It’s Thursday or Friday, and another weekend is on the way. You’re dying to get away with that special person in your life, but when you consider your options, you decide the two of you don’t have enough money or time to do what you really want to do, so you end up doing nothing at all. You spend the weekend together doing chores and watching television and when Monday comes, the two of you head back to work feeling like the weekend never existed.

Snap out of that rut! Just because you can’t fly away doesn’t mean you can’t take an overnight or even a day trip or two with the one you love. If you have children, appeal to the generous nature of a trusted family member or friend and steal some time for yourselves. Here are some fun things you can do together that will leave you both feeling happier and more refreshed.

Start off the fun on Saturday morning. This will give you time Friday night to prepare so you can begin your time together feeling relaxed and carefree. For an overnight trip, keep the distance down to two to two and a half hours each way at the most. This will enable you to spend more time at your destination without feeling like you need to leave early on Sunday to begin the long trek home.

Are you city folk? Pretend you’re tourists in your own city! Book a room in a hotel you’ve always wanted to stay in. Frequently downtown hotels run specials on the weekends, especially ones that cater mostly to business travelers. You may be able to get a package deal that includes tickets to the theatre, or credit towards dinner in a chic local restaurant. Frequently people who actually live in a city are the ones who don’t take advantage of its many treasures. For example, how many New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the top of the Empire State Building?

On the other hand, would you rather really get away from it all? If you’re nature buffs, stay at a rural bed and breakfast, or a rustic lodge near hiking trails or other activities you both enjoy. Imagine how wonderful it would be to retire to a cozy room with a fireplace after a busy day out on the slopes, or heck, in the spa for that matter! These days even small rural bed and breakfasts are offering services they never have before, such as spa treatments, cooking classes, gourmet meals, etc.

Even if you only have time for a day trip, there are still a lot of good times to be had. A few days before the weekend, study the calendar section of your local newspaper or your city’s website. You can usually find a list of all the activities being offered that weekend. You can start the day with a gourmet breakfast at a new café you’ve been dying to visit. Then you can follow that up by visiting a local museum or strolling through a weekend farmer’s market. Spend the afternoon at whatever food, music, or art festival that happens to be in town? Remember, calories don’t count on the weekends, so eat that double chocolate ice cream cone! Whatever you do, leave your worries behind. Monday will come soon enough. Enjoy your time together and start planning your next adventure!