Amy Poehler, by way of her fictitious character, Leslie Knope, on Parks & Recreation, is to thank for the now-popular (also fictitious) holiday, Galentine’s Day. An alternative to romantic coupled-up Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s celebrates the love between friends. What better way to celebrate your BFFs than to doll up and head off on one of these fun girlfriend getaways.
Willamette Valley Oregon
For a wine-loving weekend among friends, consider Oregon’s Willamette Valley, home to more than 200 wineries (from Portland to Eugene) along with stunning landscapes including waterfalls.
Best Sleep:
We love the Allison Inn & Spa, set on 35 acres of wine country. The elegant rooms come with private balconies and spacious spa-inspired bathrooms with soaking tubs and sliding panels.
Best Relax:
Relax over Pinot Noir in the hotel’s private Sky Suite (for six), complete with an outdoor terrace, while awaiting treatments like the grape seed cure (crushed grape seed scrub and organic honey and wine wrap).
Best Eats/Drinks:
With 200 wineries nearby, the concierge will happily arrange a few tastings. Return after to the hotel for a celebratory dinner at JORY, featuring local delicacies like cedar-plank salmon.
Best Bring Home:
A bottle of the region’s world-renowned Pinot Noir.
Austin, Texas
For a restful and relaxing, but still Texas-style fun time, head to Austin in gorgeous Hill Country.
Best Sleep:
Make The Line Austin your trip headquarters. Once a vibrant jazz club, this hip designer hotel overlooks the lake and downtown Austin. Settle in with drinks at the hotel’s trendy lounge bar, and enjoy the saltwater infinity pool, complete with DJ.
Best Relax:
Take the water taxi from downtown to Austin’s picturesque and renowned Lake Austin Spa Resort for a day of massages, facials, and of course- manis and pedis. For ultimate balance, try yoga in the lake, on a stand-up paddleboard.
Best Eats/Drinks:
At night, head to vibey Rainey Street in the historic district, where craftsman-era bungalow homes have been turned into a string of lively bars and restaurants.
Best Bring Home:
Cowgirl boots from Allens Look for the big red boot on the sign.
London, UK
London’s calling, so take a hop, skip, and jump across the pond for a memorable BFF weekend.
Best Sleep:
Make like Diane Von Furstenberg and check into the Claridge London. The fashion designer loves (and has stayed at) the hotel so much that she designed her own (Grand Piano) suite.
Best Relax:
The intimate Cowshed spa, in Primrose Hill, is the perfect anecdote for jet lag, with its superb massages and facials.
Best Eats/Drinks:
Share a proper afternoon tea at The Berkeley. Then head to The Connaught Bar, renowned for its dry martini, which arrives by trolley. Nibble on caviar and canapes, before heading to Jean-Georges.
Best Bring Home:
Bring back a jar of Cowshed’s bespoke Sleep Bath Salts (a blend of melissa and lemon myrtle) so the jetlag, upon touching back home, is seamless.
Bermuda
Only a 90-minute flight from the US, the flower-ladden island of Bermuda – with its pink beaches and blue sea – is a perfect BFF escape.
Best Sleep:
Just steps from the sands of St. Catherine’s beach is the oceanfront St. Regis Bermuda, newly updated with private balconies, stunning views, and pops of turquoise and sea blue. For true togetherness, reserve the 2- or 3-bedroom residences to share, then hit the beach with cabana service or dip into the adult-only pool.
Best Relax:
The island offers incredible snorkeling, swimming, and beach lounging (in yes, pink sand). But for a different relax experience, visit Natura Spa at Grotto Bay Beach Resort where treatments are offered alongside an azure underground lake in a 500,000-year-old natural cave, or in an overwater gazebo in a private cove.
Best Eats/Drinks:
‘Dark and Stormy’ is the official island drink and you’ll find it everywhere. For a fun local adventure, walk the 185 steps to the top of the circa 1846 Gibbs Lighthouse for the fabulous view. Then stop in for pizza or local fish and wine at The Dining Room, located beneath it.
Best Bring Home:
Blown glass from Dockyard Glass and a bottle of rum.
