Ski Trip Weekend!
Posted on February 26, 2009 9 Comments
Ski trip weekend is here! This is when my closest friends and I take our annual girls’ trip. We decided two years ago that as we get older and our lives change, we needed to make a commitment to each other to renew our friendship every year. And though one of the regulars can’t make it due to her impending pregnancy, a group of six is ready to hit the road in our twelve-person rental van (aka Tata-mobile) for Michigan… or Bust! (or is it Michigan and bust?)
I’ve been practicing my ski form in the mirror all morning while I’m packing. I can’t wait to hit the treacherous slopes of Michigan for a weekend of fun and friends. (So cheesy, right? but it’s true.)
If you’re looking for a getaway on the cheap, check out trips that are one day’s drive from your hometown. In Chicago, I have had great weekend getaways in Madison, WI; Boyne, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Lake Geneva, WI and plenty more. Going with a group typically makes the trip cheaper because you can split rooms, food, etc.
Here are some other tips for saving money on your next weekend getaway:
Eat in.
I always find that eating out in vacation towns is costly. Not only do you tend to splurge a bit on your meal, but since you’re on vacation, expensive fruity drinks and citusy martinis always seem like the BEST option on the menu. Instead of eating out, we assigned meals for our trip that could be made in advance, frozen and then thawed at our lodge: Italian beef, lasagnas and casseroles. We plan to dine at the lodge for one dinner, but the rest will be spent catching up and sharing memories over home cooking over bottles of wine.
Bring your cooler.
Not everyone drinks; those who don’t probably save loads of cash. But if you are a drinker, bring a cooler of alcohol and mixers with you to save on pricey lodge drinks. Common sense, I think!
Bring some activities.
Anybody who grew up in a big family knows that cards and board games can make the difference between a great trip and complete boredom when you’re traveling with family. Why should traveling with friends be any different? We’re bringing Taboo, Cranium, LCR and cards just in case it rains. Besides, Board games make great drinking games… I just watched an old episode of How I Met your Mother and got some inspiration for making my own game night rules.
Cut off the workaholics.
Ahem. My name is Nicole and I am a workaholic. I pledge not to obsessively check my work e-mail every 10 minutes throughout the trip. I may need help with this.
Split costs on everything.
We’re splitting the cost of a private ski lesson Friday morning, and we split the cost of gas, groceries, alcohol and any other expenses that come up on the trip.
Look for deals.
Brunch and lift tickets are included with our lodging. Before I found Boyne last year, I looked at three or four other places, and factored in gas, mileage, food and equipment rentals into a handy-dandy comparison spreadsheet. Boyne was the best deal. If you’re scouting weekend getaways, don’t book the first thing you see. Wait for a good deal, shop around and use travel web sites like Kayak.com and Hotels.com to find discounts and great deals. Your friends will thank you.
OK friends, I’m off! I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I’ll see you when I’m back in the city.
Category: Life
Tags: Travel
Comments
9 Responses to “Ski Trip Weekend!”
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February 26th, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
I just watched that episode too. When you get back we’ll have to hear your version of Marshallgammon.
February 26th, 2009 @ 8:56 pm
LOL! I knew someone would have the name!
February 27th, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
Hey Nicole – I do the same thing with my friends every year (except I’m from NYC so we do upstate NY or VT) but we’ve found its way cheaper to rent a house instead of stay at a hotel/lodge…we’ve had great success with vrbo.com. This way you get a huge place all to yourselves (usually with a hot tub!) and can do tons of meals/drinking at “home” since most places come with fully equipped kitchens.
Just a suggestion for future “cheap” trips!
February 28th, 2009 @ 1:37 am
Oh that is such a good idea! However, I don’t think I’ll need to start planning weekend trips just yet since so many of my friends are getting married in the next couple years!
March 2nd, 2009 @ 12:47 am
Sounds like a good time with friends! My friends and I rotate traveling to each others’ cities.
March 2nd, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
I have a friend who has done a getaway week every year for 50+ years with her longtime girl friends. The women go camping, canoeing and biking and just generally reconnect with each other. Now that is friendship!
March 2nd, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
Awesome Blog! We snowboard a ton out here in Vail. We headed to Shanty Creek out there once, I think Schuss Mountain(I probably slaughtered the spelling
I completely agree with staying in though. Love your blog. I'm sending people over to check out the latest top bank rates from CheckingFinder.com.
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January 11th, 2012 @ 2:30 am
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