Did you know that taking a short trip, such as over President's Day weekend, or anytime, can have the same stress-reducing effects as a longer one? According to a Stanford University psychiatrist, David Spiegel, our minds shift into a more relaxed state during the first few days of a trip. When we have been away from home for long trips we tend to slightly increase our stress, or dread, coming back to home or work.

To get the most out of your quick getaway, here are a few planning tips:

1. Stay close to home. If you live in Los Angeles, don't go to New York or Miami as you'll spend the entire time in travel. Instead, consider the beaches in Santa Barbara, or the quaintness of Solvang, or a quick jaunt to Las Vegas for some fun.

2. Seasonal stays. Although the beach in Santa Barbara may sound inviting, it may be off season and too cold and drippy for catching up on the sun's rays. Instead, take walks along the shore (bundled up of course) and return to your hotel or stop in a restaurant for steaming mugs of coffee or hot chocolate; browse antique shops or bookstores and eat fresh seafood in the local's favorite restaurants. Just remember if you are planning the spontaneous trip to check the season and weather first and plan accordingly.

3. Pamper yourself. Splurge on a top-of-the-line hotel. A weekend getaway is no time for the economy line unless your budget just dosen't allow it. Explore the city, go to the spa and indulge in a relaxing massage or other treatment, sleep in, eat breakfast in bed, you get the drift.

After a quick getaway you will come home refreshed and with a new perspective. If you have a spouse, partner or a good friend you like to travel with, planning your next quick getaway can be fun and exciting! Take turns picking the next location or adventure. Make sure, however, that if you are travelling with someone that you both enjoy the same types of activities.

It is best, too, to plan a getaway that has a variety of activities. For example, don't plan a weekend where you do nothing but lay in bed and read a book or watch television unless that is truly what you, and those you are travelling with, enjoy. Some of the best getaways are filled with a variety of activities, including doing things you might not have ever done before as well as those things that you are comfortable and familiar with.

To keep the getaway fresh in your mind, bring back a souvenior, a picture, postcard, or some other little reminder that you can look at and remember how much fun you had and how relaxed you felt.

Publishing Rights: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Copyright 2005, Michele Webb. All Rights Reserved.