The culture club: 6 ways to make the most of your long weekend

We Culturites aren’t really sure where the first half of the summer went, but with the August long weekend quickly approaching we want to make sure we treasure every minute left of this hot and gorgeous weather, so we’ve put together some tips that will help you make the most of a mini-vacay:

Look for getaways close to home There are so many gems just a few hours from Toronto that we often overlook but make for a perfect short getaway. In Ontario, check out Langdon Hall (langdonhall.ca), Muskoka’s Touchstone (touchstoneonlakemuskoka.com) and The Waring House (waringhouse.com) in foodie mecca Prince Edward County.

Talk to the locals We never hit a new city, town or village without reaching out to local contacts if we can. We always prefer to get our recommendations from the people who know the area the best. (This way you’ll avoid the tourist tariff at over-priced joints.)

Research The travel industry is highly competitive and as a result, there are endless deals to be had. All it takes is hitting your computer for a few hours to find what’s available during your time off. Gone are the days of leaning on your travel agent for all things vacation-related—it’s never been easier to customize travel to your taste and budget.

Extend a work weekend In the three years since we started The Society, any vacation we’ve had has been an extension of a work trip. Check your calendar and if you’re away during the week, try to extend it into a weekend stay. Even if the city isn’t high on your hit list, you’d be surprised at how just checking into a nice hotel for 24 hours can refresh and reset.

Have a loyalty card that works for you A recent American Express survey found that over 80 per cent of Canadians collect reward points of some kind, but flexibility issues can make redemption a problem. There is so much choice out there, so find a card that works for you. We recently switched to AmEx’s Starwood Preferred Guest credit card. With no blackout dates and 1 to 1 earn ratio, we can enhance our next trip just by swiping for our daily morning coffee!

Journal your adventure and share with us! We’re always looking for new travel tips and tools. If you’ve found an interesting place to stay, see, eat or do, send us an email to info@thesocietyglobal.com.

The post The culture club: 6 ways to make the most of your long weekend appeared first on FASHION Magazine.