Plan An Amazing Mother’s Day Trip In The South
I don’t know about y’all, but my mama deserves a day of celebration. This year, I decided to plan an amazing Mother’s Day trip here in the south and share how we are doing it with you! Like any good trip, it starts with a great plan and ends with good travel execution. Living in the south, a good day trip is easy to make happen with just a little bit of thought ahead of time.
Mama deserves the best!
My mama is the queen of sharing life expertise, love and resources. She raised me and my brother as a single mom (until she married my amazing stepdad but that was when we were practically grown and gone.) Like so many great southern mamas, she sacrificed a lot to make sure we always had all the things we needed and most of what we wanted. She shared the wisdom she’d gained from experience which helped us to make wiser decisions than we otherwise would have and she is still my favorite prayer warrior and life counselor.
So what kind of Mother’s Day gift can you possibly give someone who does all that for you? I mean, flowers are nice and jewelry is great when you’re a kid, but there are only so many “mama” necklaces and birthstone family charms you can give that aren’t overly cheesy. When you have the means to take mama on a day trip, that time and experience with you is often more precious to your mom than any physical gift.
Tips to plan an amazing Mother’s Day Trip for any mom
There are a few really important details you need to remember when you’re planning a trip for someone else. So read this first bit carefully because it’s THE most important part. PLAN THE WHOLE DAY AND DO NOT MAKE YOUR MAMA DECIDE STUFF ON THE FLY. Yes. That is in all caps, I am shouting and clapping between each word for emphasis.
Don’t half plan it and anticipate getting her input the day you go. One of the most undervalued tasks of being a mom or wife or person for that matter is having to make decisions all the time. Let it be a day where she doesn’t have to do any of that.
You can plan an amazing Mother’s Day Trip well in advance
There are a few things you need to think about in the planning stage and you should get input from your mama when you feel it’s necessary. First and foremost, who all’s going? Is it just you and your mom or is it all your siblings, the grands, and dad? How is everyone getting there and are you going to meet up for part of the day or are you all traveling together?
When are you going? Is it a true Mother’s Day day trip or is it a day around Mother’s Day? These are the two big pieces you have to decide far enough in advance to give whoever is going a heads up on the plan. Now, as for me, I prefer to do a one on one trip with my mom. We listen to and sing our favorite songs, stop at our favorite restaurants, talk about all kinds of nonsense that others in my family wouldn’t understand or appreciate and in general, just spend quality time together.
Of course, my mom and I take a lot of day trips, so we have an established routine. Sometimes we change it up, but overall, the plan stays pretty much the same, but the location changes.
When Are We Going?
Does your mom already have plans for Mother’s Day weekend or Mother’s Day? Church, brunch/lunch with a moms’ group, a plan with her mom…if something else is already planned, pick a different day/weekend when she can do it. You don’t want to make your mom feel like she has to give up something she already has planned and enjoys. Remember, this is about celebrating her so do it on her schedule.
Also, if you have siblings, there may already be something in the works for a lunch or dinner with them so check with them as well. Respect those plans and don’t try to change them. Just choose a different day if needed.
Where Are We Going?
Where does she like to visit? Pick a few places that are easily accessible but not somewhere she goes often. Ask her which option she would like most and plan around that. We live about 20 miles outside of Charlotte, North Caroline. I live a whopping five miles from my parents so it’s easy to plan a day trip within a couple hours of home. So, if I’m going to do a day trip with my mom, we head to Lake Lure, Boone or some other place that’s between an hour and 2 hours from home.
When I lived further away, I planned on staying with my parents or nearby for a couple of days to make a day trip less stressful. Driving a few hours to then drive a few hours is not my cup of tea. So make plans to be well rested and keep your sanity in tact so it’s an enjoyable trip for you too.
One great thing about the south is the landscapes make for great trips. Most states in the south either have mountains or oceans within a fairly reasonable distance for a day trip. Our coastal cities and mountain towns offer great historical and visual interest.
What’s your mom’s activeness level?
When considering options for day trip locations, think about her style and keep her ability level in mind. Just because a hike along the Blue Ridge sounds fun to you doesn’t mean mama is up for it. If your mama isn’t comfortable climbing 100 steps, heading to the lighthouse might not be the best way to celebrate her. Now, that doesn’t mean mama doesn’t want to go with y’all when you go to the lighthouse on a family vacation, but she probably isn’t climbing to the top of the lighthouse.
Can y’all take a day trip to the mountains, beach, a city, small town, or a neat rural area that’s within a couple of hours? Is there a place she’s talked about wanting to visit that’s within a reasonable distance of her house that she hasn’t gone to yet? Has there been a place she’s seen in a magazine or on a local news station that she’d like to visit in the area? These are questions you can ask to pick out a place to visit if you’re struggling to make a decision.
What Are We Doing?
Now that you know where you’re going, what are you going to do on this amazing Mother’s Day trip? What points of interest are there near the place you’re going that your mom would like? Ask your mom about her interests. What activities has she talked about enjoying in the past?
Remember to check the date/time details when you’re planning activities. Dates, times and duration are all important when choosing things to do on a day trip. Always check with the company/organization ahead of time and purchase admission if needed in advance. Some options to look for include:
- Festivals
- Museums
- Theme Parks
- Musical/Performance/Play/Concert
- Wineries/Breweries
- Historic Sites/Art Galleries
- Zoo
- Aquarium
- Botanical Gardens
- Outdoor Activities/Hiking/Biking/Boating
- Scenic Drives
- Unique Shops/Restaurants
Find your state’s travel info to plan an amazing Mother’s Day Trip
I find that looking at a city’s website often gives insight to what’s available. We also tend to look at Our State magazine and the https://www.visitnc.com site because there are always interesting tidbits about places we are thinking about visiting. Below is a list of some of my favorite southern state websites.
- https://www.kentuckytourism.com
- https://www.virginia.org
- https://www.tnvacation.com
- https://discoversouthcarolina.com
- https://www.exploregeorgia.org
- https://www.visitflorida.com
- https://alabama.travel
- https://visitmississippi.org
- https://www.louisianatravel.com
- https://www.traveltexas.com
What Are We Eating?
A great deal of celebration in our family is enjoyed via food. That means it’s almost always planned or at least thought about before we go somewhere. Plan the food yourself. Don’t wait until you’re hungry and ask “what do you wanna eat.”
Your mama has been planning meals every day since forever. So you need to have a plan she doesn’t have to think about. Have a cooler with roadtrip snacks and drinks. Trips are more fun with treats. Ask if she’d like to have a picnic or eat at a restaurant if that’s the kind of thing your family enjoys. Then, plan it or pack it so she doesn’t have to think about food.
Old Faithfuls
Now, in some locations, we have go-to stops that we know we’re going to hit. When we head up to Blowing Rock, it’s going to be The Speckled Trout. In Garden City, we’re eating at the Conch Cafe and at Myrtle Beach, we’re definitely hitting up the Sea Captains House. These are places where have wonderful memories and we know the food is good.
New Traditions
However, if we’re heading to a new location, I’m looking up local favorites and checking out menus and reviews before we go. Hoping for the best and ending up with food poison from a podunk diner in the backwoods of the Blue Ridge Mountains is not something I ever want to do again. It also puts a damper on your mom’s day…just saying.
If you’re going on a picnic, have some of her favorite recipes cooked up. For us, that includes grandmother’s bran muffins, The Fresh Market’s chicken salad and mini croissants, homemade chocolate chip cookies, potato salad or pasta salad and cans of Coca Cola.
If you’re going to take her out to eat, check out restaurants in the area you’re going to before hand. Pick a place that you think she’ll enjoy and make sure to get a reservation if warranted or at least make sure they’re going to be open. Some places have special menus on Mother’s Day, so check all of that out in advance. I like to try unique places that we don’t have around home. If your mom isn’t adventurous, pick a place you know she’ll be comfortable.
We Have A Plan For An Amazing Mother’s Day Trip. Now Execute It!
If you’re going to take a train ride, book the tickets. If you’re going to drive, get the car checked out a few days ahead of time. Get any maintenance that’s needed done before hand, check the tires, wash and clean out the car, gas it up and get ready to go.
Pack The Car
Remember how your mom would ask you ten times if you remembered your glove or cleats or uniform before a game? Remember how she always had all your stuff ready for you (almost always anyway)? Today it’s your turn.
Be sure you pack all the things that could be useful including snacks, drinks, and camp chairs if you’re sitting outside somewhere. Pack blankets in case she gets cold in the car, a travel pillow if she’s going to take a nap, Kleenex, sunglasses, rain gear, bug spray, sunscreen and hats. Include anything else you can think of that would make a day trip more pleasant. Be sure she has any meds she might need to take while out and about and her glasses so she can read the menu. If you’re going to be doing outdoorsy things, I’d even suggest a change of clothes and shoes just in case.
Plan an amazing Mother’s Day Trip: Souvenirs
I love the pictures from all of our trips. We usually take one cute posed picture in some place of interest, and several goofy ones. We’re just those silly people. I take candid pictures of my mom when she’s watching the birds or sitting on the balcony reading her bible and listening to the ocean because those are the moments that remind me of who she is in her every day life.
Those are things that make her happy and I love capturing those memories. She usually says something like “I’ll kill you if you put that on the internet”. However, what she doesn’t see won’t kill me.
I also like to get a Christmas ornament for myself and one for her anytime we go on a trip. I include the ornament in her Christmas gift because the journeys matter and remind us of what we’ve accomplished throughout the year. If you have room on your tree or in your house, make a travel section or put up a travel tree. You can reminisce about where you’ve been and the fun things you’ve done throughout your life.
What if I need help planning an amazing Mother’s Day Trip?
Never fear, Travel Triptastic is here! If you want help planning an amazing Mother’s Day trip, we can help. Maybe you want to do a long weekend trip or plan a full family vacation for your mom instead of just a one day adventure. Travel Triptastic is our travel advisor company and we thrive on helping people plan lovely, thoughtful and memorable trips. Reach out and we’d be happy to assist you in planning your trip. Remember all of our trip planning and booking services are always complimentary.
If you are looking for great restaurants to try out in your state, you can check out our Southern Cuisine page for ideas in many areas across the southeast. We are constantly reviewing and updating info about food in the south. Be sure to check back frequently for new reviews and suggestions.
Plan an amazing Mother’s Day Trip Wrap Up
Celebrating your mom this Mother’s Day with a day trip is a wonderful way to create beautiful memories. To be prepared and ensure your trip goes smoothly, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
- Keep your mom’s likes, interests and abilities in mind when planning
- Make plans based on her schedule and be certain it’s a convenient trip
- Plan far enough in advance, prep all the arrangements before leaving and enjoy the adventure.
No matter where you go, if you put in the planning and prepare appropriately, you and your mom are sure to have a good time. Capture the moments, enjoy the conversation and just have fun on the journey.