NYC adventures (and all of my other adventures) on my Instagram account.

The best part, though, was that The Hubs met me in NYC for two nights of just-us time! I know, I couldn’t believe it actually happened either.

I didn’t even realize how much we needed time together with just us until he met me in the city and we had lots of uninterrupted time to talk (you know, as opposed to trying to talk with kids on your lap throwing peanut butter and jelly toast on the floor…which the dog then eats and the floor is sticky and then you forget to clean it up so then you step in jelly later on in the day… but I digress.)

If you’ve been craving some weekend getaway time with your other half (and I totally don’t blame you if you are) here’s how to make it amazing:

1. Decide on a Budget

I know, I know. Budgets tend to take the romance and the fun out of any trip. But, the whole point of taking some time away is to relax, and it’s so not relaxing if you get home and have an extra $1,000 on your credit card that you didn’t mean to spend. Yikes.

One of the best ways to keep track of your money is to use some online software that can pull all your accounts together, show you your spending, and show you how much you have saved. I use Personal Capital for this. (P.S. Personal Capital is free so no reason really not to have it track your expenses.)

Once you have an idea of your monthly expenses and how much money you have to spare for a romantic trip away, you can then move on to the next (and arguably more exciting step) of booking your trip! Woo hoo!

2. Book At Least Two Nights Away

One night in a hotel is great sans kids (and beggars can’t be choosers amirite?!) However, I really feel like booking two nights away was just right. That way you don’t have to pack up quickly the next morning, and you get a little bit of time to truly wind down.

I admit, I was answering emails and writing right up until my husband met me in NYC, and it was really hard to turn off my phone and computer especially because I was negotiating back and forth with a potential client and I wanted to settle things before the weekend started. All that said, once I had a full day away I finally started to relax which helped me to really enjoy my second day away.

To be honest with you, I absolutely loved booking a hotel close to our home. NYC is only about 30 minutes from us. Our kids are still little and my in-laws were watching them. While I trust my in-laws implicitly, I still feel better being close just in case an emergency happens. I imagine the older and more independent they get, the further away I will go on a couple’s weekend. 🙂

That said, don’t feel like you have to go to some far-flung location to get away. Sometimes just spending a night or two in a clean hotel room and not stepping on legos at 4 in the morning is pretty much the most relaxing thing you can possibly do.

3. Get Your Culture On

So, the coolest thing that happened on my trip was that I won front row tickets to see Jersey Boys, which was so so so so much fun! There is a website called Broadway for Broke People that lists all the lotteries you can enter for Broadway shows. Basically, many Broadway shows hold the first row of seats and give them to lottery winners for a reduced rate. So, the Hubs and I paid $27 per ticket to Jersey Boys (instead of $50+ each) AND we got to sit in the front row. I dance and clapped and sang at the top of my lungs. It was awesome. Hubs was not embarrassed at all to be with me. 😉

Of course, I know not every city has Broadway shows, but I know most cities have museums, cultural sites, historical sites, or just something interesting that you’ve always been wanting to see but haven’t made the time to yet.

Ultimately, sharing a new experience with your other half, learning something new together, or just walking around a museum holding hands is a great way to reconnect and have something to talk about that doesn’t involve whether or not your kid has pooped today – yes I went there.

4. Schedule in Down Time

As great as it is to go shopping, see shows, visit museums, etc., be sure to schedule some down time too. After all, life is full of hectic, go go go type of activities so relish in the fact that you are away from it all. Take a long bath(bonus points if you take a bubble bath!). Binge watch House Of Cards. Sleep in. Or, even better, take a nap just because. Order champagne. Eat dessert for breakfast. Basically, live it up, because once your two days are over, you’ll actually start to miss those tiny humans you created and you’ll want to go back home and hug them!

Overall I’m so so glad the hubs and I got some time away and that I got some time to play tourist in NYC. It was a much-needed break. In fact, I didn’t know how much I really needed it until I came home and felt so relaxed. I’m hoping to go away again in a few months or so, you know, just to keep the love alive and all that. 😉

Have you ever gone on a weekend getaway with your other half? Where did you go? What did you do?

21 responses to “4 Ideas for a Perfect Weekend Getaway

  1. I am planning a weekend getaway to Chicago this summer. These are all great tips. I plan on staying for two nights. I would stay for three, but hotels are so expensive in Chicago!

    I agree that there is something relaxing about staying in a (nice) hotel, even if it isn’t that far away.

  2. The lotteries are great. So are the rush tickets for folks willing to wake up early enough to be in line!

    I totally agree about scheduling down time. I’m actually big fan of tacking an extra day off onto a trip so take one from Wednesday – Monday but get home Sunday and have Monday to recoup.

  3. Just a few weeks ago, it’s a holiday. My wife secretly planned for a day-trip getaway. I was surprised because I thought I could just stay home and do some house choir tasks. We did island-hopping and brought our tent. It was really a good trip and very affordable! Now, I think I gotta expect this plan the next time it’s a holiday.

  4. My husband took me to a museum last week because he knows that I love arts. It was a perfect day because I was able to see very unique art gallery and he even bought a replica canvass painting. Oh! I just love my husband and his surprises.

  5. We are planning one Easter weekend. We’ll ditch the kiddos with my mom and hang around my hometown. I can’t wait either!

  6. Sounds like you had a great time! I agree that parents need to get away once in a while if at all possible. We recently went to a nearby city (45 minute drive) for our 10th anniversary. We could only pull off one night this time, but if we had two we could have visited more cultural attractions, like the art museum. But we had fun at the outdoor market and just relaxing!

    1. I’m so glad you were able to get away for your anniversary. Trips that aren’t too far away are great because you can get back in a hurry if needed, but it’s still a nice break from reality.

  7. I really like to schedule in the down time when going on vacation and getting away. I didn’t always use to be like that. I’d plan out every second of a trip. So what changed. In a word…kids. 🙂 Now I need downtime on vacations so I can rest and have the energy to keep up with them. Ironically, I’ve found they enjoy it too, not always running around from activity to activity.

  8. A perfect getaway is something I look forward to. My husband is taking us to a beach this holy week. I am just so excited because we rarely do this because I and my husband are busy with work. Now, our kids are so excited as well. Hope our plan works.

  9. When I have my kids, every getaway we used to doing kinda change because I and my wife have to consider their interests, but most of the time we either go to park or beach, which both party would still enjoy. We’re still kids, we still enjoy going to amusement park.

  10. Oh! My perfect weekend getaways is anywhere as long as I am with my family. A getaway becomes perfect when it is shared with family.

  11. Catherine,

    I love you tip about scheduling in some downtime. We almost always forget to do this when going on family trips. This can sometimes cause our getaways to feel a bit hectic with two young kids (as you can imagine).

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