It can be so easy to get into a rut in your relationship. You know, the sit on the couch and binge watch Netflix every night kind of rut. When you realize that you haven’t been on an actual date in a while. When you realize that going grocery shopping together doesn’t count. Neither does sleeping in on Sunday mornings. Or cleaning the kitchen together.
Sometimes to get the romance back or at least not make your relationship another part of the daily grind you have to be more intentional. So even though we didn’t get back from our honeymoon too long ago, my husband and I decided to take advantage of the 3-day Valentine’s weekend and plan a little getaway. Here are some tips for planing a memorable weekend getaway with your significant other:
1. Decide Where to Go
What kind of budget do you have for this trip? A weekend getaway doesn’t have to cost a lot. Choosing a location that is within a couple hour radius means that you can even just do a day trip or day trips if you can’t swing paying for a hotel room. Find out what times of the year are low tourist season where you want to go to avoid crowds and higher prices. Use the opportunity to explore a new town together or introduce your significant other to a place that you love.
We didn’t have a huge budget, because we had just spent a bunch on our wedding and honeymoon. As a result we nixed anything that wasn’t within a couple hours drive away. But since it was a holiday weekend, some locations had raised hotel prices. So we settled on going to Rehoboth and Lewes, Delaware, where we found a hotel room a third of the usual high beach season prices. I wanted to share more of the beach towns I grew up going to with my husband.
2. Find Free or Cheap Activities
I love finding free or almost free activities and experiences both in Philadelphia where we live and when we travel together. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun, it just takes a little planning ahead. And the great thing is, if it’s a complete flop, you can leave without feeling guilty about it. Some things we have tried include:
- Markets and sales
- Museums that offer donation based entry
- Outdoor or indoor festivals that include live music, ethic food, or demonstrations and activities.
On this trip we ventured into Lewes, Delaware to indulge our love of history and visited the Cannonball House which had donation based admission, walked around the beautiful downtown area, and watched a free historical chocolate making demonstration (yes, we got to taste some too).
3. Indulge Yourselves
Pick at least one splurge activity to treat you and your significant to other during the trip. This could mean a nice meal out, an experience such as a spa treatment or tickets to a play, or something that you would like to check off your bucket list as a couple.
Visiting a winery was on our date bucket list, so we went to the Nassau Valley Winery in Lewes. Wine tastings that came with a glass were only $5 a person, so we managed to check off that one pretty cheaply. It was a fun thing to experience together for the first time. That night, which was Valentine’s Day, we dressed up and went out to a fancy dinner.
4. Bring the Memories Back
Find something to bring back with you to remind you of the weekend you spent together. How about something tangible and something to taste?
We picked up a bottle of one of our favorite wines from the wine tasting and an ornament from the Lewes Historical Society. That way we can both remember our trip over another romantic dinner and every year when we decorate our Christmas tree. In fact, I’m thinking that it would be a great idea for us to pick up an ornament at every place we travel to.
What do you do to shake things up in your relationship?
We make time for each other. Mini getaways, dinners together or just heading to the park with our pugs.
I could prob spend every second with my husband, but that’s not feasible with the military lol. We take advantage of every opportunity we get!
PS I kind of like Netflix and chill nights!!
http://www.militarywifeandpuglife.com
Quality time together is so important.
Love this post! It is super easy to forget all about going on dates once you get comfortable in a relationship! Love you could go on a trip together!
these are terrific tips! my husband and i are big travelers but this year we are scaling back on less international destinations and wanting to explore more around the new place we just moved to. totally smart to start with a budget and then go from there! that way you are on the same page and don’t have guilt around it, like you said.
glad you two had a fun weekend getaway!
We love traveling too, but unfortunately there is never enough vacation time or money for all the places we want to go to! Hopefully we will take an international trip late in the year or early next year, but weekend trips are mostly what we will be doing this year.