# Do you take mini-trips?



## Ronni (Oct 3, 2018)

I have always loved short little getaways...a w/e here, a long weekend there...just to get out of town, travel to see friends, travel WITH friends to some specific destination.  Since Ron and I have been together we've done a lot of these because wonder of wonders, he loves to do the same!!  As I've gotten older it's been harder to get friends to do this with me, so I'm especially grateful that Ron enjoys these kinds of getaways.

We stay at Airbnbs when we go places, if there's no relative or friend we can stay with.  We live in Nashville.  We've driven to Huntsville AL to visit some of my extended family, to Sevierville (in the hills of the Smokey Mountains) for a couple days to visit with some of his (they were camping there,) to Atlanta to stay with friends and kayak the white water on the Broad River, and a "staycation" type deal too, where we stayed in Nashville, but stayed at an airbnb just outside of town for a change of pace.  A couple longer trips too...to The Florida Keys, and to Upstate NY where he's originally from.  

We're heading out again this w/e back to the Smokey Mountains, to Gatlinburg and Dollywood.  He has more family who are visiting the resort, so we rented a cabin with his daughters, and we'll all stay there for a couple days and visit with everyone.  I'm pretty tired of theme parks, I got to Disneyland AND Disnewworld at least once a year, on vacations with my kids (free kid watching for them lol!!) so I'm pretty over theme parks.  But everyone else is going, so we'll go, and maybe bug out after half a day, head back to the cabin and sit in the hot tub and drink some wine.   

What about you all?  Do you like mini trips?


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## jujube (Oct 3, 2018)

I do, to visit relatives, but the Spousal Equivalent doesn't like short trips unless they're absolutely necessary (wedding, funeral, etc.)


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 3, 2018)

My trips must be considered micro!

I like to take day trips, I call them my twenty dollar vacations.

I usually have a destination in mind, stop at a few antique shops, have lunch and see what is happening in the world beyond my cozy little rut.

That's about all the excitement I can stand!


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## hollydolly (Oct 3, 2018)

Yes we take short trips a lot  in the UK ...just overnight here or there... as well as our longer trips overseas... I love to get away whenever we can!!


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## Capt Lightning (Oct 3, 2018)

Same as Hollydolly - lots of short trips (3 to 4 days)  or day trips round the UK, and longer trips abroad.  Just back from 3 days in Dundee and off to Berlin in a couple of weeks.


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## Falcon (Oct 3, 2018)

Mini  trips ?    We call  it  "shopping".


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## hearlady (Oct 6, 2018)

The last man mini trip I took was to New Bern and Morehead NC.
We knew there was a hurricane coming but who knew it would hit those two towns so hard.
Glad I went. They are still struggling.


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## hearlady (Oct 6, 2018)

Falcon said:


> Mini  trips ?    We call  it  "shopping".



I can't get my husband to understand that shopping is an event.


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## Don M. (Oct 6, 2018)

We take a couple of days off, every month, and go to the city to visit the kids and casino's.  It gives us a nice break from the "routine", and over a years time, it gives us about 25 days of "vacation" for about the same cost as taking a 4 or 5 day "cruise".  Most years...sometime during the Winter months...we also hop a flight on SW Airlines, on one of their "gotta get away" fares, and cash in a couple of free nights in Las Vegas.


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## ClassicRockr (Oct 6, 2018)

Falcon said:


> Mini  trips ?    We call  it  "shopping".



Yep.


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## ClassicRockr (Oct 6, 2018)

No kind of trips anymore for us. Need to save money, and continue to get things ready, for our move, hopefully next year in May.


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## Lethe200 (Oct 6, 2018)

We take quite a few mini-trips in the car. If I could convince my DH to interrupt his comfortable home routine we'd take more, LOL. It is an issue leaving the house unattended - big city casual crime, even with an alarm system you can't help worrying a bit - which is gradually pushing us to start investigating senior living facilities for ourselves and get out of this SFH.

Since we live in Northern CA there is no end of places to visit. We have fallen into a "rut" of sorts, however; so my goal is to start adding new destinations before traveling becomes too tiring for us.

Currently we travel 3-5 days midweek, alternating between Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and the Monterey/Carmel area. We travel to Mendocino County only every couple of years. My brother lives in Southern CA so we have recently been trying to work in a visit to him every couple of years or so. 

Like us my brother is a foodie so it's a whirlwind of great food whenever we get together. The Nepalese, Lebanese, and Korean meals were fabulous; much better than we get up here altho ours is pretty good by most standards. But since he and his wife are still working, we try not to take up too much of their time, so 3-4 days there - we stay in a hotel - are the max.

Of the places we go to regularly we love Sonoma County the most. It's very large and still full of small farms, so the locavore and farm-to-table movements are very strong there. There are many excellent restaurants. Unlike Napa and Monterey counties, we have to split Sonoma up into parts or it's too much driving for a mini-trip. If you take back roads - the scenery is magnificent - it can take more than two hours to get from one town to another. More like three or four if you include some coastal highway driving! 

I'm always amazed that one can be 30 minutes from a major commuter freeway and big noisy city, but you'll feel as if you're a hundred miles away, driving on winding backroads with hardly another car on it.

Since I'm usually driving, LOL, I have no landscape photos of this area. I sneaked one off the web - this is Green Strings Farm in Petaluma, CA, taken from one of those backroads. It was taken by photographer Scott Hess. Judging from the fields and vineyards, it's a late spring photo, as the hills are starting to dry up but the wild mustard hasn't started blooming in the vineyards yet.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Oct 6, 2018)

I love mini trips. As a kid we did a lot of those. My Mom Packed a picnic lunch and along with my Grandma and Grandpa we took side roads without any destination in mind. If we found a stream we would stop and the kids in the family would play in the water for awhile. Sometimes we found some old apple or pear orchards that must have been part of a farm years before. 

We would pick up the fallen fruit and my Grandma would be busy for days making all sorts of things from them before they rotted.  

The hubby loves to travel but needs exact directions, and a destination. No side roads for him.


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## RadishRose (Oct 6, 2018)

I have visited San Fransisco and Sonoma many years ago. I loved Sonoma, but heard a lot about rattlesnakes!

CA seems to have piece of every natural wonder and beauty there is!


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## Keesha (Oct 6, 2018)

I wish we did do more mini trips. There are so many great places to go and stay over night and we always seem to talk about it but never go. It’s usually friends that invite us places that gets us out of our ‘comfort zone.’
It’s so nice seeing elderly couples still going places and being adventurous. It seems like the older I get the more I want to travel but there’s so much to do at home that we never do. Our big adventures are to the parents house and back but I’ll still keep on dreaming. 

I’m going to plan a trip someday. 
Great question.


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## Ronni (Oct 8, 2018)

One thing that has made mini trips very affordable for us is being able to stay in Airbnbs wherever we go.  It's not just less cost for the accommodations, it also means savings on food.  We always choose places that have some kind of kitchen, even if it's more of a kitchenette.  We don't need much...a pot and a frypan, a stove top, a couple plates, bowls and flatware, and of course the usual coffeepot and microwave.  We make simple meals and save a bucketful on eating out!


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## RadishRose (Oct 8, 2018)

I take mini trips a lot....in my mind!


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## Ruchan (Apr 19, 2019)

I love short trips on day two, only if it's trips to nature. It seems to me too little to spend the weekend in another city, I get very tired of the time spent in the car or train, so after such a weekend I'm too exhausted. Another thing is hiking or camping. I love camping, although we haven't gone hiking for a long time. This year I want to organize a family trip and go hiking for 4 days in the reserve, which isn't far from our hometown. Since we have not been on a camping trip for a long time, we have little left of the necessary equipment. I found only a tent for 6 people in two rooms. I think that we need to buy sleeping bags and a mini kitchen for camping, we cann't eat only marshmallows or toast for 4 days. I found an article on this portal https://wildproofgear.com/ with reviews of various sleeping bags no more than $ 100. But I don't know which sleeping bag to choose. We will go to the campsite in August, it must be hot, but I want to choose a warm sleeping bag, it's much softer than usual. Will I be too hot in it?


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## oldman (Apr 19, 2019)

Ronni said:


> I have always loved short little getaways...a w/e here, a long weekend there...just to get out of town, travel to see friends, travel WITH friends to some specific destination.  Since Ron and I have been together we've done a lot of these because wonder of wonders, he loves to do the same!!  As I've gotten older it's been harder to get friends to do this with me, so I'm especially grateful that Ron enjoys these kinds of getaways.
> 
> We stay at Airbnbs when we go places, if there's no relative or friend we can stay with.  We live in Nashville.  We've driven to Huntsville AL to visit some of my extended family, to Sevierville (in the hills of the Smokey Mountains) for a couple days to visit with some of his (they were camping there,) to Atlanta to stay with friends and kayak the white water on the Broad River, and a "staycation" type deal too, where we stayed in Nashville, but stayed at an airbnb just outside of town for a change of pace.  A couple longer trips too...to The Florida Keys, and to Upstate NY where he's originally from.
> 
> ...




I really enjoy that Part of Tennessee. We have been to Nashville and east of it maybe 5 or 6 times since I retired. Last year while in Nashville, we drove over to Hendersonville to see Johnny Cash’s home and I have several pictures of that area, which I will post later. (I don’t have access to them on my iPad.) 

We always preplan the trip so that we can get tickets to the Opry and get favorable seating. We did the backstage tour one time and Ronnie Milsap had just finished rehearsal for the night’s performance at the old Ryman Auditorium. He invited our group to stay and listen to the three songs on playback that they had rehearsed. What a thrill for an old country music fan. Cameras were not allowed for the backstage tour.

I wanted to add that we think the part of Tennessee in the Smokey’s is some of the most beautiful areas here in the U.S. There are many beautiful areas here in the U.S., but when going into the mountains in that area and then maybe taking a back road here and there, you can see some scenes of early Americana. Funny, when we take that trip into the “hills,” I can almost hear the song “Dueling Banjos” from the movie “Deliverance” being played. Once, I even started to hum it and my wife told me to knock it off.


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## RadishRose (Apr 19, 2019)

Ruchan said:


> I love short trips on day two, only if it's trips to nature. It seems to me too little to spend the weekend in another city, I get very tired of the time spent in the car or train, so after such a weekend I'm too exhausted. Another thing is hiking or camping. I love camping, although we haven't gone hiking for a long time. This year I want to organize a family trip and go hiking for 4 days in the reserve, which isn't far from our hometown. Since we have not been on a camping trip for a long time, we have little left of the necessary equipment. I found only a tent for 6 people in two rooms. I think that we need to buy sleeping bags and a mini kitchen for camping, we cann't eat only marshmallows or toast for 4 days. I found an article on this portal https://wildproofgear.com/ with reviews of various sleeping bags no more than $ 100. But I don't know which sleeping bag to choose. We will go to the campsite in August, it must be hot, but I want to choose a warm sleeping bag, it's much softer than usual. Will I be too hot in it?



Maybe you can try renting a tent and Coleman stove. Someone expert on sleeping bags and weather should guide you on this... we don't know where you are or where you'll be going. 

I used to love to camp when I was married.


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## oldman (Apr 19, 2019)

Johnny Cash's Home. There is a very large pond in the back. (If my memory serves me right.) I believe that Barry Gibb bought this home.


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## oldman (Apr 19, 2019)

Picture of George Jones and Tammy Wynette taken inside of the George Jones Museum.

View attachment 64576


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## Keesha (Apr 19, 2019)

Very cool oldman. I’ve never seen Johnny cash’s home before. 
My road trips lately are to help others which isn’t the same thing


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## Trade (Apr 19, 2019)

RadishRose said:


> I take mini trips a lot....in my mind!  View attachment 57647



I take at least one, sometimes two, every night to the bathroom to pee.


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## DaveA (Apr 19, 2019)

Trade said:


> I take at least one, sometimes two, every night to the bathroom to pee.



I usually schedule similar trips, Trade.  The best thing is that it takes so little preparation or equipment.  On the down side, the view is always the same.  On the upside, when the seat's down, we have a nice forest green seat cover that has a nature like look to it.


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## oldman (Apr 19, 2019)

Ronni said:


> One thing that has made mini trips very affordable for us is being able to stay in Airbnbs wherever we go.  It's not just less cost for the accommodations, it also means savings on food.  We always choose places that have some kind of kitchen, even if it's more of a kitchenette.  We don't need much...a pot and a frypan, a stove top, a couple plates, bowls and flatware, and of course the usual coffeepot and microwave.  We make simple meals and save a bucketful on eating out!




There is no way that my wife would cook if we would take a trip, mini or maxi. We spent a week at one of the long stay hotels, I think it was Homewood Suites and she told me that was the first, last and only time that we would stay in one of those types of hotels. I thought it was pretty neat. I wanted to go out and buy some food and make it in the room, but she wasn’t having any of that. I did get away with making a pot of coffee. (My wife is a bit of a prude.)


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## Butterfly (Apr 21, 2019)

oldman said:


> There is no way that my wife would cook if we would take a trip, mini or maxi. We spent a week at one of the long stay hotels, I think it was Homewood Suites and she told me that was the first, last and only time that we would stay in one of those types of hotels. I thought it was pretty neat. I wanted to go out and buy some food and make it in the room, but she wasn’t having any of that. I did get away with making a pot of coffee. (My wife is a bit of a prude.)



I agree with your wife.  It isn't much of a vacation for a woman if she still has to cook and wash dishes!  YUCK!


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## Ronni (Apr 21, 2019)

Butterfly said:


> I agree with your wife.  It isn't much of a vacation for a woman if she still has to cook and wash dishes!  YUCK!



Everyone's different.  I have no problem making simple meals and cleaning up after.  It's just the two of us so the cleanup is minimal.  

I think it depends on what's most important to each person for their particular circumstance.  First of all, we wouldn't be able to take anywhere near as many trips if we stayed at full service hotels, we just couldn't afford it. Secondly, we so much prefer the unique and different surroundings every time we stay at an airbnb, compared to the sameness of hotel rooms and lack of character.  Even luxurious surroundings don't hold the appeal for us that being out in nature, by the water, in quaint or different environments does.   Again, just different strokes for different folks, y'know?


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## AnnieA (May 11, 2019)

I love mini trips to cities within driving distance since I live very rural.  I lived in Memphis for eight years, and it's a couple of hours drive now. It's so familiar it hardly counts though I do love it and visit often. A walk along Tom Lee park on a pretty evening followed by a meal and some music on Beale is a great break from the usual routine.  St Louis is a wonderful place to spend a few days--amazing museum and botanical gardens.   New Orleans is a fun for a few days too, but not!!! in the summer!


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## JustBonee (May 11, 2019)

I spent so many years traveling with my husband, as he had to see it all,  (in my profile) that I am very content to sit back now and live thru my son and daughters travels.  
I'm invited to join in often, but I tell them I prefer to stay put and go to their homes to be a pet sitter while they are gone. I find more joy in that these days.


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## CarolfromTX (Aug 4, 2019)

Oh, yes! All the time. Sometimes just daytrips (although we've taken so many we've run out of new choices) and sometimes two or three day trips. Heck, just getting out of Texas takes at least a full day.


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## Patio Life (Aug 11, 2019)

I enjoy short trips, a day trip to an old mining town or someplace interesting. In Az it takes all day to go someplace, see a bit and drive home. We did a lot of this when I was a kid. We also spent the 3 months summer vacation going from Az to Yellowstone and back, mostly wandering around. Had a great time. I think we got back about a week before school started. 

All of my siblings live at least 2.5 hours from me - so a long day trip or an overnight is what we usually manage. Vacations, when I was working, were always 3 weeks, so we would go far away and see all we could. A couple of years ago, right after I retired, we went to Spain for 3 months. Had an incredibly wonderful time.

Now I would want to spend a week, at least, in one place and really look around. I no longer "hurry" well.


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## Autumn72 (Dec 29, 2019)

What is a Airbnb


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## Pappy (Dec 29, 2019)

We have a program here in Florida called: Florida on a tankful. Many beautiful places to visit in a day. We have done some and hope to do more. Not into Disney World and all that stuff, but gardens, trails and old Florida sites.


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## Ronni (Dec 29, 2019)

Autumn72 said:


> What is a Airbnb



Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes or rooms or other accommodations with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries worldwide.

You can find listings on Airbnb for pretty much any kind of stay, everything from a 21,000 square foot mansion to a yurt, from a fully equipped (dishes, linens etc) and fully furnished home to a tree house or tiny house or tent.  Some of the most unique accommodations I've ever seen are listed on Airbnb.  

We use the site routinely to find fun places to stay and experiences to have.  We've stayed in a camper on a lake, that 21,000 square foot mansion, a basement apartment,  a large log home in the mountains by a stream, a guest house complete with private hot tup and patio with fire pit, all of which looks like you're in Tuscany Italy...in fact we're going back there this New Year for a couple days.


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