[Need an exotic getaway that's simple to pull off? Getaway Girl® Casey Wohl is back with a tantalizing account of her trip to Puerto Rico. After reading this, you'll want to give it a try too!]

By Casey Wohl

For a summer Girls Getaway, my girlfriend and I decided to experience Puerto Rico.  With great air deals from the U.S. mainland, this English-speaking country requires no passport and you don’t have to worry about exchanging currency. We arrived in Puerto Rico late Friday night, so we were thrilled to wake up Saturday morning to an awesome view of the pool and beach from our room at the Marriott San Juan Resort & Stellaris Casino (www.Marriott.com/San-Juan). After a few hours of beach and pool time, we made our way to the spa for afternoon massages.  After a few unsuccessful attempts at the slot machines, we headed to Old San Juan for the Sofo Culinary Festival. The streets were packed with people sampling delicious cuisine, festive cocktails and enjoying live music and street performers.

We made our way to a restaurant called Marmalade (www.MarmaladePR.com), which is located on Fortaleza Street. We ordered a Pomegranate Martini and a Mojito, as well as Paella Bytes, Baby Field Greens with Honey Passion Fruit Vinaigrette, Tiny White Bean Soup with Black Truffle Oil, and Ceviche. Everything was absolutely amazing! I now have a new favorite restaurant. This place is a “must-visit” during your time in Puerto Rico.  Chef Peter Schintler, originally from Iowa, has been all over the world studying and preparing amazing food. He currently brings his extraordinary flair for exquisite and creative cuisine to Old San Juan. Thank you for one of my favorite meals to date. Many thanks to Rob for his impeccable service and wonderful recommendations.

With chef Peter

[Getaway Girl Casey Wohl is back with some great travel tips from sunny Orlando, Florida. Let her expert advice warm you up, and then start planning your next girlfriend getaway!] By Casey Wohl After graduating from Orlando-based Rollins College, my roommates (Sharon and Colleen) and I vowed to return to Orlando once a year for a weekend of girl time and college reminiscing. There’s plenty of adult fun to be had in this family-friendly city; it’s much more than just “the Mouse!” Here’s a glimpse at some of our Orlando favorites.

Where to Stay

Grand Bohemian Hotel (www.GrandBohemianHotel.com) An experience in art and music, the AAA Four Diamond Grand Bohemian Hotel provides guests with everything, from an art gallery to excellent dining to a fun and trendy lounge to a Starbucks to luxurious accommodations.  Located in the heart of Downtown Orlando, this is my favorite hotel in town! 

Read the rest of this entry »

The Girlfriends-In-Chief had a rare girlfriend getaway last month right here in our home base of Chicago. We may be biased, but we highly recommend the Windy City as a destination for girlfriends! Here’s our report and some tips for planning your own Chicago Girlfriend Getaway. Chicago is a friendly, beautiful city with sophisticated dining, world-class museums, excellent shopping, outdoor recreation opportunities and plenty of tourist attractions. You literally cannot go wrong with a girlfriend getaway here. We’d suggest you do a little planning before you arrive though, because deciding among the sheer number of options might slow you down a bit. Skyline photo via flickr

Where to Stay

Numerous hotels dot the Magnificent Mile, Gold Coast and downtown area. You’re sure to find one in your price range. We stayed at the delightful Hotel Monaco Chicago, a four-star boutique hotel located on the Chicago River. This hotel is really well-located close to shopping, dining, and nightlife, and also offers fabulous views of the river from some rooms. The hotel decor is uniquely chic, and the staff friendly and helpful. We truly appreciated all the special touches, from a free wine reception in the lobby each night to turndown service complete with gourmet chocolates on the pillow. Because we were celebrating Tina’s birthday, we found champagne on ice waiting for us in our room when we checked in. Wi-fi service was included in the room rate, a must for our working getaway. We had a blast blogging over drinks in the South Water Kitchen, the hotel’s adjacent restaurant and bar. Our room was comfy and adorable, with a fabulous river view and cozy window seats. Our package also included a heavenly in-room massage (the therapist really knew her stuff) and an in-room movie. Can you say “chick flick”? Overall, it was an indulgent little stay for these two working moms.

Enjoying the window seat

[Hello Girlfriends! Enjoy our belated Christmas present to you: this "aaahrticle" about a girlfriend getaway to warm and sunny southern France! Our contributor Casey Wohl bring us another great girlfriend travel destination, and sent along some glam pics of her journey. Happy reading!] by Casey Wohl From Orlando to London, then London to Marseilles, my girlfriends and I finally arrived in the South of France for an amazing vacation!  We stayed in an ocean-view villa managed by the Best Western Hotel Provencal. Although the majority of the trip involved some much-needed R&R, we did take some fun side trips during our time there.
One day we went to a nearby farmers market to browse the French goods. They had some amazing items, including fresh bread, fresh cheese, fruit and textiles. We later drove to St. Maxime, which is a small town located in the Gulf of St. Tropez and surrounded by the Maures Mountains. A popular attraction is the La Tour Carree (the town square) and the harbor, but we had fun just relaxing and enjoying the view.
By the third day, we were up for an adventure, which entailed a 20-minute ferry ride to the island of Porquerolles, which is a mostly un-inhabited island of Mediterranean forests, rocky coastline, nature reserves, beaches, boating and one little village.  We rented bikes and explored the island’s beauty, including its farm fields of figs and olives, lighthouse, gorge and beaches.  It was a fabulous day, but I’ll admit that my bottom was sore from the bumpy bike riding.

Biking on Poquerolles

Read the rest of this entry »

[Editor's Note: We are excited to have the Getaway Girl, Casey Wohl, sharing her expert travel tips for girlfriend getaways. Casey knows her stuff and she knows how to have girly fun, so we know you'll enjoy her writing. This is another in our series of articles on girlfriend travel destinations. Hope you are planning your next girlfriend getaway!] By Casey Wohl  The country-music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, offers good times for girlfriends! Even if you are not a country-music fan, you will find a fantastic time awaiting you in Nashville. My very first visit to Nashville was in April 2005.  My divorce was final two months before the trip, and I encountered my first anniversary, post-divorce, the end of March.  Needless to say, I was in desperate need of a girls’ getaway.  I flew to Nashville with my good friend Erin, who was experiencing her own personal troubles.  Erin is a huge country music fan, so we knew this trip would be just what we needed.  She was excited to hear country music played live in the airport and see various guitar monuments scattered throughout the city. During our visit, we managed to visit just about every cultural attraction, and even attend a celeb party with actor Billy Bob Thornton and Nashville’s finest musicians at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.  We met up with my good friend and Nashville resident, Mandy, for one fabulous girls getaway! 

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa Mellott [Editor's note: Our girlfriend and guest writer Melissa has a tough job: She visits spas and reviews them for the rest of us. Hey, someone's got to do it! As summer gives way to the busyness of fall, we should all be adding some girlfriend time to the calendar. Here are some great ideas from a relaxation expert!]

Read the rest of this entry »