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Getting Away From It All: Tips for a Fun and Relaxing 2015

2 chairs2014 saw some major changes in the way that people travel over the holidays. 2015 looks like it is going to be a year with many shifts in travel styles as well. More people, it seems, are getting serious about getting away from it all on a regular basis.

Of course, not everybody can afford to take lengthy vacations or to spend money on jaunting abroad just for a weekend. If this sounds familiar, don't fret. There are a lot of ways to take quick and soul-refreshing vacations. Here are just some of them:

Camping on the Beach

All you need for this one is a cooler with some food and a tent. You probably already own a cooler and finding a tent for a reasonable price isn't hard at all, especially if you shop online. Camping and beach supply sites like BeachMall.com have sales on beach chairs and other accessories. The great thing about this approach is that you should only have to buy that tent or cabana once and then you can use it for quick and last-minute trips for years.

Make sure you check with your local beach camping laws before you set up house. Some cities will only allow tents and camping gear in certain places.

Splurge on a Hotel Room

The trick here is that you shouldn't drive more than a half an hour to get to that hotel room. Sometimes you just need to sleep in a bed by yourself or take a bath without someone walking in to ask where you keep the can opener. Flying somewhere for a weekend is expensive, but you can certainly drive to the next town over for a night or two. Get takeout, take it back to your room and eat it while you watch some reality TV or read a trashy book. Go to bed early, sleep late and treat yourself to brunch. Even if the trip takes less than 24 hours, you'll be amazed at how revitalized you feel.

Road Trips

Road trips are a great way to get out of town and take a vacation without necessarily having to travel very far. Anything within four or five hours is fair game (this way the driving won't tire you out too badly and you won't have to spend all day in a car with squirrely kids). Drive out on a Friday afternoon, spend the weekend, drive back early Sunday evening. This is a great way to get away from your daily life and explore your state! You'll be surprised by how much you find to do and see on these trips.

Sign Up For Emails and Rewards

If you're able to grab a trip when it comes up and to decide on a dime to take off for a weekend, you absolutely need to sign up for rewards/perks from the airlines and major hotel chains. You'll also want to sign up for their emails and subscribe to all of the travel sites. This way you'll be pinged whenever flights and hotel are suddenly and deeply discounted. The trick to making this work is that you have to be able to decide on the spot whether or not to take advantage of a deal and being ready to go if you do. It is these deals that will afford you weekends in New York or LA, weekend trips to Cancun and the Caribbean, and at the major theme parks.

It is important, though, to remember that a weekend getaway doesn't have to be super fancy to refresh or relax you. Sometimes it's as simple as grabbing a Groupon for a weekend at your local spa, or driving a town away and holing up in a Best Western for the weekend. What matters is that you take that time to help yourself feel better. That is what the majority of 2015's travelers will be doing: not huge and lengthy trips, but many shorter trips.

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