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So, you guys know that I am a huge fan of staycations. ย I have mentioned before that when I check into a hotel room I am instantly transported to my happy place.
My happy place is checking into a hotel. I have always loved little getaways but even more as a mother. I think a hotel stay just rejuvenates me. I’m not worried about managing my household or reminded of everything I need to be doing. I like having my family all in one room. I like seeing new things. The little snack bars. The fresh views. Eating out. Just a last minute day or two away does more for my soul than a big trip somewhere.
And it’s typically fun for the kids too! And often pretty inexpensive. ย We have been up to a lot since arriving in California and I need to catch up on my posting our adventures here but wanted to share one little overnight outing with you.
A few weekends ago we made a last minute decision (on a Saturday at noon) to make an hour and a half drive down to Redondo Beach to see some friends before they moved back to St. Louis. ย How ironic is that timing right!?! ย We ended up having a blast and I have had many people comment that these little getaways inspire them to do something like that. ย So, here is a step by step on how to take a spontaneous overnight getaway. LOL.
(1) Decide to go somewhere. ย And guess what… often times just a general region will do. ย I normally like to stay within 2 hours for a one night trip! Sometimes I only go one town over!
(2) Pack a bag. ย Like a little backpack each. ย Don’t forget comfy pajamas and your swimsuits.
(3) Get into the car and start driving.
(4) If you are like me… ย this is when I start to think about a hotel. ย I love using my Priceline and Travelocity apps while on the go. ย Often making my reservation as Matt pulls into the hotel. ย Or you can always do this step first. ย ::wink::
For the hotel, we love them all. ย When I am going to be staying at the property a lot I like somewhere full service and a bit fancier. ย But when I am on an overnight adventure often times I just like something inexpensive, with a pool, free parking and free breakfast. ย We like trying out new places as often as we can and very rarely end up disappointed.
(5) Have fun. ย Go explore local attractions. ย Hang out by the pool. ย Go find somewhere to eat. ย Enjoy cocktails. ย Take an Uber back. ย Sleep in. ย Pool again? ย Sure! ย I love eating hotel breakfast outside by the pool while the kids play. ย And even in colder months, indoor pools are fun. ย There is something intoxicatingly nostalgic about the smell of that chlorine.
(6) ย Go home. ย Hopefully refreshed. ย And I always like to take my time on the way home. ย Finding somewhere great for lunch. ย Hitting up a new mainstreet area. ย Etc. ย Then do it all again soon.
Now, this post is about those short, semi close, 1-2 day trips. ย Why? Because the big ones stress me out. ย I love them, don’t get me wrong, but the amount of work that goes into them often leads me to choosing these short little adventures when I am looking to quickly cure my wanderlust and refresh.
A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE
So here is what we did on January 7th – 8th, 2017. ย I hope that it inspires you to go take a little overnight trip! Surprise your kids! ย I often take the kids alone and then other times I love to meet up with friends and their kids for extra fun. ย For the trips that Matt doesn’t go on it gives him a little weekend break which I know he really appreciates after a hard week at work.
(1) ย Let’s go to Redondo Beachย for the night.
(2) The kids each pack a little backpack and I do an overnight bag. ย Chargers. ย Toothbrushes. ย โ.
(3) I use my maps app to make sure I have a good idea of how long the drive is. ย Matt was driving and I started thinking about hotels. ย Listen to good music. ย Bonus points for singing along.
(4) ย Ok, I like to go from app to app and back and forth before pulling the trigger on our hotels. ย Remember when I did this for 12 days straight on our Florida road trip? ย For this one I narrowed it down to two. ย [a] A Best Western Plus for $112 with free parking, free internet, free breakfast and a heated outdoor pool. ย [b] The Portofino Hotel which was on the water,beautiful and double the price. ย Since our plans were to explore we opted for the Best Western. ย It was only 2.5 stars but the reviews were really good and we weren’t planning on spending a ton of time there.
(5) We checked in and took a $4 UBER up to the Redondo Beach Pier. ย We watched dolphins, had some beers, walked the beach and waited for our friends to arrive. ย Once they got their we walked the pier, went out for a fantastic dinner at R10 Social House, and watched the most amazing sunset. ย I love the energy that comes with being by the water. ย The boats, the people, the views. ย It’s hard to beat!
After hours of fun we went back to the hotel and hit the sack. ย We got a great sleep and woke up in time for breakfast. ย We ate outside while the kids played in the pool. ย It was small but the sun was shining down and we were able to relax for awhile. ย We checked out at 11:00am and started our venture home. ย Since it was 75 degrees and sunny we decided to take a beautiful drive through Palos Verdes, and the we went to Long Beach and because we are crazy (and it was on the way home) we stopped by Downtown Disney too. ย We probably could have saved that last stop for another day. ย We were slightly wiped out at that point but the kids were so excited to be there!
(6) We made it home just after the sun set. ย So, we were gone just about 30 hours. ย It’s funny how getting home after just a short trip is the same as coming home after a week away. ย I felt refreshed, my wanderlust was cured (for now) and we were ready to start the week!
And you guys… I know that you don’t need a checklist to plan a trip. ย I just like to share how easy it is to just GO! ย Get up, get into the car and go somewhere.
Rarely have I ever came home and said “man, I wish I wouldn’t have taken that trip.”
SOME PHOTOS
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