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So, you guys know that I am a huge fan of staycations. I have mentioned before that when I check into a hotel room I am instantly transported to my happy place.

My happy place is checking into a hotel. I have always loved little getaways but even more as a mother. I think a hotel stay just rejuvenates me. I’m not worried about managing my household or reminded of everything I need to be doing. I like having my family all in one room. I like seeing new things. The little snack bars. The fresh views. Eating out. Just a last minute day or two away does more for my soul than a big trip somewhere.

And it’s typically fun for the kids too! And often pretty inexpensive. We have been up to a lot since arriving in California and I need to catch up on my posting our adventures here but wanted to share one little overnight outing with you.

A few weekends ago we made a last minute decision (on a Saturday at noon) to make an hour and a half drive down to Redondo Beach to see some friends before they moved back to St. Louis. How ironic is that timing right!?! We ended up having a blast and I have had many people comment that these little getaways inspire them to do something like that. So, here is a step by step on how to take a spontaneous overnight getaway. LOL.

(1) Decide to go somewhere. And guess what… often times just a general region will do. I normally like to stay within 2 hours for a one night trip! Sometimes I only go one town over!

(2) Pack a bag. Like a little backpack each. Don’t forget comfy pajamas and your swimsuits.

(3) Get into the car and start driving.

(4) If you are like me… this is when I start to think about a hotel. I love using my Priceline and Travelocity apps while on the go. Often making my reservation as Matt pulls into the hotel. Or you can always do this step first. ::wink::

For the hotel, we love them all. When I am going to be staying at the property a lot I like somewhere full service and a bit fancier. But when I am on an overnight adventure often times I just like something inexpensive, with a pool, free parking and free breakfast. We like trying out new places as often as we can and very rarely end up disappointed.

(5) Have fun. Go explore local attractions. Hang out by the pool. Go find somewhere to eat. Enjoy cocktails. Take an Uber back. Sleep in. Pool again? Sure! I love eating hotel breakfast outside by the pool while the kids play. And even in colder months, indoor pools are fun. There is something intoxicatingly nostalgic about the smell of that chlorine.

(6) Go home. Hopefully refreshed. And I always like to take my time on the way home. Finding somewhere great for lunch. Hitting up a new mainstreet area. Etc. Then do it all again soon.

Now, this post is about those short, semi close, 1-2 day trips. Why? Because the big ones stress me out. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but the amount of work that goes into them often leads me to choosing these short little adventures when I am looking to quickly cure my wanderlust and refresh.

A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE

So here is what we did on January 7th – 8th, 2017. I hope that it inspires you to go take a little overnight trip! Surprise your kids! I often take the kids alone and then other times I love to meet up with friends and their kids for extra fun. For the trips that Matt doesn’t go on it gives him a little weekend break which I know he really appreciates after a hard week at work.

(1) Let’s go to Redondo Beach for the night.

(2) The kids each pack a little backpack and I do an overnight bag. Chargers. Toothbrushes. √.

(3) I use my maps app to make sure I have a good idea of how long the drive is. Matt was driving and I started thinking about hotels. Listen to good music. Bonus points for singing along.

(4) Ok, I like to go from app to app and back and forth before pulling the trigger on our hotels. Remember when I did this for 12 days straight on our Florida road trip? For this one I narrowed it down to two. [a] A Best Western Plus for $112 with free parking, free internet, free breakfast and a heated outdoor pool. [b] The Portofino Hotel which was on the water,beautiful and double the price. Since our plans were to explore we opted for the Best Western. It was only 2.5 stars but the reviews were really good and we weren’t planning on spending a ton of time there.

(5) We checked in and took a $4 UBER up to the Redondo Beach Pier. We watched dolphins, had some beers, walked the beach and waited for our friends to arrive. Once they got their we walked the pier, went out for a fantastic dinner at R10 Social House, and watched the most amazing sunset. I love the energy that comes with being by the water. The boats, the people, the views. It’s hard to beat!

After hours of fun we went back to the hotel and hit the sack. We got a great sleep and woke up in time for breakfast. We ate outside while the kids played in the pool. It was small but the sun was shining down and we were able to relax for awhile. We checked out at 11:00am and started our venture home. Since it was 75 degrees and sunny we decided to take a beautiful drive through Palos Verdes, and the we went to Long Beach and because we are crazy (and it was on the way home) we stopped by Downtown Disney too. We probably could have saved that last stop for another day. We were slightly wiped out at that point but the kids were so excited to be there!

(6) We made it home just after the sun set. So, we were gone just about 30 hours. It’s funny how getting home after just a short trip is the same as coming home after a week away. I felt refreshed, my wanderlust was cured (for now) and we were ready to start the week!

And you guys… I know that you don’t need a checklist to plan a trip. I just like to share how easy it is to just GO! Get up, get into the car and go somewhere.

Rarely have I ever came home and said “man, I wish I wouldn’t have taken that trip.”