Women are stepping out with girlfriends, zooming along roads, paths and waterways with style, humor and courage. Through my own experiences and those of women I interviewed for the National Geographic book 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways, I learned that travel is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect with our deepest female soul mates–our girlfriends.
Why travel with girlfriends?
We find ourselves laughing more than we have laughed in years. We experience a camaraderie that’s sometimes missing from their daily lives. We talk, eat or drink too much and return to our their day-to-day lives with more strength, self-confidence and self-worth.
While researching two National Geographic books, I compiled women travel statistics. Here’s my short list of best and worst.
Best Girlfriends Getaways
SOPHISTICATED FUN: My favorites cities are New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Give yourselves time to explore every nook and cranny of the big city or drive to shop ‘til you drop in a retail mecca. Find the highest female-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions here.
RELAX : be pampered at a spa. My favorites are: Rancho La Puerta across the border from San Diego, Lake Austin, Texas, Red Mountain, Utah.
ACTIVE: Do you love to walk? Lace up your boots, toss a water bottle in the day pack and burn some calories on invigorating hikes. I recommend Yosemite, the Colorado Rockies (Estes Park, Aspen, Telluride).
If you don’t want to plan it all yourself and are looking for a vacation that’s as easy to plan as tapping a computer key? Then check out organized walking trips in the Rockies, New England, Arizona, Alaska, Montana with Adventures in Good Company, Adventure Associates, AdventureWomen.
EUROPE: If you’re gaze is firmly fixed on a European vacation, but if you don’t want to rub shoulders with the tourist crowds at the Eiffel Tower or in the Roman trattorias, then read on. The Dolomites in the Italian Alps have lured mountain lovers for centuries.You can ramble through alpine meadows and trek over mountain passes in the picture-postcard Alps on hiking trips.
Worst Girlfriends Getaways
A long car trip with one person who gets car sick.
A trip where one mom surprises everyone at the last minute and “has to” bring along a child”.
A big city trip where too many activities are planned each day and not everyone has the same budget or interests.
** Excerpt from National Geographic book: 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America.
