Girlfriend’s Travel Guide

…Southeast drive style

By MANDY MURRY

Can we press the travel reset button, please? If you are like me, travel plans in 2020 were big. Cloudsurfing, aka flying, to a new, international destination every year with my girlfriends has become routine and part of the mandatory yearly planning. 2017, we explored Morocco on a private National Geographic Expedition. 2018, a Paris apartment rental, Champagne in Epernay, and an excursion to Budapest, Hungary. 2019, Prague. 2020, was the year for a spa and culinary tour in Europe.  

While air travel has been put on pause, drive destinations are begging for a visit. From culinary to spa, and beach to mountain, these small, intimate getaways offer the renewal your soul needs- All you have to do, is choose the friends who will appreciate the luxury of a spark of magic and warm travel hug. These often-overlooked destinations are hand-selected for ease of travel and amenities.

Lakeview at Fontana

Bryson City, NC
Soak in a Treetop Cabana

Hike miles of trails and rejuvenate in a tub soak in a fresh-air private treetop cabana. This rustic-chic lodge is a secret, cost-friendly getaway located minutes from Bryson City, North Carolina. Perched above Lake Fontana, Lakeview is close but far enough away from the day to day on the plateau.

What to book: Cloud 9 Romance Package (for yourself) – chilled champagne, rose, petals, and a 90-minute private soaking tub in a treetop cabana.
When to go: September and October.
What to reserve: 2 or 3 bedroom cabin rental.
lakeviewatfontana.com

The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island

Little St. Simons Island, GA
Secluded Beach Escape

7 miles of beach, 11,000 acres, and a maximum of 32 guests at one time, The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island offers a rustic beachside getaway. Three meals a day are included in your stay and sourced locally, so you can count on local seafood and organic produce to make the menu. Try your hand at fly-fishing with an onsite naturalist guide, kayak or canoe, or stroll at your leisure on the beach.

How to get there: Take the ferry from Hampton River Marina on the North end of St. Simons Island.
Who to take: Put together a group and rent the island!
What to try: Crabbing, a daily activity guided by a naturalist.
littlestsimonsisland.com