Budget Weekend Getaways from Major US Cities

I live in Los Angeles, and most of my friends think a weekend getaway requires a $400 flight and a $250 hotel room. They are wrong. Within a three-hour drive of LA, there are at least a dozen destinations that offer a complete change of scenery for a fraction of the cost of flying somewhere. I have done weekend getaways from LA for under $150 total, including gas, accommodation, food, and activities. The same principle applies to every major US city. Here are budget weekend getaways from five major cities, with specific costs and recommendations.

From Los Angeles

Joshua Tree National Park is a two-hour drive from LA and offers a landscape unlike anything else in California: massive boulder piles, twisted Joshua trees, and some of the darkest skies in the country for stargazing. The park entrance fee is $30 per vehicle, valid for seven days. Camping inside the park costs $15 to $25 per night at developed campgrounds, which include toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables. I bring my own tent and camping gear, so my accommodation cost is $15 per night. Gas for the round trip is about $30. Food consists of groceries bought before leaving LA, about $25 for the weekend. Total cost: $100 for two nights.

San Diego is another easy and affordable getaway. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train from LA to San Diego costs $37 each way and follows the coast for part of the journey, offering ocean views that are worth the ticket price alone. In San Diego, I stay at the HI San Diego Downtown hostel for $45 per night in a dorm bed. The hostel is in the Gaslamp Quarter, walking distance from the waterfront, Balboa Park, and the historic Old Town. A fish taco from Oscar's Mexican Seafood costs $5. A craft beer at Ballast Point costs $7. The USS Midway Museum costs $26 but is free for active military. Balboa Park, with its museums, gardens, and Spanish Colonial architecture, is free to walk through. Total cost for a two-night weekend: about $220 including train, hostel, food, and activities.

From New York, Chicago, Austin, and Seattle

From New York, the Hudson Valley is a two-hour train ride on the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal. A round-trip ticket to Cold Spring costs $28. The town is on the Hudson River, surrounded by hills and state parks, and is filled with antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. A room at the Hudson House Inn costs $120 per night on weekends, but there are several Airbnbs for $60 to $80. Hiking at Breakneck Ridge, one of the best day hikes on the East Coast, is free. A meal at the Cold Spring General Store costs $12 to $15. Total cost for a two-night weekend: about $200 to $250.

From Chicago, Starved Rock State Park is a 90-minute drive southwest of the city. The park has 13 miles of trails along the Illinois River, with sandstone canyons and waterfalls that look like a miniature Grand Canyon. The entrance fee is $5 per car. Camping costs $15 to $25 per night. The nearby town of Utica has a restaurant called Al's Family Restaurant that has been serving chicken since 1947, and a half-chicken dinner costs $10. Total cost for a two-night weekend: about $80 to $100.

From Austin, Fredericksburg is a two-hour drive west in the Texas Hill Country. The town is known for its wineries, peach orchards, and German heritage. A room at the Hoffman Haus Bed and Breakfast costs $120 per night, but there are budget motels for $50 to $70. Wine tastings at local wineries cost $15 to $25 each. A plate of BBQ at a place called Alamo Springs Cafe costs $12. Enchanted Rock State Park, a massive pink granite dome, is 30 minutes north and costs $8 per person to enter. Total cost for a two-night weekend: about $200 to $250.

From Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula is a two-hour ferry ride plus a one-hour drive from downtown. The Washington State Ferries cost $15 to $20 per person for a car and driver. The peninsula has rain forests, hot springs, and wild Pacific beaches. Camping at Kalaloch Campground, right on the beach, costs $24 per night. A meal at a restaurant called The Creek House in Forks costs $15 to $20. The Hoh Rain Forest, one of the largest temperate rain forests in the world, is free to enter. Total cost for a two-night weekend: about $120 to $150.

Weekend getaways do not require flights, expensive hotels, or elaborate planning. Every major US city has destinations within a two-to-three hour radius that offer a complete change of scenery for $100 to $250 total. The key is to drive instead of fly, camp or stay in budget accommodations instead of hotels, and cook or eat at local spots instead of tourist restaurants. A great weekend does not have to cost a great deal of money.