13 Best Weekend Getaway Vacations in the U.S.
The vacation properties and hospitality companies we carefully vet and then welcome to the 100 Collection family include luxurious lodgings in many places that are absolutely tailor-made for a memory-making weekend getaway.
Read on for our baker’s dozen of recommended travel destinations for weekend wonderfulness!
1. Big Canoe, Georgia
Secluded away in North Georgia’s Blue Ridge foothills, Big Canoe lies a mere hour or so north of Atlanta, providing a fantastic rustic-luxe escape amid deep woods, shimmering lakes, and roaring waterfalls. Not to mention a bevy of more developed attractions, including the first-rate golf courses and other amenities available within this 8,000-acre gated community snugged up against the flanks of Mount Oglethorpe.
Our 100 Collection partner Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals offers a wonderful array of vacation rentals—from intimate luxury cabins to grand mountain lodges—which allow you to indulge in “Canoe Life” for a weekend.
2. Blue Ridge, Georgia
Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals also maintains an extensive and varied inventory of luxury vacation rentals ensconced within the sylvan beauty of Blue Ridge, Georgia, ranked in 2022 by Southern Living among “the South’s best mountain towns.”
The beauty of the Southern Appalachians is waiting for you. This includes the 106,000 acres of Chattahoochee National Forest. You can also explore the southern start of the famous Appalachian Trail. There are great trout streams to enjoy as well. All of this is just a short trip from Atlanta, near the Georgia-Tennessee line.
3. Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
The most bustling jumping-off point for the most-visited national park in the U.S.—the glorious Great Smoky Mountains National Park, protecting some of the most biologically diverse temperate forests on Earth—Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a standout tourist hub that puts stunning landscapes and a whole lot of mountain culture at your fingertips. Our 100 Collection partner Mountain Laurel Chalets provides the perfect weekend perch here.
When you’re not exploring the national park or taking advantage of surrounding national forestland, you can soak up the pleasant and family-friendly liveliness of downtown Gatlinburg, experience the Volunteer State’s one-and-only ski resort (Ober Gatlinburg), and bop over to nearby Pigeon Forge, famously home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood amusement park.
4. Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is known for its stunning natural beauty and lively, diverse culture. It is one of the main spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway. This city sits among the tallest peaks in the eastern U.S., including the Black Mountains, Great Smokies, Great Balsams, and Roan Highlands.
A Greater Asheville chalet, lodge, cabin, or vacation home courtesy of our local partner Greybeard Rentals enfolds you in lovely and serene Southern Appalachian splendor while providing easy access to Asheville’s punching-above-its-weight dining, shopping, and historical attractions (including the Bilmore Estate and the childhood home of author Thomas Wolfe).
5. St. Simons Island, Georgia
Steer your way to the magical Sea Islands and get away from it all for a weekend on St. Simons Island off the southeastern Georgia coast, convenient to both Savannah and Jacksonville.
This cherished barrier island has beautiful Atlantic beaches and a vibrant artistic community. It also features many historical sites, like Fort Frederica National Monument and the Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District. Additionally, there is a valuable area of protected maritime forest, saltmarsh, and tideland in Cannon’s Point Preserve. This preserve is home to ancient indigenous shell middens and a 19th-century plantation house.
Hodnett Cooper Vacation Rentals, our partner on the island, oversees an inventory of swoon-worthy vacation accommodations here, delivering ocean views, private docks, and other priceless amenities.
6. Orange Beach, Alabama
Call seductive Perdido Key your home-away-from-home with a weekend steal-away to Orange Beach, Alabama, a Gulf Coast gem we’re lucky to be connected with courtesy of our partner Beachball Properties (which also serves the nearby communities of Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan).
You can enjoy beachcombing and sunbathing on beautiful beaches, including those in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. You can also go fishing, kayaking, or take a dolphin or sunset cruise. A vacation home from Beachball gives you the perfect seaside experience.
7. Destin, Florida
A keystone of the Florida Panhandle, Destin serves up ample access to the Emerald Coast’s lauded white “sugar-sand” beaches as well as some of the greatest sportfishing in the nation—more than earning its tags as “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and “The Billfish Capital of the Gulf.”
From the dining and entertainment of the HarborWalk Village to the loveliness of Henderson Beach State Park, you’ll get to enjoy Destin to the fullest with a vacation rental through our local partner Holiday Isle Properties, basking in views of Destin Harbor and epic sunsets and taking advantage of beach access, private slips, and other unbeatable amenities.
8. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Fall deeply under the spell of South Carolina’s magnificent, wave-kissed Grand Strand with a weekend trip to North Myrtle Beach! Plush sands and Atlantic sightlines provide the foundation for a rejuvenative oceanfront idyll, made downright pitch-perfect thanks to our 100 Collection partner Sea Mountain Vacations.
Native son Buck Combo’s one-of-a-kind collection of unique themed beach houses surely have a surfside spot with your name on it!
9. Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania are a popular vacation spot for people from the East Coast and Midwest. Known as the “Land of Love,” they attract many honeymooners and couples in love. The area has a charming appeal with its rolling hills and lakes in the forest.
A weekend at a Pocono Mountain Rentals property can absolutely deliver in the romance department, but this is also a great choice for families and friend groups, what with all the hiking, biking, boating, horseback riding, fishing, ziplining, whitewater rafting, and other outdoor enticements on tap.
10. Chincoteague Island, Virginia
More happiness awaits on the famous Chincoteague Island. It is an easy half-day drive from both Washington, D.C. and New York City. You can find peace by the ocean along Chincoteague Bay. The vacation rentals from Seaside Vacations let you enjoy “island time.” You will feel the rhythm of the Atlantic waves, along with the salty air and sea breezes.
Indulge in some saltwater angling or crabbing, take a beachfront bike ride, and get acquainted with the celebrated wild ponies—hoofed beachgoers and maritime-forest phantoms—of Assateague National Seashore.
11. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The beautiful basin of Jackson Hole is where the Snake River flows through willow flats and sagebrush. It sits against a stunning skyline made by the tall peaks and cirques of the Teton Range.
In the summer, you can hike, cycle, and enjoy festivals or rodeos. In winter, try cross-country skiing and wildlife viewing at the National Elk Refuge. This is the West at its best. Our 100 Collection partner, Outpost, offers the perfect weekend spot for all these activities.
12. San Diego, California
San Diego is known for having one of the best climates in the world. It also combines rich culture and history. The city has a big outdoor area. It stretches from the Peninsular Ranges to some of Southern California's best Pacific beaches and surf spots.
A 100 Collection-blessed rental from Bluewater Vacation Homes offers you everything you need. You have easy access to San Diego Bay and Coronado Island. You can visit Balboa Park’s amazing museums and Spanish colonial missions. The famous San Diego Zoo is also nearby. Plus, you can enjoy some of the best food and drinks in the country. This is just a glimpse of what makes “America’s Finest City” so special.
13. Scottsdale, Arizona
Snowbirds adore the “Valley of the Sun” paradise of Scottsdale, enveloped by Sonoran Desert splendor and, indeed, just about as sun-splashed as an American city gets.
With high-end accommodations through Elizabeth Shapiro’s Porter inventory, you’ll get to savor all this Arizona Sun Corridor hub has to offer, from Taliesin West and the Scottsdale Art District to “Cactus League” Spring Training baseball, the trails of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and north of (count ‘em) 200 golf courses.
A Weekend Getaway to Remember With The 100 Collection
Our local 100 Collection-approved doyens manage vacation rentals in some of the very best places to declare a weekend escape—and haven’t you earned one of those? (Answer: You have!)
