When you’re a busy mom, any little bit of time away from your kids can feel like a vacation. But barring some private time with your spouse, there is perhaps no better getaway than the one you take with your girlfriends. Whether it’s a bachelorette party, a birthday celebration, or just a weekend away for no reason at all, taking a trip with your mom squad brings up all the best feelings. Especially if you haven’t seen each other in months, spending some quality time and enjoying a well-deserved break is a must.
From a day sightseeing the next city over to a few days at a wellness retreat, each of these experiences is perfectly set up for relaxing, bonding, and recharging with your favorite ladies. It’s about putting you first and nourishing your soul so when you do get back to family duties, you’re refreshed. You may even learn something new! If you’re ready for a long-overdue girlfriend getaway — for a few hours or a few days — check out this list of 20 kid-free places the mom squad should hit up for some rest and fun. We promise you won’t regret it.
Reminder: Because these are unusual times, please always check with the locations before heading out to confirm they are open.
The Spa
Massages and skin care treatments are always a big hit, especially when you’re with your mom squad. Stumped for a spa location near you? Spafinder will help uncover information on treatments and rates at spas all around the country. If you prefer to stay in for this well-deserved break, a spa day at home is still totally doable. Order a couple of facial steamers, sculpting beauty tools, and cute new towels. Have everyone bring a new jar of their favorite skin care products so you can each sample the goods.
Wine Tasting
You don’t need to have a home near California’s Napa Valley to live it up at a wine tasting vineyard. Sample all the award-winning wines you desire with your fellow moms at beautiful wineries, which can be found in practically every state. On the East Coast, April through December is the best time to visit this region for a wine-tasting getaway. Start searching Google now for the best wine-tasting tour and hotel packages.
Local Festivals
Looking to get together with the girlfriends locally but can’t decide exactly what to do? See if there’s a farmers market, community fair, or art exhibit in town. TimeOut.com is a great resource for everything happening in major cities around the country (and the world, really). Besides being able to search its massive listing of events happening in the next week, weekend, and month, you can search restaurants, bars, museums, hotels, and more all around the country. Airbnb.com also has in-person and online experiences.
The Beach
There’s really nothing better than hitting the beach, especially when you can go kid-free and not have to worry about buckets and the toys. A few extra-large beach blankets, towels, and throws, with a few umbrellas for shade, lead to the ultimate mom squad destination. Book an Airbnb by a beach and you’ll be able to stay put from sunup to sunset. Pack a cooler full of fruit, snacks, and wine and a few umbrellas, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the music, beach reads, and sunscreen!
A Cooking Class
Every year, the Ritz-Carlton on Florida’s Amelia Island hosts Salt Cooking School. It features one-day cooking events that focus on a theme, and word is that they are worth the trip (if you’re not already close by). Upcoming class themes include South Asian street food, Indian cuisine, and hors d'oeuvres from around the world.
Your mom squad will arrive at 9 a.m. and is treated to breakfast as chefs outline the menu for the day. You'll cook a four-course lunch. After lunch and wine pairing and chatting with your fellow cooking classmates, you leave with an apron, recipe book, some new cooking skills, and very satisfied taste buds, we’re sure. The price is on the higher end for this experience, but those close to Florida can save travel money by driving.
Rent a Fabulous Airbnb
If there’s an extra-special occasion to be celebrated by the mom squad, renting a fabulous Airbnb is a fun option. When traveling with kids, a concern with renting and staying in someone’s home might be how much damage they might do. But for moms, go all out with the prettiest, most-indulgent rental that can be found. Find a place like this one (unfortunately, it’s booked for months in advance). It’s literally a glass house on 600 acres with a look-through fireplace, room for six, and a farm! No one in the group will ever forget it.
Visit a Dessert & Cocktail Bar
We’re back again with an adult beverage-themed suggestion. The mom squad deserves this indulgence. There are dessert bars, bakeries, and even ice cream shops that serve cocktails and wine for a great time. Although everyone loves a good wine and cheese pairing, wine and dessert is a bit more fun.This is a great kid-free way to enjoy delicious desserts while chatting with the girls about all things adult. Finally.
A Day Trip
If the weekend or a few days away doesn’t work for your family lifestyle or budget, try a day trip. Make plans to leave pretty early so there won’t be too much time wasted in traffic, and plan a whole day with the girls. The mom squad can “play” tourists one city or state over. Bring cameras to take selfies and document the day; it’s a great break in the middle or end of a week. Even if just for 12 hours, you’ll definitely be refreshed after the day is done.
Hit the Hiking Trails
If you and your friends are an active bunch, head for the hills! A day of hiking will burn some pent-up energy from being indoors so often, and your body will love that vitamin D, with sunscreen applied, of course. After your hike, head back to a hotel to clean up for a fancy dinner, or book a stay in a cabin nearby.
Go to a Fancy Restaurant for a Tea Party
If your mom squad is more bougie than rugged, host a fancy tea party. Rent out a room at a venue such as a restaurant, catering hall, or hotel and, have it catered, select music in the background, and eat the fanciest of meals. In keeping with the theme, dress up like you haven’t in a year, heels and all. Take a break before returning to the venue for a night of dancing like nobody's watching.
Host a Themed Dinner
Themed dinners are such an amazing experience because from the food to the decor to the music and even the drinks, it's fully indulgent. Make it internationally inspired or focus the party around a favorite TV show. For a kid-free night, have the kids and Dad head out and invite the Mom Squad over for an immersive, fun experience such as Taco Tuesday, a Thai food feast, or even pizzas topped with everything. Or create an international menu.
Go Glamping With Getaway
In need of a true is a breath of fresh air? Try a few nights at a Getaway! That’s the name of these really cute, modern cabin rentals set up in outposts in major cities around the country. The cabins generally sleep two to four-adults, so you’ll be cozy, but you can also rent a few of the cabins for a larger mom squad because they’re spaced within a very short walking distance from each other on wooded outpost sites. The Getaway experience is more like glamping because cabins are tricked out with upscale amenities such as a kitchen with all the pots and utensils needed to cook full meals, private bathrooms, and private decks with fire pits, a table and chairs.
Wake up to stunning, lush woods, cook meals on the fire, explore the area, and chat all night while sitting around the fire and making s’mores. One thing of note for moms: According to the website, “because of the secluded nature of the outposts, cell phone service may be a little spottier than normal. Each of the cabins is equipped with a landline for calls to the Getaway team or to 911 in case of emergency.” Also, there’s no Wi-Fi. Getaway is available mainly on the East Coast with a couple of spots on the West Coast, but be warned — they book up fast!
Manicures & Pedicures
Getting manicures and pedicures is a pretty standard girlfriend day activity, but when it’s been months since you’ve dipped those toes into a bubbly pink pedicure tub, the pedicure hits differently. Set out to spend a day at the most lavish mani-pedi spot around, complete with massaging chairs, relaxing ambiance, and refreshments while you wait.
A Park for a Picnic
Just like hitting the beach without kids is a whole new experience, the same can be said for hitting the park for a picnic without kids — it’s a revelation! Languish with the mom squad all day without complaints about the boredom or the bugs (well, maybe). Just enjoy the sun, the scenery, and the time to enjoy full, interrupted conversations with your girls. All that’s left to decide is who’s making the brownies.
A Seaside Weekend
For moms looking to be near the water, how about a trip to Maryland’s Eastern Shore? This area is easy to reach from the DC metro area, Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey. Chesapeake Bay is a beautiful low-key area that includes several historic towns. Book a few rooms at a waterfront inn, dine on freshly caught Maryland blue crabs, and treat yourselves to massages at a spa in town.
The Movies
As the country is opening up more, some movie theaters are reopening with enhanced safety measures in place. Though watching Netflix and Amazon Prime from the couch or bed has been a treat, there’s nothing like that big-screen experience. It’s another level of movie-watching when you get to watch a kid-free flick with your ladies. Dine-in theaters make it that much more special to enjoy a well-deserved break. If the squad is not ready to hit a movie theater, drive-in movies have been coming back in a big way. Check local listings to see if there’s a drive-in nearby.
A Museum
Museums are often quiet zones that moms rarely get to enjoy. Maybe a museum trip for the mom squad doesn’t sound enticing because the kids have had a class trip that you’ve chaperoned in the last few years, but hear us out. Going to a museum or two without rallying tiny troops can actually be an enlightening experience. Check TimeOut.com for special exhibits happening now, and make a plan to enjoy, grab lunch, and make an adults-only visit.
A Shopping Trip
Shopping without kids is a treat in itself, so this is definitely a fun option for moms. Whether the squad is shopping for party dresses, bathing suits, or new sneakers for the summer, just having this time together to sample outfits and get some much-needed mom feedback will do the soul some good. Another fun shopping-themed idea is vintage shopping for clothes or home decor.
A Painting Class
Pinot’s Palette is one of the more popular paint and sip art studios because it’s nationwide, but there likely are some local options too. For this mom squad break, it’s all about having fun and tapping into your creative side. At Pinot’s Palette, you just find a location and sign up for one of the studio events or apply to host your own party. The site provide canvases, easels, brushes, paint, and aprons, as well as paper plates, napkins, and utensils if you decide to bring snacks. You can buy wine, beer, or and soda!
A Yoga or Wellness Retreat
Ready to unplug, Mama? Yoga and wellness retreats are known to (purposely) have spotty cell phone and Wi-Fi service, but that’s only because they truly want you to immerse yourself into the experience. Working on zen vibes and mindfulness takes focus! Look for a retreat where the mom squad can enjoy yoga and Pilates classes, plus more active options such as hiking or horseback riding. Many retreat packages include lodging, meals, and daily classes.
