girlfriends getaway


We took a week off from the books.  And did we have fun.  When was the last time you got your girlfriends together and took off on a little escape?  A spa visit, some lunch, some shopping, a few cosmopolitans.  Let me guess - too long?  Never?

We took advantage of a great Girlfriends Getaway package, offered by the Reading & Berks County Visitor's Bureau.  That's me below on the left with one of my best girlfriends, Barb.

 So why are we so happy? We just finished a luxurious visit at a spa.  But lets start from the beginning...

We are stressed.  We have jobs, kids, husbands and significant others.  And many of us give give give and give, and we are usually the last ones we pamper on the list.   I happened to come across the Girlfriends Getaway site, and before you knew it, a getaway had been planned!  We picked our spa, we picked our hotel, and we were done!

We agreed to leave around noon on Saturday, and needed to return the following morning due to prior commitments.  I remember being a little worried - would we be rushed - would we really get to relax?  The hour and a half drive was spent chatting non-stop and before we knew it, we were there.

Our first stop was to check into our hotel, the Sheraton Reading.  The desk staff was very friendly, check in was a breeze, and off we went full of anticipation with our Girlfriends Getaway "goody bag".  Hurrying to our spacious rooms we found coupons, wonderful chocolate covered pretzels, and a few other goodies in the bag.  After a quick freshen up - we were off again - to the spa!

Tina's Salon & Day Spa is both luxurious and welcoming at the same time.  My facial was incredibly relaxing, and my manicure done by a very sweet woman who I really enjoyed talking to.  Barb had a wonderful massage and a facial.    We could have stayed at Tina's all day chatting with their great staff, but we had shopping to do!

Reading, Pennsylvania is the home of many fantastic outlets, including Vanity Fair.  The entire outlet complex is large, but manageable, and after having a quick lunch of pizza in the food court, off we went to find bargains!  

We found the bargains to be quite plentiful.  In fact, the prices in the Coach outlet were the lowest I have ever seen.  They had a wonderful Liz Claiborne outlet that we spent over an hour in.  But my biggest scores were in Vanity Fair complex.  I also snatched up a Bobbi Brown foundation at a cosmetics outlet.

It started to get late, so we headed back to the hotel.  A quick stop in our rooms and to our delight we found wonderful baskets full of treats!  They sure know how to spoil you at the Sheraton.  Still full from pizza, we agreed to skip a big dinner for some "refreshments" and luckily we were just in time to catch the first show of the Reading Comedy Outlet (right in the hotel of course).  They take their comedy very seriously and it was a wonderful show. 

After that we headed down the hall to the Goodnites Nightclub.  Is this really us having Cosmopolitans at the bar?  I could barely recognize myself as we listened to music and chatted the night away.

Before we knew it, it was late.  Very late (or shall I say early?).  We were having so much fun, we hadn't eaten dinner. Good thing there was a reliable Denny's right across the street, and off we went, eating our dinner/breakfast.  After our meals we headed back to our rooms for a good night's sleep.

The next morning, relaxed and happy we enjoyed a brunch buffet.  It was delicious and a perfect way to end our getaway.

Then we were off - back to our homes and jobs and responsibilities, and of course, books.   Grab your girlfriends!  It's your turn.  I know, I know, you have a million excuses.  But believe me, it's worth the effort.  If this Getaway isn't near you, find one that is or create your own! 

To book your own Girlfriend's Getaway, visit the Reading & Berks County Visitor's Bureau website.