MAXIMIZING A LONG WEEKEND

If your reading this and thinking "story of my life" your in the right place. Too often we are convinced that we're going to do something, new, unexpected, and adventurous on our long weekends. Monday rolls around, and we still haven't made it off the couch to do simple tasks like go to the grocery store, take that box to the post office, or even get a haircut. The weekend becomes a "lazy hangover" of your work week. Break the cycle people; start making the most out of these glorious days. Think bigger than weekend chores, much bigger.

Its easy to spend your extended weekend face down in the couch trying to cleanse yourself of your memories. Believe me, I've tried. The best plan to give yourself temporary amnesia is to get out of the AO (area of operation) in military garble. Just get out of town, that is the first step. The area you work in should be treated like a nuclear blast site.

Next, you'll want to know your "hit list" as a like to call it. Fan out a 2-4hr car ride distance from your home. What's there? cities, resorts, parks, the beach? Once you have a small list compiled, this is were you can make things a bit more interesting.

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LET THE LOCATION PICK YOU

Do you want to have this same look of utter satisfaction on your face when your weekend rolls around? This is what you need to do. Put each location on your hit list on a small scrap of paper and mix them. Then draw one randomly. Wherever it is, you have to go. Don't cheat, if its raining and you got the beach, still go to the beach. You will be surprised at the new things you see and do.

If you want to make it even more interesting make another drawing with random actions or sites like animals, photography, bar, antique shop, diner, b&b, golf, etc. Wherever you are traveling you will have at least one thing you have to do. Most of the time the journey to completing the task will be more interesting than the task itself.

GEO-CACHING

Something else to consider is Geo-caching. Admittedly, I am not the most familiar with this but the concept seems pretty cool. If you have a handheld gps then your set. Most gps systems have built in Geo-caching features. Just think; you could be walking in a new place and come across a hidden Geo-cache like this one for example (video left). Pretty cool huh.

There are some really cool Geo-caches out there. I found myself wandering on YouTube for over 30min looking at them. It actually makes me want to pull my handheld gps out and give it a shot. Definitely a good activity for the more adventurous types out there.

ITS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

I had to put these two on here because when I searched [attitude] in Google these images were on the first page. No explanation, no nothing, just the pictures. I will try and come back to making a point here......and I can't do it, I'm gunna have to start a new paragraph under this.

Chuck Norris's stare can burn through your soul; even when giving a double thumbs up wearing a Canadian tuxedo.

I don't know what to say besides thank god the 80's are over. It was like the Olympics of looking as bad as possible; clothes, hair, even the stupid looks on their faces.

Jesus, I can still see them..... Point I am trying to make is that its all about your mindset. When you get out of work have a system to relax. System to relax? Let me explain this to all the normal functioning people out there.

I do better when I have some kind of a plan to my madness. The (hit list random travel thing) works well for me. Sometimes I just end up detailing cars on the weekend. Find what works for you. If you want to wear denim on denim tucked in with a mullet or (whatever Will Smith's haircut is called) then do it......;stay inside your house though, because nobody wants to see that shit and people will think you have mental problems.

A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS

In my humblest of opinions, here are a few locations that shouldn't be missed if you find yourself stuck in the Fayetteville area.

Fuquay-Varina

Small, unnoticed, and obscure are all words I could use to describe this place. Even though it is a very small town it has an alluring old feel to it. Its filled with antique shops and features at least one micro brewery. Every time I have visited the brewery it wasn't open for tours. If someone get's down there during the right hours let me know how it is. Its a 90min drive. See my Fuquay-Varina page here.

Wilmington

One of my most frequently visited locations, Wilmington has a great historical downtown and features multiple beaches, a retired battleship in the harbor, a historical diner and ice cream shop, and a dozen or so odd shops featuring local artistry and crafts. It has a young and vibrant feel and a liberal artistic attitude. Its a 90min drive. See my Wilmington photos here.

OBX

Simply put, the Outer Banks of NC are gorgeous. I have been there a handful of times and its about a 5hr drive from Fayetteville. The only downside is the price tag; it isn't cheap. In this case you get what you pay for; pristine open beach for miles, calm and quiet setting, and a recreational paradise from para-sailing to deep sea fishing. See my trip photos to OBX here.

ASHEVILLE

I hate to admit it but I haven't personally been to Asheville yet. It offers endless natural beauty and recreational activities. In addition, is the historical downtown and the Biltmore Estate. If I remember correctly I believe it is about 4hrs away. See my guest contributor review of this area here.

Keeping the trip alive into the new work week

Coming back to work after an extended break is almost as bad as the job itself. One way to help ease the pain is to take something away from your weekend excursion. Whether its photos, a write up, or even contacts you've made. These things can all work to keep the fire burning when your back in the cold expanse of your job.

There's a reason that we get the weekend off. If we didn't, statistically we would become less productive, even more stressed, and eventually lose our sanity. Companies don't give you the weekend off because they care about you. They do it because they need to keep you sane enough and productive enough to be useful to them. You might as well make the most out of these days. Remember, always keep your optimism high. Great Travels!

I know I said keep your optimism high, I have a dark sense of humor though.