Long weekends: the perfect excuse to escape from campus for a short trip. Be it a road trip with friends or exploring a city in another state by yourself, getting away for the weekend gives you the opportunity to avoid the pressure of academics and to reset. While a weekend getaway can be just the thing you need, it’s hard to make the most of the place you’re visiting if you’re only there for three or four days. Well, we at the Clog are here to help. Read on to find out how to get the best out of wherever you’re going.
Do your research
While you don’t need to follow a rigid minute-by-minute plan the whole time you’re on your trip, looking things up beforehand generally helps with planning which areas you should check out and explore. Since the trip is short, wandering around the whole city and trying to discover everything about it isn’t possible. Doing research in advance is a good way to give you a brief idea of things you’d like to see and do so that you can knock a lot of things out at once. From travel blogs (like ours) to Yelp to Google’s random list of sights to see, there’s an endless amount of resources for this. Also, keep in mind how much time you actually have — you probably can’t knock out a list of twenty things in two days.
Fun follows fantastic food
It’s true. Now that you’ve got your list of sights, looking up good food in the vicinity of these sights is only a little bit more work. After getting hungry from all the wandering and exploring, you can fill yourself up with all the delicious meals your heart (and stomach) could ever desire. Tailor this food to your preferences, or take the opportunity to try out the regional foods! A good idea is always to look at the menu beforehand if you’re not sure about a place, just to see if they have things that you think you’ll like (if you follow a specific diet, this is even more important)!
Pack lightly
The best thing to do during a short trip is to minimize stress. After all, less time spent worrying gives you more time to explore! Typically, you should pack lightly, grabbing only the essentials (don’t forget the chargers)! A good way of checking that you have everything is just packing everything you use everyday minus the stuff for school (like your books) and then including the clothes you’ll need for the trip. Try to avoid very heavy or bulky things to minimize discomfort during traveling.
Do all your bookings in advance
To focus on wherever you are in the moment. It’s best to do all of the preparations, such as booking your travel, accommodation and any tours you might want to do, in advance. This pretty much goes hand in hand with our third point: You don’t want to be thinking about things like logistics when you’re exploring a new and exciting city. Allow for spontaneity, and just have fun!
Happy travels!
