Top 10 Great Girlfriend Getaways
Aug. 17, 2006 — -- Hanging out with girlfriends is always a great time.
Have you ever considered branching out from your favorite lunch spot or local mall, though, and instead going to, say, Napa or Chicago?
"Good Morning America" teamed up with Budget Travel magazine to bring you the Top 10 girlfriend getaways.
1. Napa Valley
Napa Valley isn't just about drinking wine, it can also be about making wine. Spend the weekend at Crush Camp. Hosted at Sterling Vineyard and B.V. Vineyard, you go through the major steps of winemaking: clipping grapes off vines, sugar analysis, rolling barrels, and mixing different ingredients to make your own wine.
For more information, call 707-967-5288.
If you're looking for a luxurious place to rest your grape-stomping feet, visit the Calistoga Ranch. There are also more affordable options in the area.
2. Go-Go Girls Getaway in Las Vegas
Go gamble with your gals. With the Go-Go Girls Getaway, you and three of your girlfriends can stay at The Aladdin Hotel and Casino for three nights at $415 a person, including round-trip midweek air from Los Angeles. Other departures are more. Spa treatments are also included in the package, which is a nice break from the slots!
3. Jackson Hole Just for Gals
Calling all nature-loving ladies! Jackson Hole Just for Gals includes three nights at the Teton Mountain Lodge in a two-story, two-bedroom suite with a kitchen and living area.
The package also combines either white-water or scenic rafting on Snake River, with a guided hike in Jackson Hole. Recover afterward with a deep-tissue massage at the spa. Dinner at the Cascade Grill House and breakfast daily at the Cascade is also included.
Dates available: Sept. 1-30 (from $815 a person); July 1-Aug. 31 (from $960 a person)
4. Girls Getaway in Miami
Looking for a way to go glam with your girlfriends? The Girls Getaway in Miami includes two nights in a suite at the Aqua Hotel in South Beach with the following perks: a bottle of champagne, chick lit for bedtime reading, two-hour moped rentals, a limo rental from 10 p.m. to midnight, and VIP passes for some of South Beach's hottest nightclubs.
You're also covered for the next day with a morning-after headache basket with aspirin and hair-of-the-dog Kahlua milkshakes. Breakfast daily and a 2 p.m. checkout is also included.
Available until Dec. 29 for $889 total for four people.
5. The Parker Palm Springs in Palm Springs, Calif.
Host your next pajama party at the chic Parker Palm Springs, which will deliver a selection of chick flicks, popcorn and snacks to your hotel room.
The package includes two nights in a king room; breakfast daily at Norma's (plus a wake-up smoothie from room service one morning); two 30-minute spa treatments with lunch in your robe at the spa; a round of cocktails; a game of petanque at sunset (the hotel has its own court); and dinner at either Norma or Mister Parker's (the latter only if you're staying on a Wednesday or Thursday night). Still hungry? Your package also covers s'mores around the outdoor fire pit.
Dates available: Sundays through Thursdays June 1-Dec. 22 for $595 per person
6. Girlfriend Holiday in Maui
The land of the honeymooners must be doing something right, so why not go to Maui with your girlfriends?
The five-star Ritz Carlton can be surprisingly affordable, thanks to a package offered by Travel Experts USA, which is offering a $1,179 package roundtrip air from Los Angeles, five nights at the five-star Ritz Carlton Resort in Maui, a convertible car, breakfast daily, and a free upgrade to a partial ocean view room.
Dates available: Now through Dec. 7, 2006. Call 1-800-471-9882 to book.
7. Southwest Gals Getaway in Santa Fe
Grab your best friend and take her to gorgeous Santa Fe for some rejuvenation. The Eldorado Hotel & Spa offers a Southwest getaway retreat with savings of up to 50 percent.
The girls' getaway package includes deluxe accommodations with a kiva wood-burning fireplace, a 50-minute Nidah Spa treatment, and dinner for two at the award-winning The Old House restaurant. They'll also give you a framed snapshot to commemorate your stay -- the perfect girlfriend memento.
Priced seasonally, package starts at $279 per night, based on availability and double occupancy. For reservations please visit www.eldoradohotel.com or call (800) 955-4455 and reference GPL when booking.
8. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp
Get your girlfriends together and rock out at Rock 'N Roll Fantasy Camp.
From novice rockers to more seasoned players, it will make you feel like a real star. The camp will bring you and your friends together with professional rockers. You'll live the life of a rock star for five days and nights while mastering your knowledge of an instrument, jamming with your band, and learning all about the music business. All levels of skill are welcome. If you don't play an instrument, you can sing vocals or play the tambourine.
You will also spend time recording in the professional studios the top rockers record in.
Cost and dates: One-day camp in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 10, 2006 is $2,000 a person. There is also a five-day camp in Hollywood for $9,499.
9. New York City for Shoppers
The Exchange Hotel, near South Street Seaport, has teamed up with fashion forward Girlshop to create a new package called Girlshop 'til You Drop.
This package includes airport transfers (or two days of parking at the hotel), two nights in a deluxe guest room, and a private four-hour customized shopping tour led by fashion experts at Girlshop.
Also covered in the price is a six-pack of sugar-free Red Bull (you'll need the added energy!); two one-day MetroCards; a $75 credit to use at Girlshop in the Meatpacking District; 15 percent off your first purchase online at Girlshop.com; and all hotel taxes.
Dates available: Until Sept. 4 ($1,000 a room for 2 people), Sept. 5-Dec. 15 ($1,200 a room). Extra nights from $199. Don't worry: The hotel will ship home the new items you can't squeeze into your suitcase ($30 limit)!
10. A Sofitel and the City (Chicago)
Experience Chicago in style! A Sofitel and the City package combines one night in a superior room at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, a welcome bag from Bloomingdale's, either a manicure and pedicure or facial at Equinox, a round of cocktails, a tasting-menu dinner at the hotel's Le Bar, VIP access to nightclubs like Le Passage or Reserve, and breakfast either in bed or at the hotel's Café des Architectes.
Sofitel gives you a 3 p.m. checkout, which is good because you'll need it!
Dates available: Until Dec. 31, $455 a room for two people. Contact Sofitel Chicago Water Tower 312-324-4000 to book.