An All Girl Trip to Petosky, Michigan

It started, I suppose, with the popularity of Spring Break - that opportunity to get together with your best friends and take off on an all-girl trip. But now, as I'm growing older, I'm learning to enjoy these girl trips more, not only because it allows me to relive my childhood, but also because I find it offers me a sense of security, traveling in numbers. Additionally, several women on vacation can travel much cheaper than a single person can, once you break down expenses. Shared hotel rooms, splitting travel costs and taking advantage of meal specials are all great way to cut costs.

Girls Pack Wild

Some of my most memorable experiences have been trips that I've taken with my female friends. A trip to Petosky, Michigan didn't seem all that exciting, but throw in a few girl friends and we had a great time! Even packing for our all girl trip was fun and exciting, not to mention that it was made all the easier because we tossed packing ideas back and forth, as well as sorting out who would bring what. Instead of packing 5 hair dryers, we just decided that Mary would be the one to pack hers, freeing up space for all the rest of us. We were also very good at reminding one another of what we needed to bring. Don't forget your bikini!

Convenient and Crazy Carpooling

Not only did we make our "Green" friends proud, but we definitely saved money when everyone piled into one mini van, rather than taking several cars. It was going to be a long trip, but we knew we'd be able to cut down on travel time because we could take turns driving. Driving in shifts not only reduces stress for women travelers, but it's much safer than allowing anyone to drive when they are fatigued. It's much more comfortable, when traveling with the girls too! We didn't have anyone complaining when we had to stop for a potty break, everyone was excited when we decided to pull into one of those roadside fruit stands and just buy a lunch of fresh strawberries, Michigan blueberries and Howell melons! We know guys like their Dagwood-inspired skyscraper sandwiches, but girls on the go really enjoy sweet, healthy snacks. We were able to cut a lot of food expenses by enjoying fresh organic fruits and vegetables.

One more bonus to carpooling with a bunch of girls? If you need to change, you don't have to go in some dirty public bathroom at the local convenience store, and you certainly don't have to suffer until you get to the hotel room. As my mother always told me, "You don't have anything anyone here hasn't seen before!" Being able to change en route saved us a lot of time and hassle. Our biggest problem was a clash in music tastes, but we were able to pacify this by listening to (and singing along with) classic golden oldies or sharing radio time.

Same-Sex Sleeping Arrangements

Traveling with women certainly made our sleeping arrangements less costly and more convenient. Rather than needing separate rooms, we were all able to bunk in together and just get a room with two queen beds and a cot. By all of us going in together on the room expenses, it cut our hotel costs down to a ridiculously low rate that everyone was able to afford. In addition to this, we were able to utilize the buddy system for ice runs and it made final room check a snap - No one forgot their toothbrush with 5 pairs of eyes looking out for left-behinds!

Dining Discounts

Perhaps one of the greatest boons to traveling with the girls was the opportunity to take advantage of all sorts of specials. We were less concerned with having to impress our mates and more concerned about cutting costs and having fun. One great way to save when you're on the road and in an unfamiliar town? Pick up a local paper or advertisement magazine and scour the dining out ads - Quite often, you can find great deals at some really nice restaurants! We utilized a lot of coupons where you would buy one entree and get the second one free. In some places, where the portions were really generous, we were able to split it between two people or, in other cases, take a good portion of the meal home for late night snacks or lunch the following day. Nachos, anyone?

Our trip to Petosky, Michigan was an enjoyable week of camping with the girls, searching for Petosky stones, touring caves and copper mines. We giggled about the lack of men, complaining about how we were hitting up every tourist trap in existence, and we had a blast shopping for bathing suits and sandals without male interference. Everyone felt like a teenager again and we were all disappointed when it came to an end.

Don't get me wrong, guys - There are benefits to traveling with your mate. There's just nothing that can compare with an all girl vacation when you're feeling tired, stressed, or just need to let your hair down for a bit. Give it a try - you won't regret it!