Girls Get-Away - Eight Great Trips with Your Best Friends
If you're anything like us, you're planning your next vacation while still on your current one. We love solo travel, but sometimes there's nothing better than grabbing a group of friends and hitting the road. We rounded up 8 of the best cities to travel with a group of friends. From California to New York, we have you covered.
MARFA, TEXAS
Known for art museums, film festivals, music concerts, amazing food and the cool El Cosmico teepee and airstream hotel, Marfa is a bit out-of-the-way, but worth the trip. It is the perfect girl-get-away for a quirky weekend adventure.
Hotel St. George. Built in 1886, recent upgrades include full service wellness programs (a.k.a. gym) and a Pool / Grill combo.
For a true Texas adventure complete with horseback riding in the desert, stay at Cibilo Creek Ranch. A former working ranch, Cibilo offers a peek into the past with adobe buildings and local organic cuisine. Bonus: it's pet friendly so bring Fido along!
Visit La Mansana de Chinati , or The Judd Foundation, which for many, is the main reason to visit Marfa. In 1973, renowned New York artist, Donald Judd, moved to this West Texas outpost to create permanent installations of his stark, industrial sculptures which sit in sharp contrast to the vast, wide open landscape. Judd's vision lead the way for a stream of artist's hoping to use the desert backdrop as a canvas for their work, including the infamous "Prada" Store by Berlin artists Elmgreen and Dragset. Definitely not to be missed.
In Marfa, you'll definitely be deep in the heart of Texas, and, as the song says, the stars at night are indeed big and bright. Don't miss a chance to gaze at the Milky Way, or, search for the mysterious Marfa Lights that appear across the horizon at unexplained times.
(Photos courtesy of St. George Hotel)
YELLOWSTONE
If your crew is a mixed bag (some campers, some couture) Under Canvas is for you. Perfect for those on a budget, you can take in the beauty of Yellowstone with the added creature comforts of a bed and an actual floor. Like Marfa, Yellowstone is a perfect place for a star-gazing adventure. Choose the "Stargazer" tent with it's giant window above the bed for an epic view of nature's light show.
(Photos courtesy of Under Canvas Yellowstone)
JOSHUA TREE, CA
From the Joshua Tree based husband and wife design team, Sara and Rich Combs, we bring you one of the chicest desert getaways around. Each of their properties has a unique spirit, ideal for any group of friends but our fave is the "Hacienda House". Poke around and you'll discover why. You may never want to leave, even for a hike in the famous Joshua Tree National Park or a trip to the always entertaining Pioneertown, a faux Old-West town built in the 1940's by Hollywood investors Roy Rogers and Gene Autry who wanted a place that felt like a movie set but was actually a town worth visiting.
If you're interested in some spiritual recalibrating, check out a soundbath at the Intregratron. What is the Integratron, you ask? Here is a quote from their site:
"This historical structure is a resonant tabernacle and energy machine sited on a powerful geomagnetic vortex in the magical Mojave Desert."
Trust us. It is worth the trip.
Be sure to check out the line up at the famous Pappy and Harriet's bar and restaurant. This low key hang is famous for drop-ins from music luminaries like Paul McCartney, Rufus Wainwright, Arctic Monkeys and many, many more. You never know who may drop in and provide you a private concert on your desert get-away!
(Photos courtesy of Joshua Tree House)
Shameless plug...if this isn't the perfect place for you and your friends to swan around in your ocean+main caftans, we don't know where is.
This is hotel curation done right. Minimalism, hand made furniture and custom design come together for this Austin retreat. The whole point of travel is to explore your chosen city, and we still definitely encourage you to see all there is to see in local Austin culture, but you may be tempted to never leave the hotel once you arrive. Pools get us every time.
(Photos courtesy of Hotel San José)
HUDSON VALLEY, NY
Another enviable glamping option for those traveling to upstate NY, the Collective is set on a working organic farm and has provided a serene respite to artists and musicians alike over the years. This is definitely more a luxury glamping option, so for those of you who'd like to splurge on a relaxing trip with friends, this one's calling your name.
(Photos courtesy of Collective)
NASHVILLE, TN
Quirky, rustic, chic and oh-so-southern, Urban Cowboy won't disappoint. Located in the heart of Nashville, this retreat will have you ordering Whisky and BBQ in no time...with no regrets. Don't blame us if you never come home.
(Photos courtesy of Urban Cowboy)
LOS ANGELES, CA
This downtown LA hotel is perfect for a group of friends who are just beyond Hostel living, but still want to bunk together. And we mean that literally. In addition to traditional rooms and suites, Freehand offers a room complete with bunk beds for those groups of friends who must do everything together. If the shared-room concept doesn't get you, the rooftop pool certainly will!
(Photos courtesy of Freehand)
- Happy travels, o+m
