3 Weekend Getaways for People from Alabama and Georgia

Vacations are the spice of life for many people, if not the breath that keeps us going. Unfortunately, they can get expensive. If you want to take a week off and go to Europe it's really going to cost a lot, but luckily there is always the weekend getaway. The trick with any good vacation is balancing the fun with the travel time, because who really wants to drive for eight hours only to spend one day and drive back? No-one sane, of course. These weekend getaways will be close enough that the driving won't kill you and you'll be able to relax and enjoy that break that you deserve.

Callaway Gardens

Located 80 miles southwest of Atlanta, this park in Georgia is known for its beautiful flowers and wildlife. Throughout the year, the gardens feature performances in many styles of music for lovers of culture, but what makes the garden spectacular is the way that it brings nature to people who go there. Spend the day with your family renting one of their bikes and riding around. Or, perhaps rent a canoe and explore the lake there. If you are a golfer then enjoy their excellent course. At the end of the day, you can retire to your room at the inn or your very own cabin right within the park starting $150 a night (this includes full access to the park itself, which is normally bought separately at a kiosk). Perhaps the most famous part of the gardens, however, is their world famous butterfly conservatory. Within this greenhouse, there are hundreds of species of butterflies which fly free for you to enjoy. The gardens of this park are vast and beautiful, especially during the spring months.

Panama City Beach

For a lot of us, there are certain times of the year when it's time to go to the beach. There is something very special about the beach, even when it's not all that far away. The sand between your toes, the relaxed atmosphere, the seafood places at every corner, and of course the endlessly moving ocean. Panama City is not known as the most beautiful beach in the world, but still many people flock to it because it represents a balance between the beachy and shopping side of going to the beach. There is something for everyone here and the number of excellent hotels means you will be able to find a place that fits your comfort and price level. At Panama City, visitors will be able to spend the day walking driving around touristy little shops, walking down the beaches, or just buying some fresh shrimp and relaxing at your hotel or condo. No matter what you do, there is no argument that beach time is fun time, and that's what it's all about.

Roosevelt State Park

There are sometimes when a weekend vacation is not so much about having fun as just doing nothing. Sometimes we just want a solitary or couple's retreat from the busy world to experience nature and relax. There is no better place to do this than Roosevelt State Park. Plan your trip early and reserve one of the 22 cabins within the park. Starting at a price of $100 a night, these cabins will be your safe zone from the outside would. Start a fire within them on a cold winter's night and enjoy your freedom from television (none of the cabins have one) and stress. Of course children may object to being taken somewhere like this without explanation! Still, even they will have fun taking short hikes down the trails and feeding the geese of the famous man-made lake which was build as part of FDR's remedy to the Great Depression. Besides the nature aspect of the area, one can also visit the Little Whitehouse, a small home that FDR owned and would visit. The warm springs of the area was therapeutic for his legs, an ailment which was kept a secret from the general public.

Any one of these weekend getaways will rejuvenate your body and soul. You'll find yourself planning the next weekend trip before you know it.

Sources: http://www.callawaygardens.com/ , http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/ , http://gastateparks.org/FDR