Monday, July 26, 2021

10 Girls' Weekend Getaways in The South

If you're looking to get away for a weekend of fun, girl talk, spa treatments, relaxing at the beach, or time out in nature with your sisters (or best friends), we've got a lot of options for you! The South is home to many great vacation spots that are perfect for a girls’ weekend trip. 


Take your sisters or girlfriends on a vacation down South this summer! These are the unique small town destinations The Harris Sisters have visited for a girls' retreat to date:

10 Southern Girls' Weekend Destinations

1. Hot Springs, NC (2012) - This was our very first Girls' Weekend and we took that trip in May of 2012. Incidentally, we started the blog in September of 2012 (which is why we don't have a write up of that trip on the blog). For this trip, we visited Hot Springs Resort and Spa to have a relaxing soak in their natural mineral hot springs. If you're looking for a relaxing spa-like trip, this location might interest you!

2. Pigeon Forge, TN (2013) - For our Girls' Weekend this year, we visited the Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, TN, and Harris Sister Misty's oldest daughter, Charlotte, tagged along with us. (And if you've never thought about this before, 4 is a much better number than 3 for riding theme park rides.) We also got a chance to take an old-fashioned photo at Treadways of Gatlinburg. If you like trying new amusement parks, Dollywood might be a great one to put on your list!

3. Asheville, NC (2014) - This year, we visited the Asheville Food & Wine Festival. The Asheville Food & Wine Festival quietly ended in 2017 and has since been replaced by the acclaimed Chow Chow Festival. If you're a foodie or a wine connoisseur, a trip to a new food festival might be the trip for you!

4. Louisville, KY (2015) - By this time we were old pros at Girls' Weekend! We'd figured out that a day of traveling to our location plus a day of traveling back was really cutting into our Girls' Weekend Trip time. We extended all our trips from this one forward to 4 days and were able to pack in all sorts of activities. Our main event for this getaway was a New Kids on the Block, Nelly, & TLC concert. We also saw the sights in downtown Louisville, rode in a horse drawn carriage, met the owner of Jerry's Junk, and visited a tea parlor. Lots of fun things to do in Louisville - we would recommend!

5. Beaufort, NC (2016) - This little beach town did not disappoint. From taking a tour to see wild horses to visiting Emerald Isle beach, we also made time to do some antiquing and visit Fort Macon State Park. If you're a beach lover, Beaufort, NC, provides lots of fun in the area!

6. St. Simons Island, GA (2017) - This year was another unique Girls' Weekend Beach Getaway. We carved out time to visit Driftwood Beach, take a painting class, and explore the island and its shops. This was the first time we did a Facebook Live on location. St. Simons Island provides another great beach location for a girls' weekend away.

7. Bryson City, NC (2018) - Our main adventure this year was riding the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. We also visited the antique stores in downtown Bryson City, discovered some great vintage finds at Teresa's Treasures (which is housed at the Old Warrior Motel complete with its original roadside neon sign), and hiked to Tom's Branch Waterfall. If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind trip to the mountains, Bryson City will provide lots of things to do on your Girls' Weekend vacation.


8. Helen, GA (2019) - This little storybook town provided the backdrop for our 2019 trip. We visited Babyland General (the birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids), toured Three Sisters Vineyards for a chocolate and wine tasting, stopped by the Stovall Mill Covered Bridge, hiked Anna Ruby Falls, and had a horse drawn carriage ride through downtown Helen after visiting their shops and restaurants. This year, we checked in with you guys by doing a Facebook Live to do a taste test and review of some of our favorite nostalgic foods of our childhood. If you like a variety of unique activities to choose from, Helen, GA, can provide that for you!

9. Chattanooga, TN (2020) - Well, we almost missed out on an opportunity for a Girls' Weekend in 2020 because of COVID restrictions. We opted to move our girls' trip out until fall of the year, and we were so happy we did! While in Chattanooga, we found and took photos of the art murals in downtown, visited the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and made a little side trip to See Rock City (which is just across the border in GA). We passed the time on this trip by doing a wine and candy pairing (since we were so close to Halloween). It's easy to escape for the weekend with the variety of fun things to do in Chattanooga, TN.


10. Boone, NC (2021) - Between visiting Tweetsie Railroad and The Land of Oz, our weekend was packed with nostalgia from our childhood. We topped off the trip with a visit to Shatley Springs for brunch and a sip of their famous healing water. With two theme parks and beautiful scenic views, Boone, NC, provides the perfect mountain destination for a fun and relaxing girls' weekend trip.


10+ Fun Activities for Your Girls' Weekend Getaway

Here's a look at some of the activities The Harris Sisters have tried on our annual Girls' Weekend trips. If you'd like to add any of these activities to your weekend getaway itinerary, you can visit the original posts to find out more information.

Amusement Parks - Relive your childhood by visiting an amusement park! If roller coasters aren't your speed, most theme parks have carousels, shows, souvenir shops, and all the junk food you can eat!
Antiquing - What's more fun that hunting for vintage treasures with the girls? From antique malls to flea markets, your girls' trip might provide the perfect opportunity to pick up incredible bargains, unique finds, and rare antiques. 
Eat Like a Queen - While on vacation, now's the time to get creative with some of your meals. Since you don't have kids with you, you might as well try some more adventurous foods experiences that you wouldn't otherwise get to try! Whether planning a girls' night in with appetizers and finger foods or trying a unique restaurant, use this opportunity to branch out!
Healing Mineral/Spring Water -  If you're looking for something out-of-the-ordinary for your girl's trip, maybe you'd be interested in healing mineral or spring water. 
Historic Sites - While you're on vacation, why not visit the historic sites in the area? From museums to monuments and lighthouses to libraries, you'd be surprised what history you might uncover on your trip.

Horse Drawn Carriage Rides - Enjoy a leisurely ride in a horse-drawn carriage while surrounding yourself with the sights and sounds of the city you're visiting. What a fun thing to do on your trip!
Beach Destination - Whether you spend an entire day or just go for a couple of hours, the beach is a great place for a group of friends to relax and hang out together. (And best of all - this activity is FREE!) What's not to love about that?
Mountain Destination - Get your fill of outdoor adventures like hiking, waterfalls, and enjoying time around the firepit. Don't forget to appreciate the amazing scenery too!

Take a Tour or a Class - Sure, you could just hang out at your rental house and relax in the hot tub for your entire Girls' Weekend, but you'd be missing out on what the area has to offer! When you're making your itinerary, make sure to make reservations for something fun like a museum, historic site, or other unique activity.
Trains - Another great weekend getaway adventure is a scenic train ride. Riding the rails on a private excursion or in a theme park always proves to be fun. Don't forget that visiting historic trains also makes for good photo opportunities!

Wine - Add a winery or a food and wine festival to your girls' weekend itinerary and enjoy your favorite wines by the glass or the bottle. Or go all out and host your own girls' weekend wine tasting!
Spa - If you're looking to relax, book some time at a spa. This is one activity that you might not get to enjoy at home, so why not take advantage when you're on your Girls' Weekend getaway?
  • Hot Springs, NC
Concert - If you love live music, then take the opportunity to scope out what bands are playing in the area while you're visiting. Or, maybe pick a band that you really want to see, check their tour dates, and plan your Girls' Weekend around one of their stops.
Enjoy Free Activities - Not every activity on your girls' retreat needs to be expensive or even cost a dime. These no spend activities will ensure you enjoy time away from home with your friends without breaking the bank.

Traditions to Incorporate into Your Trip

The Harris Sisters also do a few things nearly every Girls' Weekend to make the trip memorable for us. You might have different traditions for your Girls' Weekend, but these are the things we try to do every year:

Drink Donald Duck Orange Juice

This is a tradition we've carried over from our childhood. (We used to drink Donald Duck Orange Juice on road trips as children.) What are some childhood traditions that you might be able to incorporate into your Girls' Weekend trips?

St. Simons Island, GA

Louisville, KY

Helen, GA


Take a photo with matching T-shirts

Pro Tip: You can use your Girls' Weekend T-shirts for multiple trips! For example, we wore our Georgia Peach T-shirts for both our St. Simons Island trip and our Helen trip.

Chattanooga, TN

Beaufort, NC


St. Simons Island, GA

Enjoy Coca-Cola

We started this tradition when Coca-Cola launched their Share a Coke campaign and started manufacturing cans and bottles with words, song lyrics, and names on them. Of course, this campaign has ended and Coca-Cola will develop more marketing campaigns in the future. It was fun to incorporate this fad into a few photoshoots! What fads can you incorporate into your girls' trip?

Louisville, KY

Bryson City, NC

St. Simons Island, GA


Make a sign for the location you're visiting

We started this tradition to be able to easily mark our photos! (And it really helps that Harris Sister Misty is artistic. She's the one who makes all of our signs.) If you've got an artist in your group, consider asking her to make signs for your group too!
Beaufort, NC

Chattanooga, TN

Boone, NC


Tips for Planning a Great Girls' Weekend Trip

Here are our tips to make sure you get the most out of your Girls' Weekend getaway.

  1. Plan your itinerary well in advance. After you've decided on your destination, make sure you plan out which activities to do on which days. There's nothing worse than getting to the end of your trip and realizing that you didn't make time for an activity you really wanted to do. 
  2. When you're choosing activities, choose fun things that are unique to the area you're visiting. Make sure to vary the locations and activities from year to year. If you always choose a tropical location, maybe try the mountains one year. Because even though traditions are important, you want to make sure that every Girls' Weekend trip is special and memorable.
  3. A rental cabin or house will be your best bet for accommodations. You'll be able to spread out more than in a hotel, and if you'd like to cook your own food rather than eat out for every meal, you'll be able to do that. A house or cabin will also allow your group to hang out together in the  main areas in your downtime, while a hotel room can only hold so many people. Don't forget that many rental properties also have hot tubs - which is a fun way to relax late in the evenings after a long day of fun!
  4. Skip the mall in favor of antiquing or shops specific to the area you're visiting. You'll find some unique treasures this way!
  5. Don't forget to take photos! You'll be able to remember your trip with photos from the weekend. Make sure to include everyone in your group.

If you and your friends are excited to get away from it all for a long weekend trip, we hope these ideas have inspired you. The Southern cities, towns, and islands we've visited have something for everyone in your group. So start packing!
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