What is your favorite girls trip?

From Scottsdale to Nantucket, from a lake house to a camping ground, our favorite girls trips may not have a lot in common - except, they all leave us with a similar feeling. Filled up and connected. Even

though it is hard to get away with kids of all ages, the time we spend connecting with great friends, laughing until it hurts, relaxing in a different place and genuinely enjoying each other's company - always feels worth it in the end.

As Rebecca explains, "These weekends are magical! But why? Is it the company? Is it the food? Is it being outdoors? All of the above. But it is also the quiet pitching in of everyone to accomplish the well-defined goal: Relaxation!"

Read on to get ideas and maybe a little inspiration to hit the road with your besties.

Emilee, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

I am lucky to be surrounded by wonderful female friends and I never want to take that for granted. Fueling those friendships is a priority, but it can be hard when life is so busy. To be down one parent at this stage of life with three kids and their very busy schedules, plus a husband with a demanding career; it can sometimes feel more overwhelming to make it happen. We don’t have family in town to help, so trying to coordinate with out-of-state family and babysitters is a lot of effort that doesn’t always feel worth it.

With that said, once a year our bookclub takes a weekend trip together that is really special to me. I have made some of the most amazing memories and had the privilege to know these fellow moms in a more personal way. We go to our friend’s lake house on the same weekend each year, which takes so much ease out of planning. It’s a relaxed weekend where we lounge around in cozy clothes, eat all the food, make fun drinks, and catch up on all the things.

A very special girls trip that will always hold a place in my heart is the time my mom, sister, grandma, and I went to New York City together. We reminisce frequently about how special that was. We made some of the best memories that I will hold dear to forever. My Grandma recently passed away, and reflecting back on that trip has given me so much to cherish in my time with her.

Looking forward, my mom, sister and I have actually been talking about taking a trip together. I think we have narrowed it down to Palm Beach or Nantucket. Of course, finding a time is the tough part! But, it is so wonderful to have the luxury to be able to getaway and create those memories and spend time in those female friendships.

Kim, Home Connoisseur from @Reverie.and.Root & Founder of Spilling Goodness

It doesn't take much for an amazing girls trip! Just the right friends and magically finding (or making) a few days when the calendar is clear enough that we can sneak away. My last favorite "trip" was just a short distance from home in the cute town of Geneva (Illinois, not Switzerland - although, some day!). We rented an Airbnb, booked massags and spa time, went out for dinner in the cutest place - it was fairly simple. But, it was in the moments in the in between - cathcing up over morning coffee, walking in the snow to dinner, or laughing hysterically about everyone's massage experiences before we sat in a sauna and then a salt room. (I still don't totally understand that, but sitting in a lounge chair in a warm room in January in Illinois was lovely.)

Someday, I'd love to get back to an annual tradition my college friends and I had for a few years. One person planned a surprise trip for our group of 7. We all knew the weekend and the general temperature range and any out of the ordinary packing needs. With people all over the country, we would pick somewhere that everyone could get to fairly easily and the planner would reveal the destination the week of the trip. I absolutely loved being together with everyone, exploring a new place and the ease of not having to plan a thing. We visited New Orleans and St. Louis - having a blast in both places. I'm feeling like this needs to be revisited!

Jen, Bespoke Travel Designer from @GlobalonDemandTravel

I have a group of friends that all go on an annual trip - visiting various locations around the country. We have tried many different places, but my favorite was our first trip to Scottsdale.

Our qualifications are that it has to be near a major airport, there must be great restaurants, a spa, poolside service in an adult only area, and it certainly doesn't hurt if it's a 5 star resort. The Fairmount Princess in Scottsdale had it all! The restaurants were incredible and it had suites large enough for multiple of us to stay together and we even had our own sleeping spaces - a huge perk when traveling with multiple ladies. Not that we haven't been known to all cram into a bed in the past, but as we're getting to our 40s, sofa beds are an absolute deal breaker.

Rebecca, Woman's Leadership Coach from @PleasantlyAggressive

In a few weeks, we’ll be heading out for YEAR 8 of our annual girls camping weekend. Each year in late September, we have a girls camping weekend. Five of us tent camp (no glamping here) near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for two nights. I can speak for all of us when I say it is our favorite weekend of the year.

These weekends are magical! But why? Is it the company? Is it the food? Is it being outdoors?

All of the above. But it is also the quiet pitching in of everyone to accomplish the well-defined goal: Relaxation!

We have clear responsibilities: a packing list with assigned items, two teams for set-up (tent and eating area), each person is responsible for preparing one meal, I make the fire, etc.

There is no guesswork, no confusion - just a well-oiled machine.

In the morning, we make instant coffee or tea with a kettle of boiling water over a camping stove. We spend one day at the beach sipping prosecco and seltzers with charcuterie, croissants with chicken salad, and kettle chips. A few of us will nap on the beach while others hike the dunes. In the evening, we have chili and fritos, beer and cookies, and cozy up by the fire. Even when the weather sucks (and trust me we’ve been through some crappy weather) we manage it and come out on the other side with some good stories.

I’m grateful for my camping-loving friends and our commitment to this weekend every year.

Ashley, Millennial Mom Nutrition Coach from @AshleyBreaksTheCycle

When I think about my favorite girls trip, it’s an easy answer: Nantucket. For my 40th birthday, three of my closest girlfriends and I hopped on the ferry to ACK and made a long weekend out of it.

It was everything I wanted — biking through the cobblestone streets, laughing until our stomachs hurt, afternoons at the beach, eating incredible food at cozy local spots, and dancing the night away. The kind of trip where you feel like you’re 20 again, but with the wisdom (and the wine budget!) of being 40.

We packed so much into those few days, but honestly? It wasn’t nearly long enough. Nantucket has this way of pulling you in — the charm, the calm, the fun. To share it with my girlfriends made it even more special. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Ali, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

Since having my kids and living so far from family, going on a girls trip has been a low priority for me. I think they look like so much fun when I see pictures from others going or hear about the fun that was had, but I tell myself that is something to look forward to one day.

A girls trip I would absolutely love to plan in the near future would be a reading retreat getaway. The thought of getting to relax with a great book and friends near by to talk with sounds like something I need to plan!

I may not have a lot of experience with a girls trip, but I do make sure to have monthly girls dinners or hangouts. I am excited to see everyone else’s thoughts and experiences on a girls trip.

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