This week America celebrates its 235th birthday. Yep the 4th of July has rolled around again and this year it falls on a Monday so it means a long weekend for most people. When people suddenly realize they have a long weekend, some go into panic mode. Do we stay home and get work done around the house, do we stay home and do some stuff around the area, do we pack up and get out of town for the weekend, or do we have guests coming to stay?
Then you have the planners who know months in advance what they are going to be doing on a holiday weekend. I remember living in the DC Metro area and on long weekends there would be a mass exodus out of the city as it seemed like everyone was leaving for the weekend. Hmmm come to think about it, that was pretty much how it was in Wellington, New Zealand too - long weekend everyone leaves.
When it comes to holiday weekends some people have their things they like to do every year on the holiday weekends. Others are looking for something or somewhere to go. That's what we are here to look at today. What can we do on a long weekend? Now it doesn't have to be a holiday weekend to be a long weekend. You could create your own long weekend by adding 1, 2, or 3 days to the weekend. This way you can avoid the holiday rush when people leave town for the holiday weekends.
So what are some things you can do?
1. If you take a 4 or 5 day weekend you could use the first and last day for travel which would give you 2-3 full days in the destination of your choice. One example was one year while living in Northern Virginia we took a 5 day weekend and went to Toronto. We left on Wednesday evening after work and drove a few hours up the road and found a hotel for the night. Had a leisurely start the next morning and got to Toronto about mid-afternoon. We then had three full days in Toronto exploring the city. Then Monday we were up bright and early and on the road back home. The drive time each way was about 10 hours and it was a great weekend!
2. Take out a map and figure out how far you could drive in 2-5 hours and draw a circle and see what lies within the circle that you would like to go and explore. You don't have to explore it could be that you just want to get away for a bit of R&R.
3. You could take a weekend cruise. Leaving from Long Beach, CA or ports in Florida there are 3-night cruises that depart on a Friday afternoon/evening and come back on a Monday morning. The 3-night from Long Beach, CA goes down to Ensenada Mexico and the ones from Florida goes to the Bahamas. These cruises are great for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, or a girls or guys weekend. They are also good if you have never been cruising and want to try it out. The weekend cruises also make great getaway weekends too.
4. Another long weekend option is a Staycation. You can read more about Staycations in my blog that I wrote a few weeks back. To read it click HERE
5. Then there are the flying options of coast-to-coast, Hawaii, a Caribbean Island, London or Paris. Or you could fly North-South or South-North. When it comes to flying you have a lot of options. But it comes down to how much time do you want to spend traveling, how much do you want to spend, and how much time do you want to spend at your destination.
When it comes to planning long weekends you don't have to wait for a holiday weekend. Why follow the masses when it comes to leaving town for a holiday weekend. Why not create your own escape on a weekend of your choosing and that way you will have less traffic and crowds to deal with than a holiday weekend. Use the holiday weekends to enjoy events in your area. When was the last time you attended the 4th of July fireworks in your area? When was the last time you went to a local park for a Labor Day weekend picnic? When was the last time you attended a parade or service on Memorial Weekend to observe the brave who paid the ultimate price for your freedom?
What are some of your favorite long weekend getaways? Share your ideas with us in the comments.
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