A Winter Weekend Getaway

     After the holiday weekend of Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping anyone can justifiably be worn out before heading back to work on Monday. But how about you add the first major snowstorm of the year right after that holiday weekend? Now how are you holding up? That's how my wife and I were feeling after that long week. Wednesday came and we began to joke about just running away for a weekend. By Thursday night we had our reservation set and we began to plan our road trip to Massachusetts. It wasn't far out but it was good enough just to recharge the batteries. Especially before the major holiday week sets in.

    

Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA

    Weekend getaways don't have to be expensive and sometimes depending where you look and the time of year your traveling, you may be able to find good deals. We particularly like to start our planning using the website, Expedia™. It's a great place to begin looking for the deals. But if you use the same methods don't hold yourself to just those deals. Shop around. Expedia.com is known for having great deals but there are sites that may have a slightly better deal (especially if you're really pinching the pennies). Sometimes becoming members of the sites or for other travel reward groups will help you gain better deals. I happen to be a member of the Hilton Honors™ rewards program. I'll go through these types of programs in a little more detail in another article but just to get idea; theses reward programs entice you to stay at there properties by offering points and free nights for stays. After comparing rates, we chose our weekend getaway home away from home; the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA. In later posts, my plan is to start reviewing these places. It would be nice to share the great places with everyone, and maybe shed a little light on the amazing ones (and the not so amazing ones). 

    Saturday afternoon after our kid was sent to Grandma's house, we began the drive to Massachusetts. We weren't to sure what to expect. Weather on the radio was saying a chance of snow but was absolute on the fact that it was going to be bitter cold. Regular maintenance on your vehicle can mean the difference of being nice and cozy in the car or sitting on the side of the road in the cold waiting for a tow truck. Luckily, the Camry was ready to take on the cold. It was about a two hour drive to the north where it was much more noticeably cold. Winter in New England (and it's not even officially winter yet). After checking into the Embassy Suites and exploring the hotel a little bit, we went to check out the pool and hot tub. I mean, who stays at hotel and doesn't go swimming (sometimes that's the whole reason for staying at hotel, lol)  Shortly thereafter, we dressed and headed out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurant chains; The Cheesecake Factory™. Dinner was great and with a quick ride around town (and a stop at Target to get a fan) we were back to the room to relax.

Christmas Tree in the center of the
Wrentham Premium Outlets

     Sunday morning started with breakfast at the hotel. Some of the more upper ended hotels offer a free breakfast of sorts. This happened  to be a free hot breakfast buffet. When we were finished we packed up our belongings, checked out, and were on our way to the days activities. 

     Despite the cold we decided to head to Wrentham Premium Outlets™ for a day of Christmas shopping (or so it was the thought). The outlets were busy, despite the cold temperatures. We started by trying to find gifts for the family and realized that there was a lot there that we needed, in particular, clothes; the outlets specialty. We spent about two hours there before the cold got to us too much. From there it was lunchtime (closer to dinner). We headed over to nice Chinese Buffet called Sky Buffet. The food was reasonably priced and was very good. After filling up on a variety of foods we got back in the car and took the two hour drive back into Connecticut. 

     It started from a little joke about running away, to a little research, to having a great weekend getaway, which was really needed after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and before the Christmas/New Years' holiday week. Weekend road trip getaways don't have to be extravagant or expensive. With a little research, you can find deals out there that can help you plan your own getaway. You just have to be willing to look for them. 

I hope you enjoyed our trip. It's your turn. If you want to learn more about the Embassy Suites in Waltham, MA, I'll be posting a review of the hotel in an upcoming post. 

Happy planning and enjoy the ride!!!