Whether you call them women's weekends, girls' getaways, or something else, one thing is certain: Females are enjoying them in ever-greater numbers. According to Deanna Keahey, founder of a relatively new company named Adventurous Wench, 17 percent of women travelers took leisure trips without their families last year. "Men tend to be more competitive and faster paced, while women want to connect and absorb," Keahey says. "Now we can look at the wildflowers as long as we want." As those trips continue to grow in popularity, so do their variety. Some examples:
Escapes for women only
-- Adventurous Wench specializes in soft-adventure outings to several destinations at varying prices. For instance, participants in a five-day Santa Fe & Taos Walking Trip, Sept. 19-23, explore cliff dwellings, visit an ancient pueblo, hike through stunning scenery, and have their choice of one of these: rafting the Rio Grande, learning Southwestern cooking, or luxuriating in a hot tub after a spa massage. The price of $1,695 includes four nights' accommodations, most meals and snacks, the services of trip leaders, ground transportation (but not air fare), and entry fees.
Visit www.adventurouswench.com or call 866-41-WENCH.
-- St. Augustine, Fla., offers an arty escape with its three-night Women's Escape to the Inns & Arts of St. Augustine, Sept. 24-26, at a choice of 27 historic inns. On that weekend, there will be art exhibits, performances, and workshops (pottery, stained glass, furniture painting, sculpting, batik, watercolor, and jewelry making) at the Art District at San Sebastian. Guests will receive a welcome package that includes the "Women's Escape Breakfast Collection." The escape, limited to 75 participants, costs $125, including breakfast daily. There will be charges for some events.
Call 800-611-2880 or visit www.staugustineinns.com.
-- By the end of March, a club called Women Traveling Together had seen more reservations for this year than for all of 2003. One of several trips is a long weekend in San Antonio, Sept. 17-20, with a trolley tour, a boat tour, and a River Walk excursion among the highlights. The cost is $628 for nonmembers and $578 for members (annual membership is $45). Included are rooms, breakfasts, the trolley ticket, and the services of a tour leader. Air fare is extra.
Visit www.women-traveling.com or call 800-795-7135.
-- The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver offers a PMS Package. PMS, of course, stands for pralines, martinis, and shopping. The getaway includes a night's accommodation, pralines, martinis in Herons Lounge, and a discount shopping booklet for Waterfront Center Shops and Pacific Center. Rates start from about $202 per room May-September and about $159 the rest of the year.
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