14
JOURNEYS magazine
Volume I, 2016
LONDON
What’s a better foreign destination for
a long weekend girlfriend getaway
than one ruled by the Queen herself?
After checking into your hotel, it’s o
to visit the sites — maybe the classic
changing of the guard at Buckingham
Palace or a scenic trip on the London
Eye. Spend the next morning together
seeing costumes at the Victoria &
Albert Museum, then have lunch at the
food halls and go shopping at Harrods
nearby. Then it’s o for dinner and the
theater in London’s West End or
Covent Garden. The next day enjoy
breakfast at Fortnum & Mason before
taking in the crown jewels at the Tower
of London and end up having tea at
one of London’s posh hotels or
teahouses.
MONTREAL
Old world French charm combined
with modern French-Canadian chic
makes this city a wonderful place for a
girlfriend getaway. Stay in boutique
hotels or bed and breakfasts in Old
Montreal with its classic 19th century
French architecture. Spend time on
bustling Crescent Street, lined with
boutiques, art galleries, restaurants
and nightclubs, or shop on fashionable
Rue Saint-Paul or, if it’s raining, shop at
the Underground City, a subterranean
shopping mall that runs through a
series of interconnected buildings.
Have a baguette sandwich at lunch
and visit La Biosphere, the Buckminster
Fuller-designed geodesic dome that
served as the American Pavilion for
Expo ‘67.
NAPA VALLEY
Start o your Napa Valley girlfriend
getaway with a wine tour by limo along
the Silverado trail passing rolling hills
and long rows of grape vines before
enjoying a private tasting at the
Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve, Robert
Mondavi Winery, Franciscan Estate,
Sterling Vineyards, Francis Ford
Coppola Winery or Domaine Carneros
Winery. Then move on to discover the
food for lunch at Oxbow Public Market
followed by a shopping expedition at
the Napa Premium Outlets. Or you can
stroll downtown Napa for lunch by the
river. The day ends with dinner at a
celebrity chef restaurant in downtown
Napa and a stay at one of several
luxury resort and spas in the Napa
Valley.
ASPEN
You can always book a girlfriend
getaway ski weekend, including skiing,
ice skating and even a sleigh ride, but
summer is also a great time to visit the
destination. If you time it right you can
attend the Aspen Food & Wine Classic,
which features top chefs from around
the country. You can stay in a bed and
breakfast or one of Aspen’s many
luxury hotels — the Hotel Jerome, the
St. Regis or the Viceroy (in nearby
Snowmass) to name a few. Aspen also
has fantastic shopping with more than
250 boutiques and stores from high-
end designers, as well as great
restaurants (more than 80 eateries),
bars and nightlife. Great summer
girlfriend activities can include hiking,
mountain biking and horseback riding,
as well as cultural venues like the
Aspen Art Museum and Aspen Santa
Fe Ballet.
MIAMI
With boutique hotels, restaurants,
nightclubs and white sand beaches,
South Beach just might be the
quintessential girlfriend getaway. Start
your break by booking one of the
destination’s many small art deco
hotels on Collins Avenue or maybe one
of the larger resorts just to the north.
Many of these hotels are located
directly on or just a short walk from
one of the sexiest and most fashionable
beaches in the world. And when it
finally gets too hot to be in the sun, try
the shopping on Lincoln Road, or take
a short ride to Miami’s Design District
near to downtown, which has high-end
stores and more. Then it’s back to
South Beach for dining at a trendy
restaurant capped o by an even
trendier nightclub.
AGENT RECOMMENDED
TOP 5
GIRLFRIEND
GETAWAYS
WRITTEN BY JAMES SHILLINGLAW
What’s one of the most popular forms of group travel today? The answer is the girlfriend getaway—a trip
where women who are former high school classmates, college roommates, good friends or family members
can take that long-overdue vacation together. Here are five great getaway destinations for that long-delayed
girlfriend escape as recommended by our top travel advisors.
