Taking Full Advantage of the Weekend (cost, vacations, plane, best)

[santafe400]

Hey guys! Don't know if anyone else has ever done this, but for me personally instead of counting down the months planning for the big vacation, I like to take advantage of every precious weekend and make the most of it. For example, I might leave town either Friday night or early Saturday morning, and either drive somewhere kinda far (200-500 miles), or perhaps take a flight to somewhere within a 2,000 mile radius of my home city (Baltimore). When I come back to work on Monday, not only am I reinvigorated, but I also feel like I'm living my life to the fullest when everyone else in the office looks kinda miserable.

Anyone else make the most of travel over their precious weekend instead of just waiting for that one week of vacation?

[arctic_gardener]

That's a lot of time spent driving or flying. When do you have time to do the dishes and laundry?

[botticelli]

Take Monday off to make it worthwhile. I need at least 3 full days to feel being in a vacation.

[RamenAddict]

I try to do interesting things in my local area (no more than 120 miles away, typically) on the weekends. I might occasionally do a longer drive (220-250 miles) over the weekend, typically taking a half day on Friday, but that's usually only once a quarter, if that often. There's a ton to do locally, so it's easy to keep busy between vacations.

I can understand not wanting to just stick with the weeklong vacation, as you might only be able to do that once or twice a year, but I feel like I really need at least three nights to get a feel for a place. I like to do long weekends for three or four nights. That's the ideal way to break things up without having to take too much time off work. I actually get a lot of vacation time, but it's so busy that it's too disruptive to take the time all in longer periods.

[Gabbythecat]

I did that when I was single and living in a tiny apartment. It was a lot of driving and I never had a chance to experience much beyond what I saw from the car.

Plus as someone said, if you are gone the entire weekend, you don't have time for "home chores". Although maybe you don't have many of them, OP?

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by santafe400

Hey guys! Don't know if anyone else has ever done this, but for me personally instead of counting down the months planning for the big vacation, I like to take advantage of every precious weekend and make the most of it. For example, I might leave town either Friday night or early Saturday morning, and either drive somewhere kinda far (200-500 miles), or perhaps take a flight to somewhere within a 2,000 mile radius of my home city (Baltimore). When I come back to work on Monday, not only am I reinvigorated, but I also feel like I'm living my life to the fullest when everyone else in the office looks kinda miserable.

Anyone else make the most of travel over their precious weekend instead of just waiting for that one week of vacation?

Originally Posted by arctic_gardener

That's a lot of time spent driving or flying. When do you have time to do the dishes and laundry?

I used to go away for weekends many years ago but usually within driving (often using public transportation) radius (although on rare occasions a short flight back and fore). Dishes and laundry can always be done sometime during the week before or after work. Nowadays I try to find different/interesting things to do within my local area on weekends.

[botticelli]

Originally Posted by arctic_gardener

That's a lot of time spent driving or flying. When do you have time to do the dishes and laundry?

dish and laundry is an important of life?

[shellymdnv]

Now that some European destinations are becoming more affordable you are in a great location to take advantage of the time differences to take a quick trip. Although I agree it is best if you can squeeze one more day in or if you are able "work from home" on a travel day. I recently went to Iceland for the weekend, I just took off Friday, but I was able to fly out Thursday after work getting in Friday morning and was back home by Sunday evening. The flight time was less than 6 hours so it is no different than traveling from the East to West coast for a weekend. If you are the type of person that can sleep on a plane without needing to be in business or first class, I would even recommend taking flights up to 8 hours long for a 3 day weekend.

The other thing I think people need to do is get away from the idea that you need to see and do everything once you arrive in a location, other than things that are there for a limited time, you should be ok with only experiencing one or two of the things that a city is famous for since more likely than not it's going to be there the next time you go.

[reneeh63]

Airfare seems wasted on such a short trip since it costs the same whether you stay a weekend or a month. Also, weekends are too short to drive more than maybe 6 hours to get somewhere so regional trips are okay but nothing further than that or you feel like you are just driving there and turning around to drive back.

But I do agree, sitting home every weekend just waiting for your "real" vacation is depressing - you have to do some smaller things in between.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by santafe400

.. Don't know if anyone else has ever done this, ./.. I like to take advantage of every precious weekend and make the most of it. ...

Anyone else make the most of travel over their precious weekend instead of just waiting for that one week of vacation?

I've been VERY lucky, had a great employer (many sabbaticals and LOA), travel VERY cheap! = more travel! I have purchased an annual National Park Pass every yr for 44 yrs. (hope to live to age 62! and get a $10 LIFETIME pass). Just got my FREE Canada Pass for 2017! yippee!

I barely had time to work, my boss always asked... "Did you save any energy to WORK?" (I arrived home usually within an hour of needing to be back on the job) Often worked 4 day weeks and left early (Weds after work was a good time to leave for the week!) My boss would come home at least a day before returning to work (what a waste of vacation / weekend time!)

• 1960's (in School) headed out on my my horse and bedroll for the weekend almost every Friday night (lived near a national Park, and also adjacent to a National Forest)
• 1970's, (Then Came Bronson Era) Headed out via MC as soon as work was over (never even went home, just LEFT from work)
• 1980's lots of flights / driving trips (and a 3 day weekend job as OTR trucker ~ 2000 miles each weekend)
• 1990's living overseas and homeschooling we traveled every week and weekend (Asia, Europe, and Canada) homeschooling, so many 6-12 week 'field trips'
• 2000- (retired pre age 50 and left the office, direct for the National Parks) took a Grad program and RV'd FT and flew home once / month for a weekend school session.
• 2010 - weekend and work (?) weeks are booked with travel (tough when we have rural props and equipment / livestock to maintain and... LOTS of firewood to cut)
• Last yr... (Oct 2015) bought a one-way trip to NZ, with NO other plans, Except to see tulips in Holland (May 2016) and ... to get home as close to Election day as possible, but NOT early!
  
• This yr... Free companion fare SWA, so.... 15 flights so far + 2 international trips.

Wander lust! I have a BAD case! (So did my parents and now my kids...) I was weaned in the seat of a Cross Country semi truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnPIOH8bCfk

Airfare seems wasted on such a short trip since it costs the same whether you stay a weekend or a month.

Not really... been getting $40 - $80 OW fares every week (sometime 2-3x / week) Companion flies FREE, so we are usually gone! Stay in Guest homes $10 / night WW. Had an absolutely wonderful time last weekend with hosts in SF, as happens nearly every weekend.