Weekend Getaway Ideas

Weekend getaways recharge your batteries between hectic work weeks. The trick is to find a location to capture your imagination and provide a ready escape from day-to-day life. To aid your escape, try one of these weekend getaways inspired by a classic movie.

In this 1982 film, Zachary "Zack" Mayo (Richard Gere) works his way through U.S. Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School to become a U.S. Navy pilot. Much of the movie was filmed at Fort Worden in the city of Port Townsend, WA. Fort Worden is located within the 434-acre Fort Worden State Park. Park visitors enjoy hiking and biking trails, over two miles of saltwater shoreline, and access to historic buildings from the 19th century fort. Weekend getaway visitors will also enjoy the Victorian seaport city of Port Townsend, which offers many independent restaurants and shops. The city was also the location of several scenes from the movie, including Paula's house at 1003 Tremont Street and The Tides Inn at 1807 Water Street.

In this classic 1989 film, an Iowa corn farmer (Kevin Costner) hears voices ("If you build it, they will come") and interprets them as commands to build a baseball field in his corn fields. While a few scenes were filmed at Fenway Park in Boston, much of the movie was filmed near farms in Dyersville, Iowa. The iconic baseball field has been preserved as an admission-free attraction. See www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com.

This film is based on the story of the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company. Bloody fighting scenes in the movie were filmed in the dunes of Jekyll Island, GA. Jekyll Island is a car-accessible barrier island offering miles of beaches, sand dunes, marshes and paved pathways, along with several public golf courses. The island also offers a historical district with well-preserved, mansion-sized "cottages" from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) is a lovable character of below-average intelligence with a knack for finding himself at the center of historical moments while slowly pursuing the love of his life, Jenny. The movie was filmed in a variety of scenic locations that would make great weekend getaways, including Beaufort, SC, Glacier National Park, MT, and Monument Valley, AZ. One of the most entertaining movie locations was the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA.

Of course, there are thousands of locations around the USA (and the world!) where great movies have been filmed. To find the locations for your favorite films, simply search for their titles on Wikipedia.org, or enter the name of the film followed by "where filmed". A getaway weekend to one of these locations will provide a ready escape from day-to-day life.