How to plan a girl’s trip
By: Heather
The Scissortail Squad loves traveling together. If we were rich, we would make it a monthly thing. At this point, we try to have 1-2 trips a year together. We have traveled to:
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Branson, Missouri
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Destin, Florida
- Saint George Utah
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Fayetteville, Arkansas (coming up)
- Nashville, Tennessee (Coming up)
Planning a girl’s trip with your friends can be fun and exciting but it can also cause disagreements. Where are we going to go? What’s the budget? Does everyone get their own room, bed and bathroom? Some friends are beach friends and some like the mountains. How do you plan an unforgettable trip seamlessly? Here are my top 10 tips for planning an unforgettable girl’s trip.
1. Remember the purpose of the trip
The purpose of a girl’s trip is to spend quality time with your besties. It does not matter where you go as long as your friends are there. Keep a good and open attitude and you are guaranteed to have a blast. When things happen that are unexpected or do not go your way just enjoy the ride. My mom always says, “Well, we are making memories and that’s all that matters.” What this means is that no matter what happens on your trip, it’s the moments that don’t go as planned that make the biggest memories. Enjoy the journey!
2. Take your time planning
Don’t be in a rush. Sometimes the planning can be just as fun as the actual trip. Talk about it, dream about it and be open to all possibilities. Enjoy the journey not just the destination. When our squad plans a girl’s trip, we talk about it for almost a year in advance and we dream about all the fun places we could go and the fun things we will see.
3. Get everyone’s input
Everyone in your group should have a voice. Everyone should daydream about the places they would like to go. If you allow everyone to be involved in the planning, it helps to grow your friendships, and everyone will feel like they are an important part of the process. If someone in your group is being quiet, find ways to include them in the decision-making process. Ask them questions and get their input.
4. Give Everyone Roles and Duties
In the Scissortail Squad we each have our strengths. When we plan a trip together, usually everyone has a role to play in the planning process. Heather loves looking for unique places to stay. She will research for days before presenting some of her favorite picks to the group. The Squad will then vote on the vacation rental or hotel that they like the most. Sarah S. knows people all over the country (literally). Her role is reaching out to friends who live where we will visit or someone, she knows who has recently traveled to that area. She finds unique things to do in that area and personal reviews from people that have been there. Sara C and Sarah N are foodie people, so they look at the local places for us to indulge in once we arrive. They are also in charge of pushing Heather outside her comfort zone with food. (Heather is the picky eater of the group). Renata and Sara C are in charge of the cooking and meal planning. We all help, of course. But Renata and Sara C. are in charge of the menu if we decide to cook in our Vacation Rental. They are both amazing cooks and often will be found in the kitchen cooking up some amazing treats! We usually cook at least one meal together while we are there.
Find what works best for your group and divide up some of the roles and responsibilities so everyone has a job and is contributing in some way.
5. Pick a date
This is usually the most difficult decision of the planning. We have 5 members of our squad, and we live in 3 different states and two different time zones. We all have kids and families and coordinating 5 peoples schedules can be tricky. This is why it’s important to plan it as far in advance as possible. It helps that we have some of the most supportive husbands on earth, plus an amazing support system in extended family and grandparents. We often seek support for childcare from parents and in-laws. They are amazing and always jump to help us out. Find 3-4 days that you can get away from it all and put in on the calendar IN PERMANENT MAKER. Everything else will fall into place once you have the date.
6. Pick a location
Once you have the date, it’s time to decide as a group where you are going. What’s your budget? We split the price of gas, groceries and the vacation rental 5 ways so it makes it cheaper for everyone. Will you drive? Rent a car? Fly? If you fly, how will you get around once you arrive at your location? It is important to talk about what type of a trip everyone is expecting. Will it be sightseeing, fast paced, hiking, spa or relaxing? Talk about it ahead of time so everyone is on the same page.
7. Eat local
When you travel you must find the hole-in-the-wall places and eat local. You will discover some of the most amazing food you’ve ever had and make amazing memories. We like to try non-fancy hole in the wall places but we also plan one or two fancy local places to eat at so we can get dressed up and going out on the town. The best way to find these places are word of mouth. Talk to the people who have either visited there or live there. You can also ask the locals that you meet along the way. We also do a lot of research on the internet before we go and read the reviews of local places, so we know what to order.
8. Explore the culture
Local culture is so important when you travel. Immerse yourself in the local life. Shop where the locals shop, eat where the locals eat and play where the locals play. You will get so much more out of your trip if you visit more than just the tourist locations. Check out local festivals and plan them into your trip. In Ohio, we visited a local flower farm and got to cut our own bouquet to take home. It was so fun! Once, in Destin Florida we found ourselves in a floating seafood restaurant that was like a rusty old shack. It smelled of fish and looked like it could float out to sea at any moment. The squad heard that it was one of the best seafood restaurants in Destin and had to check it out. The Squad loved it and still talk about it to this day. Well, everyone but Heather and Sarah S. who do not like seafood, but you can’t please everyone. In Saint Louis, we went to The Hill and ate Italian food out of a house…seriously a house that was turned into a restaurant. It was the best Italian food we’ve ever had. Find what makes your locations unique and enjoy being a local for a day.
9. Document everything
Make sure you document your trip. Story your trip on Facebook and Instagram so that you can look back at all the fun. Make sure you have someone in the group who likes to take pictures and that they have their camera ready to document everything. Make TikTok’s and other videos so that you can always look back and remember the memories and adventures. Making a photobook after your trip is a great way to reminisce once it’s over. Your “future self” will thank you for documenting the good times.
10. Have Fun
Once you are on your trip make sure to have fun. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy your friends, make memories, challenge yourself, rock that swimsuit or beautiful dress and buy ALL the souvenirs and ALL the things. Life was meant to be lived to the fullest so enjoy every second!
