Weekend getaway: perhaps the two most harmonious words in the English language. We’ve all embarked upon one. And now that the country is opening back up, they’ve re-entered our lives after a long hiatus.

Did you know that there’s a history behind weekend getaways? They were popularized after the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, signed by President Eisenhower. This bill constructed 41,000 miles of interstate highways with the intention of eliminating unsafe and impractical roads in order to ease travel.

With this immense improvement in infrastructure, Americans had newfound freedom. They could travel for leisure without having to worry about hazardous terrain or slowdowns.

Over sixty years later and the weekend getaway remains at the core of our country’s leisure activities. Not to mention, it helps support local businesses by generating revenue. The hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industry as a whole all thrive on weekend vacationers. We at the Turlock Inn are weekend getaway enthusiasts through and through. Our goal is to make sure our customers leave with a smile. So, we want to give you a pro tip on how to maximize your next adventure. Let’s get to it!

Option 1: Friday-Sunday

The vast majority of us travel from Friday through Sunday for our weekend adventures. Whether due to school or work obligations, it tends to be the go-to schedule. And it follows its own trajectory. You depart Friday morning, sit through traffic with fellow commuters, and arrive at your hotel with other travelers as you wait to get checked in to your hotel.

By the time you do check in, you’re probably already tired from the journey. And since rates are higher on Fridays and Saturdays due to higher demand, you may not have the peace and quiet you were hoping for. The getaway becomes a battlefield of its own. You wait for service at busy restaurants and then wait in line for congested attractions. To your disappointment, you might not get to see or do everything you hoped for.

You’ll pack your bags Sunday morning and check out of your hotel. This leaves you with a half-day in your destination before you head home. But did you know that this also makes you a higher target for car theft? Thieves are attuned to the Sunday afternoon about-to-head-home crowd. Yikes!

By the time you (eventually) return home, you’ll be in need of a vacation from your vacation.

Option 2: Saturday-Monday

Alright, now we want to throw out something wild. Why not take Monday off instead of Friday? From a practical standpoint, your boss will like that, since more employees tend to take Fridays off. And who doesn’t want some extra brownie points with the one in charge?

Since you’ll be departing on Saturday, you won’t have to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic or deal with a crowded hotel check-in counter. Though you would still have to pay the elevated rate for Saturday, your Sunday rate would be much lower. And that also means one less day of packed restaurants and busy excursions. You can partake in all of the activities you planned for, and then some. Sounds like more of a vacation and less of a squabble with fellow travelers, right?

Your subsequent check-out and drive home will carry out much more smoothly. So when you return home, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on the week ahead.

Concluding Thoughts

So, what do you want your next weekend getaway to be like? With the differing outcomes between option 1 and option 2, it’s not hard to see the benefits of planning your getaway to maximize your time, money, and energy.

Another pro tip: With traffic conditions and gas prices as they are today, we also believe that one can make the most of their vacation by having their 3-day weekend getaway within 150 miles from home. Here’s a great article on weekend getaway destinations all over the U.S. You might be surprised that some are closer to home than you expected!

Here at the Turlock Inn, we pride ourselves in not only putting heads in beds, but also making sure those heads are happy!

We wish you a safe journey wherever you end up next!

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Naresh Patel

Naresh Patel is a values-driven entrepreneur, loving father and husband, and proud owner of Turlock’s first hotel – The Turlock Inn, which he took over in 1981. He is an invaluable member of the Turlock community, where he serves via multiple programs and associations. His insatiable curiosity and zest for life propel him toward travel adventures across the US and broad, which he and his family enjoy regularly. He believes in hard work and caring for those around him, including his staff and guests, and can often be seen doing improvements such as tending to the grounds around Turlock Inn himself. He also enjoys hiking, coin collecting, and gold panning.

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