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11 Girlfriend Getaways To Take This Winter

11 Girlfriend Getaways To Take This Winter

By Southern Living

Courtesy of Visit Tybee/Casey Jones

When the cool breezes begin to blow, we know that it's time to plan a trip with our best friends. We've gathered a few girlfriend getaway ideas that are packed with personality—and plenty of great food, shopping, and entertainment. While just being together is enough to make a trip unforgettable, you and your besties will love what these Southern destinations have to offer, from the coast to the mountains and from the bustling cities to the serene small towns. Don’t forget to pack a scarf, because these girlfriend getaways are perfect any time of year…but especially during winter. If you’re still on the lookout for destinations, check out our favorite fall girlfriend getaway destinations and the South’s most charming walkable girlfriend getaways too. And if you’re on the road at Christmastime, explore our picks for the best small towns for Christmas in the South—perfect locales to visit during the holiday season with your friends and family. Depending on where you’re headed on your wintertime getaway, you may need flip-flops instead of boots, but we trust you’ll be ready for anything. Take lots of pictures, and let us know where you and your girls are planning to visit during the colder months.

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There's a Perfect Destination for Every Girl Group

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Alexandria, Virginia

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Explore museums and historical sites in Alexandria, Virginia. Bring your walking shoes and your camera, because there’s plenty to catch your eye in Old Town Alexandria, as well as the rest of this historic town. You’ll have a great time, and you’ll learn a lot, too. (Win-win!)

Don’t Miss: The Lyceum History Museum, Alexandria Black History Museum, Mount Vernon, Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Atheneaum, Fontaine Caffe and Creperie, Vermilion Restaurant, Restaurant Eve, Hotel Indigo Old Town Alexandria

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Asheville, North Carolina

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Explore the Biltmore in the snowy season with your besties. Treat yourselves and make memories to last a lifetime. You’ll feel like a local when you make Asheville your home base, because there are plenty of spa services, shops, and breweries in the area for luxuriating, browsing, and sipping to your hearts’ content.

Don’t Miss: Biltmore, The Inn on Biltmore Estate, Asia Bed and Breakfast Inn & Spa, The Spa at Grove Park Inn, Grove Arcade, Asheville Brewing Company, Wicked Weed Brewing, The Orange Peel, Rosetta’s Kitchen, River Arts District, aSHEville Museum, Captain's Bookshelf, Chatsworth Art and Antiques

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Brevard, North Carolina

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Transylvania County will have you swooning the minute you arrive. Take a winter stroll through Brevard’s charming downtown, stopping into the boutiques and grabbing a 50s-style soda-shop meal at Rocky's as you go. If it’s not too cold, brave the Pisgah Forest for a magical (and snowy!) winter hike.

Don’t Miss: Rocky’s Soda Shop, D.D. Bullwinkel’s, Bracken Mountain Bakery, Brevard Brewing Company, White Squirrel Shop, The Phoenix & The Fox, Jamie’s Creole Brasserie, Blue Ridge Bakery, Marco Trattoria, The Falls Landing Eatery, Jordan Street Cafe

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Chattanooga, Tennessee

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It’s even more fun in winter. Bundle up and walk beside the river, meander the Bluff View Art District, stop into Rembrandt’s for coffee, see a show, explore the Tennessee Aquarium, and while away the afternoon in the area’s art museums, like the Hunter Museum of American Art (pictured).

Don’t Miss: Bluff View Inn, The Read House, Bluff View Bakery, Tony’s Pasta Shop and Trattoria, Rembrandt’s Coffee House, The Hunter Museum of American Art, Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Bluewater Grille, Big River Grille and Brewing Works, Sugar’s Ribs

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The Florida Keys

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Escape the winter chill and get away to the Florida Keys. There’s plenty to do here all year round—and, in case you were wondering, there’s just as much to do on land as in the water. We’ve already planned the perfect Keys road trip for you and your girls this season, so pack your flip-flops, and get going!

Don’t Miss: Kona Kai Resort, Gallery, and Botanic Gardens, Pines & Palms Resort, Ballyhoo's Historic Seafood Grille, Key Largo Conch House Restaurant, Bahia Honda State Park, Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

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Gatlinburg, Tennessee

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Winter in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge will keep you and your girls busy all weekend long with plenty of shopping, food, and Tennessee wintertime charm. Dollywood is open in winter too (the theme park, not the water park). It’s just a short drive from Gatlinburg, and you and your girls will never want to leave.

Don’t Miss: Bearskin Lodge on the River, Pigeon Forge Fun Time Trolley, Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet Malls, Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen, Smoky Mountain Trout House, The Park Grill, Log Cabin Pancake House, Dollywood, Big Daddy’s Pizzeria

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Houston, Texas

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Eat your way through foodie-heaven Houston—there’s so much good stuff here, you’ll want to stay longer than the weekend. Make downtown or the Museum District your home base. Explore the Theater District and see a show, ballet, opera, musical, or concert. Stop into the Galleria for shopping, and make reservations for plenty of swanky meals. (Or, you know, you can always just grab a few of the addictive tacos at Torchy’s.)

Don’t Miss: Alice Blue, FM Kitchen & Bar, Star Fish, The Pass and Provisions, Underbelly, Torchy’s Tacos, Hotel ZaZa, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Wortham Theater Center, Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

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Ocean Springs, Mississippi

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Road-trip to this Gulf town with your girls for a small-town retreat with plenty of Southern charm, delicious seafood, and unexpected adventure. Shops, art galleries, and lovely architecture dot this small-town stunner.

Don’t Miss: The Inn at Ocean Springs, Front Beach Cottages, Walter Anderson Museum of Art, French Kiss Pastries, Government Street Grocery, Mosaic Tapas Restaurant, Leo’s Wood Fired Pizza, The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, Davis Bayou Area

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Palm Beach, Florida

Southern Living

Beat the chill and relax on the Florida coast with a girls’ trip to the Palm Beaches. Bundle up on the sand or go exploring up and down the coast. There are plenty of photo ops seaside (and the sands will be much less crowded than in summer!).

Don’t Miss: Flagler Museum, The Brazilian Court Hotel, The Colony Hotel, Island Living Tours, Worth Avenue Walking Tours, Leopard Lounge & Restaurant, Buccan Palm Beach, City Cellar Wine Bar and Grill

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St. Louis, Missouri

Southern Living

There’s plenty to see and do in St. Louis—Gateway Arch included. Explore The Hill neighborhood for world-class Italian cuisine. Make a stop at Charlie Gitto’s On The Hill for irresistible dishes amid flickering candlelight, and don’t forget to try Zia’s Restaurant too.

Don’t Miss: Charlie Gitto’s On The Hill, Zia’s Restaurant, The Muny Theatre, Missouri Botanical Garden, Blueberry Hill, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, Drury Plaza Hotel-St. Louis at the Arch, Westin St. Louis, Peabody Opera House

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Thomasville, Georgia

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Embrace a small town trip with a jaunt to Thomasville, Georgia. Warm up at Grassroots Coffee Company, do some shopping at Firefly, Relish, and The Bookshelf, and enjoy long, leisurely meals at Liam’s, Jonah’s, and Sweetgrass Cheese Shop. Don’t forget to visit the Lapham-Patterson House (pictured), a Victorian marvel near downtown.

Don’t Miss: Grassroots Coffee Company, Liam’s Restaurant, Jonah’s Fish and Grits, Sweetgrass Cheese Shop, Firefly, Relish, The Bookshelf, The Lapham-Patterson House, The Big Oak, The Paxton 1884

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