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How to Plan the Best Girls Trip Ever + Adirondack Dude Ranch Recap

|| JEAN JACKET (*) || LOS ANGELES SWEATER || GRAY BOOTIES (*) ||

Hi all.

So I’m back from my three-day girls trip to the Adirondacks, and let me tell you…it was so needed. First of all, we had an entire free week to burn before graduation. In other words, why the hell not shack up at a dude ranch in the mountains for a few days?

Secondly though, I think all lady gangs should do this kind of a thang more often. Getting away from the hustle & bustle for a few days was honestly priceless. We particularly loved the place that we stayed, because it was all-inclusive. Therefore, all of our meals and activities were included with our lodging. We had ZERO things to worry/stress/overthink/plan about.

It was total bliss.

As a horse lover myself, it was such fun to be able to trail ride multiple times per day, all around the beautiful lake. The ranch also lets you ride according to your skill level, which was great because it kept me (an experienced rider, who owns her own horse at home) completely entertained. They have options for beginners too though, so it’s an ideal family getaway as well.

|| JEAN JACKET (*) || LOS ANGELES SWEATER || GRAY BOOTIES (*) ||

I also loved this place, because it was just so darn cute. If you follow on Insta, you might have seen a little peek of our private cabin on my story last weekend. Love.

This resort also had scheduled, optional activities each day like guided hikes, fishing trips, and more. They played movies every night too, and ya’ll know I loved swooning over Scott Eastwood in The Longest Ride while eating the nachos the bartender brought us (which were SO good). We also enjoyed the hot tub on several occasions, and I got to do a lot of reading (finally) out on the hammocks on the beach.

Overall, it was a really freaking good time. I already want to go back. In fact, I never wanted to leave. I could’ve just sat in my adirondack chair all day, every day, happy as a clam.

P.S. For those of ya who might want to book a trip to this Adirondack escape yourself, email me at hhabeck@ithaca.edu and I’ll get you the information!

And now, since this trip was such a success, I want to share with you some of my most important tips for planning a weekend girls getaway.

Here it goes:

1. Agree on a budget

Agreeing on a budget is sometimes the trickiest part of planning a girls’ trip, so you’ll want to make sure to figure this out first. It’s important that everyone feels comfortable with the financial commitment, especially since the whole point of the trip is to relax and have fun!

2. Choose a location

Here’s the fun part of planning a girls’ weekend: choosing the destination. Make sure to adhere to the budget you’ve already set, and come up with a consensus on how far everyone is willing to travel while looking at possible locations. There’s so many options out here, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding something that will be fun for your entire crew.

3. Stock up on snacks

One of my favorite parts about girls’ trips? The food & wine, duh. Stock up on all your favorite goodies ahead of time, so you’re prepared for the trip.

4. Create a car playlist

I’m assuming most people’s weekend trips will be by car? If that’s the case, make sure to create a killer playlist ahead of time to get ya’ll pumped and in the mood to have some fun.

5. Pack activities for downtime

Like with any vacation, there’s bound to be some downtime. Make sure to pack your fair share of entertainment, like movies, books, etc. Everybody has a different vacation style, so make sure you’re able to entertain yourself if your girls just want to relax.

6. Ditch the technology

One thing that I’m so happy we did on our trip was leave our computers at home. This was huge, because it resulted in us spending more time face to face, and less time wasting the day (or night) away on social media.

7. Have fun & relax!

Have you ever gone on a girls’ trip? What are your best tips for making the most of it? 

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Holly Habeck

Holly is a millennial travel and lifestyle writer based in New York. With ten years of experience in digital publishing and photography starting with her work writing for College Fashionista and Her Campus at Ithaca College, Holly has been featured in publications such as Southern Living and Lonely Planet. She enjoys sharing her travel expertise as well as lifestyle inspiration in categories such as home décor, DIY beauty, and fashion. More importantly though, Holly is a true Hufflepuff, and her Starbucks order forever remains a grande Iced Sweet Cream Cold Brew. When she's not writing or editing photos for this site, you can find her reading anything in the Sarah J. Maas universe or cuddling with her chihuahua x pomeranian pup Pixie.