Here are some ideas for weekend vacations:

1. Did you know that there are luxury motels/hotels (Courtyard By Marriott being one of them-or was the last time I checked) that are geared to the business traveler? For that reason, they cost more during the week, and their more-affordable times are the weekend (the opposite of how most motels operate). This is even true on a holiday weekend such as The Fourth Of July.

2. When my second cousin's daughter and niece were between five and seven years old and his youngest sister was still in high school, he gave a special present to them and his mother. It was a girls' weekend out at a local motel that wasn't even two miles from where his mother and sister lived. This took place in the dead of winter, so it was exciting for all of them to have hours and hours of use of an enclosed swimming pool-not to mention just walking down the hall to eat out and/or have the food brought right to their room so they could eat it while watching TV.

3. Save money on motels with one-tank trips. Go different places that are within driving-distance of home and pretend that you're on a longer vacation. Your "motel," of course, will always be your own home.

4. Of course, you can always enjoy a weekend vacation without ever leaving home by doing special things that you don't necessarily do everyday such as eating steak and/or seafood for every meal of the day; renting more movies than you usually do; eating an entire box of chocolates; and whatever else might make you feel pampered.

5. Think in terms of everything but the motel. Home is your motel, but you can leave it to do a number of special things such as getting a manicure and/or pedicure; going to the most expensive place in your area and ordering the most expensive item on the menu; enjoying more than usual of your favorite kinds of entertainment; and whatever else you might like to do.

6. Enjoy a total-cinema weekend. Find a theater with multiple screens and lots of shows playing that you'd like to see. Go from one movie to another-and DO indulge when it comes to refreshments-from the beginning of the theater day until it closes at night. Repeat the experience the following day at another theater.

7. Finally, use your computer to travel by spending the weekend using search engines to help you to find interesting websites of places that appeal to you. You would be surprised at how much travel you can do in that time with no expense of gas, public transportation fares, lodging, etc.

Learn more about this author, Ainsley Jo Phillips.
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