New Orleans!!!

We flew from Buffalo and arrived at our hotel around 11:00 a.m. on a Thursday. We dropped off our bags and just started walking the FQ. We left NO around noon on Sunday, so we had almost 3 full days. We saw and did a LOT in that little bit of time. We were exhausted, but had a wonderful trip.

I'll never regret that trip. I'm sure NO will come back, but I fear it will never be quite the same it was before Katrina.

NYC!

Always fly.

Hi starrsville, for me a good 2 or 3 days getaway is usually San Francisco. And of course you have no idea what hotel I generally stay at

Another lovely quick trip on spur of the moment when we were so stressed out was going to Occidental, Bodega Bay etc..just having those three days was better then then any long trip..no planning..no long drive or airflight etc.

Both quite different but both quite close to where I live.

IMO, especially with the hassles of flying these last years, I don't feel that flying someone for a couple of days is worth it..not if one is looking for some R&R.

Wow - tough question but probably NYC. There's just so much to see and do, and it's a quick flight from Buffalo. At the same time, I can't take being in NYC for much more than 3 days anyways - I start to feel a bit claustrophobic from all the people!

Charleston is a very close second.

Vegas
San Francisco
Rocky Mountain National Park

Toss up between a theater weekend in NY or San Francisco and a drive down the coast. Flying.

Mine was just a couple of months ago. I flew from Las Vegas to Burlington, VT via Jet Blue then drove a rental car to Quebec City. Flew Thursday, drove to Quebec Friday. Friday-Sunday in Quebec than Monday back to Burlington and LV.

At least that was the way it was supposed to work. Due to schedule delays, Jet Blue had to put me up in Burlington overnight and I flew back to LV on Tuesday.

It was a long set of flights but a great trip! As an aside, the US Customs officer at the border wondered why I had flown those long distances for just 2 1/2 days in Quebec.

Las Vegas
fly
Montreal
Washington D
drive

Drive, up & over to Calistoga, CA
Spa
Swim
Sip
Supp
&
Mineral Bubbles
if it had Scuba I would not leave !

R5

3 day vacation to Napa, we flew (we're on the East coast), with 4 other couples, stayed at Chateau de Vie in Calistoga, which is an outstanding B&B and we had the whole inn to ourselves. It was great fun. So much fun that we're doing the exact same trip the exact same weekend with the exact same people this year.

1. Vancouver, BC, fly (float planes)
2. SF, fly
3. Vancouver, BC, train
4. Coastal Washington, many times, drive
5. Portland, OR, drive

The float plane trip was a GAS. Seattle to Victoria, flying so close to the ground it looks just like the map; then a second leg over the amazing Strait of Georgia islands to Vancouver. You land practically in the middle of downtown. And Vancouver is a terrific city.

Taking the train is nice, too; doesn't really take any longer than driving, when you consider Customs; and you can walk around, sleep, relax, eat, sightsee...

Ah, Yes!!! I remember it well. We dropped two kids and all their plunder off at one college, drove a couple of hours to drop off another one at HIS college, found a place to drop off the U-Haul trailer and then headed to the Tennesee mountains. It was the first time in 20 years that we didn't have to worry about the kids in the back seat or at home.

We just enjoyed the time alone with no responsibilities. I think we had three days and then it was back to work as those paychecks were really, really needed.

The following year, one decided he would rather stay at home and attend the local college. Drat @#%@#!!

Drive:
-Washington DC
-NYC
-Annapolis

Fly:
-Toronto
-Montreal

I guess it depends on where you live!

Vegas
Savannah

Oh, for driving vacations, we're lucky enough to be close to some great spots:

Boston
Peru, Vt, ski house
Newport, RI
The Berkshires
Litchfield Hills of CT
Old Lyme, CT beachhouse
The Vineyard
Nantucket
Adirondacks
NYC (although dh "vacations" there everyday)

I'd have to say the occassional long weekends we would spend with friends who lived about two hours away from Houston in Willis, Texas many moons ago. At the time DH and I were working our tails off and the R&R was always very much needed.

We would drive up, have fireside cocktails and play Pictionary. Then, we would all cook a big dinner together while catching up in conversation. The days were then spent on their boat on Lake Conroe, with more cocktails, of course. And, more great food and conversation always followed.

We've had long weekends on St. Maarten, Saba, St. Barth's, St. Kitts, Anguilla, etc. since then, but there was just something about relaxing time with dear friends who we didn't get to see often enough.

Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur with the top down!

Sea Ranch Vacation Rental with the top up!


-Bill

I never had a vacation quite that short.

I did fly to Waikiki once for only 4 days. That was pretty nice.

Just this past weekend visiting our son in Washington, DC. I do believe it was the best vacation ever and a wonderful Mother's Day. What more could a mother ask for: 3 days with my husband and son, flew home and had a fabulous dinner prepared by our daughters, son-in-law and soon to be daughter-in-law. I cannot ask for more.

Uhm, can I change my vote? LOL. The best 2 or 3 day vacations was always going to the California Delta and spending time on our boat. Yes, that was the best of all!!

Hard to pick my faves. I'm in the San Jose area, so close to San Francisco. Probably Monterey Bay, actually in Pacific Grove (driving). Then San Diego or Seattle (flying). Runners up: Yosemite and Lake Tahoe (driving).

Drove to Carmel, CA. One of the most charming, delightful towns anywhere. Lovely setting, great restaurants, shopping, town beach. Close to 17 mile drive.

Hands down, the best 3 day trips is to Yosemite National Park. Just a 4 hour drive from our house. Just got back from one of these trips on Friday. Waterfall were at an all time high. Weather was warm and sunny!

Utahtea

Vegas
San Francisco

Four of us, friends since childhood, have met for a long weekend every fall for more than 25 years. Our best trip was probably New Orleans with a schedule similar to BuffaloGirl's. I wouldn't have chosen NO but we take turns as trip planner and I'm so glad that year's trip planner decided we should splurge instead of our usual drive-to's. Katrina happened the next year.

Ah, suze, ya gotta try them. The short weekenders help keep your sanity while you are planning for one of the "big ones".

Oklahoma City!!
Went there on Friday for a weekend family reunion expecting nothing from OC after reading many not so positive posts on fodors.com. We were pleasantly surprised how wonderful OC was and how much was there to do. Besides visiting with the family we visited museums, botanical garden, hiked, watched birds. Visiting the monument is very moving. Great place to visit. Left Monday.
We flew

Starrsville, tell us about your quicky

For flights, it would be several when Delta had their "Great Escape" flights and offered several options each weekend. My favorite of those had to be flying to Alb and driving to Durango for the weekend - on Valentine's weekend. This Georgia gal just loved driving across high desert and playing in the snow for the weekend.

For driving, it will always be getting away to the cabin - which is less than 2 hours away. If I can leave early enough on a Friday, I call ahead and have the boat put in the water and tool around on a mountain lake on a Friday afternoon sipping a cocktail. Life is good.

nkd, I hope that was the "quicky" you were referring to.

An associate was telling a story similar to yours describing how much they enjoyed St. Louis when they didn't really expect to.

Yes! LOL!
Thanks for sharing, Star. We too spend one long weekend in a log cabin in Ellijay, GA and just loved it. I'm still not certain how to pronounce 'ellijay'

Ella-jay.

Thank you, Star. Maybe I'll see you and other fodorites in Asheville in September.

It was one year in the 1990s, July 4th weekend. My mom's cousin owns a cabin in Dunkirk/Fredonia, NY area right on Lake Erie. When I speak of right on, all that you had to do is climb down the ladder in their backyard and there was Lake Erie! This area is so beautiful, there were excellent country roads for biking (which I did) and all that you would pass would be train tracks, vineyards and small Fredonia with tree line streets. Stoppped by a cherry picking place and it was self serve. Then there was 2 boat tours of the lake and coastline via relatives boat to another beach we entered via Lake Erie. It was never hot with a cool breeze off the lake no wonder this cabin community was always packed with people.

A few summers ago DH and I flew to Utah and spent a fabulous long weekend at the Sundance Resort. The weather was perfect, we took long scenic hikes, ate great food.... very peaceful, very relaxed. Saturday afternoon we returned from a hike to find a music festival taking place on the grounds at Sundance so we laid down in the grass and listened to blue grass music--it was the best.

Every weekend I spent hiking and camping with my wife.
Yosemite
Pinnacles
Beartooths
Tetons
Yellowstone
Canadian Rockies

Not nec. in this order

Bermuda
San Francisco
Nantucket
San Diego

New York is always great (drive)

Fly:
Bermuda

Atlantis in the Bahamas (not for the place, but it was my birthday and my family came to surprise me!)

Snowshoe WV- just being with our kids in the mountains

Not in that exact order! There have been many great 3-4 day trips that we have been very fortuante to go on. Too long to list !!

Ten friends in NYC Friday-Sunday. Somehow, the group's collective wisdom came up with lots of good ideas, and we had a blast--Jazz and tapas at the Museum of Natural History Friday, then a play. Saturday the MoMA , another play, and dinner at a Russian restaurant. Visit with family and then another play Sunday.

This is a very good question. My wife and I take several short trips during the year, usually book 3 nights and simply make long weekends out of them.
NYC is near the top of the list but we actually find that there is so much to do that 3 days leaves us wishing we had more time.
A year or so back we spent 3 days in Charleston and had a wodnerful time. Stayed at the Charleston Place Hotel which was just wonderful (Club floor was one of the best we've seen) and ate our way through that great city.
A toss up for us would be New Orleans (pre-Katrina). So much to do and so much to eat but after doing 3 days we found ourselves happy we went but happy to be going back home.

fun question!!! when i do go away, it usually is only for a long w'end because i don't get that much vacation time, and usually can't afford to go away for longer. but some highlights...

lake george
drove up to lake george for a concert in saratoga 2 years ago for the weekend. had some random luck, and the hotel we booked didn't have the space, and switched us to their sister hotel, right in the village. it ended up being a total upgrade and our huge room over looked the lake!

santa rosa, california
flew there from n.y for a wedding. we stayed at the inn, where the wedding was. right on the vineyard! drove through napa, sonoma, etc...it was the best!

johnthedorf: You're a man after my own heart.....the parks AND a sweet nod to your wife. That's what life is all about!!

Two weekends come to mind; Grand Marais, MN on the shore of Lake Superior with a latte' and a rock book....and a weekend I flew to Berkeley to reunite with 2 women I had spent 6 weeks wilderness canoeing with when we were young, single and had no kids...it was like old times!! We went to Point Reyes, Chez Panisse...tried to rent a canoe at Oakland Bay and the guy thought it was too windy for us...hmmmm...he OBVIOUSLY didn't know who he was dealing with!! We trekked 350 miles across Sasketchewan by canoe back in 1978!!! Guess we just look like Moms now. Ha.

San Fran.
New Orleans.
Savannah.
All had plenty to do, were lovely, got lucky with awesome weather-just great!
COuld have used a few more days in San Fran.

Portland OR, fly in. I have done many 3 day trips there.
Scenic drives along the gorge, downtown shopping at Saturday Market
Cannon Beach, Astoria, Bend, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens.
Name it, we have done it!

Always NYC...but cripe it's getting expensive!