It’s not always about the location…

It’s what’s in the location that counts!!!

We found ourselves in the town of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This is not where we would normally do a girlfriend getaway,  but we came to see our favorite band playing.  We even brought a few other girlfriends to share in the entertainment.

This city brought us the Randy Rogers Band.  You may be thinking who are these guys?  Just let us tell you.  They are a phenomenal country band out of Texas.  They played for one night only at Rhythm and Brews, this was a remarkable establishment.  The bar gave you that close intimate feeling that you can’t get when you are seeing bands in a large arena.  If you are still saying who are these guys then download some of our favorite songs, “Kiss Me in the Dark”, “You Could Change My Mind,” “Wicked Ways”, and “Steal You Away”, just to name a few.  This group was even nominated for Vocal Group of the Year by ACM. With a new cd coming out in August, Burning the Day, we girls cannot wait!!!

The players in the band are the nicest group of guys ever, which made this getaway even better.  They autographed items, posed for pictures, and spent time talking with us.  Where else can you get that much one on one attention from a great band?

We got a great deal from the Sheraton Read House.  It was a fantastic hotel that offered free shuttle service to downtown.  We chose to walk that night because our hotel was only a few blocks from all the local attractions and restaurants.  We happened along a very cool restaurant called The Terminal Microbrewery, it was the perfect place for casual dining with great prices.  It offered both indoor and outdoor seating.  Perfect for people watching, one of our favorite past times.  After the concert we were pleasantly surprised to find Taco Mac open for some more late night nibbles and drinks. Another must stop is Chattanooga Cupcakes for a sweet treat before heading back home.

To sum up, this girlfriend getaway was about what’s waiting for you in the destination, not the destination itself.  For us girls it was a fabulous time spent with our best girlfriends and a fabulous band to listen to.  Who could ask for more?

Girls Weekend in Key West

Our favorite girlfriend getaway is Key West.  One of us lives in Georgia and the other lives in Tampa, so when we go to Key West we meet at Fort Lauderdale airport and rent a car to start our fabulous four-hour trip down to the Keys. We find it is easier and cheaper to fly into Ft. Lauderdale due to lower airfares on Spirit and Air Tran. Flights to Key West are usually not direct, so you may spend wasted time sitting at multiple airports, when you could be listening to Jimmy Buffett and chatting it up with your girlfriend as you drive down the road. Those flights also tend to be double in price as well, so our advice is to save money on your flight purchase (however you can) so you will have more to spend on the Island.

Once you arrive in Key West it feels like you are in another country but you didn’t even need your passport to get there.  The best places to stay are in walking distance to Duval Street.  Our favorite place to stay is the Pier House. It is the only hotel with a beach and we use the term “beach” loosely.  Key West is not known for great beaches; however, it is a great place for sunning and sipping. Read more

StayCation in Atlanta

Our latest travel adventure was a Staycation in Atlanta. We had two days to pack in all the southern girl fun we could for our Mother’s Day gift from Hubbies.  The first night included a stay at the new Loews hotel in Midtown, we found a great deal on our room from Travel zoo, one of the many resources for cheap travel. The main attraction to this hotel is location, location, location. Easy walking distance to restaurants, like Front Page News, along with nearby Piedmont Park.

After a fun night out in Midtown with the many hang outs like Six Feet Under, Flip Flops, and Shout we needed a spa day at the Natural Body Spa and Shoppe, a great place for first timers or spa enthusiasts such as ourselves. Read more

Life without baggage…

So you want to plan a quick weekend getaway for a change of scenery. Not having a lot of time or money you want to get the most bang for your buck. Years ago your biggest dilemma would have been to find the cheapest airline ticket on multiple travel search engines. But today airlines have taken an a la carte approach to what is included in your flight price and this can make what appears to be a steal for an airline ticket, actually a rip off. With an increase in baggage fees and lack of in-flight meals, it seems as though very little is included in an airline ticket outside of taxes.

When Spirit Airlines decided recently to add a charge for carry-on baggage they claimed that it was to give passengers a better value for their flight and to cut down on time at the gates. They also said charging only for what services a passenger uses will in the end save them money over other airlines base fares. Is it true?

I did a quick comparison of three airlines for a 2 night getaway from LaGuardia airport in New York over the Memorial Day weekend. I looked for flights that left on the morning of May 28th and returned May 30rd in the late afternoon or evening. I used the price selection option on the airline websites so that I could choose the least expensive option and not get any additional fees. For this length of trip, I would probably carry-on my bag but I also looked at the cost if I checked my bag. In the past, carrying my bag on would allow me to avoid the fee that most of the airlines are now charging for checked bags and assure my bags would be with me when I arrived. The airlines of choice for this little experiment*: Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »