Road Trips Part Two: Weekend Trips

      Whether for a three-day holiday break such as Labor Day or simply a two night escape from reality, weekend road trips can be a great way to travel.  Weekend trips allow destinations that are farther away, as well as add the opportunity to engage in more sight seeing. All of this is possible without using up precious vacation time away from work.
      With weekend trips, the distance from home can be anything from four to seven hours by car. In this distance, you could theoretically travel as far as two to three states away--from Tennessee to West Virginia, for example.  Weekend trips have a lot more flexibility when it comes to destination and can be a great way to see exciting things without devoting an entire vacation. Events such as festivals, concerts and other events are great reasons to take a weekend trip to somewhere you wouldn't usually travel.
      Websites such as Trip Advisor are a great resource, especially for weekend trips. These sites have information on restaurants, shopping and attractions, all with user reviews.  Using these reviews to find can't-miss places to eat or museums that no one should miss is the best way to get the most out of your two- or three-day trip, all the while avoiding the expensive mistakes that other travelers have made.  However, because of the increased flexibility, spontaneity is much easier to accommodate into a weekend trip.

      Everyone in commercialized America knows the term "Black Friday" and the shopping madness the term denotes.  This past November, I traveled with my family to Gatlinburg, Tenn. for this national shopping holiday.  In the midst of our turkey-comas, we traveled the four hours into the Great Smokey Mountains. After shopping from midnight until 3 a.m., we checked into our modest, but comfortable, hotel.  I spent a few minutes before bed figuring out our plan for breakfast. Famous for its pancake breakfasts, Gatlinburg has dozens of great restaurants, all prices relatively the same.  I was however, able to save us a bit of money by using the hotel's complimentary coupon book.  Because we had come to shop, we did not spend a lot of time sight-seeing, but we were able to see the famous Aquarium, as well as a few other attractions.

There are many interesting things to see on weekend trips!

       For college students, traveling with family can be one of the best ways to save money.  Though it may not be as exciting as traveling with friends, if your parents are offering to take you somewhere, it can be a great way to explore without spending on more than souvenirs.
For this reason, my total personal spending for this trip was approximately $30 for souvenirs and postcards.