I have been toying with the idea of surprising the husband with a weekend getaway for this Valentine’s Day.
My mother is coming to visit, so she can stay with the kids for the weekend while the husband and I get some alone time to relax and recharge.
Where to go:
I have narrow it down to a couple of different places.
The first choice would be the Florida Keys as we have been talking about visiting ever since we got married and never actually did it.
AS budget-friendly as possible
Because I want to keep this little trip as budget-friendly as possible, I looked for different free or low-cost activities to do while in the Florida Keys.
Key West is probably the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the Florida Keys, but for what I heard, the other keys which might not get as much attention as key West has a lot to offer and have great things to do for those on a budget.
Key Largo
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: The visitor’s center features a 30,000-gallon saltwater aquarium and other natural history exhibits.
Snorkeling and glass-bottom boat excursions are also available here, and admission is just $2.50 to $8.50, conditional on the number of people in your vehicle.
It is considered one of the more popular Florida Keys points of interest.
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center: A must for bird lovers and bird watchers, here you can learn about the native and migratory bird populations of the Keys and Everglades.
The center rehabilitates and cares for injured, sick, rescued, or orphaned birds.
There’s no admission fee, but donations are encouraged.
Islamorada
Rain Barrel Artisans’ Village: Wander through the beautiful tropical gardens and see contemporary art and American crafts.
Discover that one-of-a-kind creation and watch the artists create your masterpiece. Don’t forget to snap a photo with Betsy the Lobster, the world’s largest biologically correct replica of a lobster.
Admission is free, but you want to make sure to bring some shopping money!
Crane Point Museum and Nature Center: Informative displays of local wildlife, marine-life, dioramas and exhibits highlighting artifacts and objects of cultural interest.
If you make it all the way to the Lower Keys
You will find the National Key Deer Refuge: About 9,200 acres of land that includes pine Rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests.
These natural communities are home for hundreds of endemic and migratory species, including 17 federally listed species such as Key deer, lower Keys marsh rabbit, and silver rice rat!
Bahia Honda State Park: Bahia Honda State Park at mile marker 37 has become a favorite destination for anyone visiting and one of the top things to do in the Florida Keys.
The second option I have come up with for this little escapade is a quick trip to New York, which has been on my list for years now…
Either way, I am planning to keep it simple and hassle-free and will only be taking my Pakt carry-on bag, which can fit enough close the two of us.
We either can throw it in the back seat of the car if going to the keys, or bring a log on the plane as it is designed for ease of use and comfort, stand features a zip-around dual-compartment design for maximum organization and easy access to everything you need while en route.
Carry-on approved if hopping on a plane and has a TSA pocket (mesh pocket) on that you can pull out if you need to show the contents while going through immigration quickly!
What do you have in mind for Valentine’s day?
Staying at home or traveling?
If you are traveling here is your chance to win a free Pakt one bag in color of choice!
To enter this giveaway, please use the Giveaway Tools from below:
I love the navy/bronze color and no travel plans in the coming months but in may going to disney .
Navy bronze! Would be perfect for my cruise I’m planning. I love all the zippers and the size is perfect! Finding everything in a backpack is challenging this thing looks to have a pocket for everything
I like the grey and I love that it’s carry on approved! We are going to nyc later this year and only taking carry ons! This would be great
I like the dark blue the best of the choices! I unfortunately don’t have any travel plans for this season, but will be going to Florida at the end of the year!
I like the navy/bronze color combo and the fact that it is made with soft construction allowing it to slide into spaces other bags won’t fit. I do not have any travel plans at this time but would love to.
I like the Pakt One. The size is just right. I have no travel plans, I would like to gift this to my oldest who does a lot of traveling by public transit.
The Pakt One looks amazing. Their bronze color is my favorite. I love that they are environmentally conscious and use zero plastic packaging!!! I just finished a couple trips and currently deciding what my next trip will be! I would love to take the PaktOne with me!!!
I like many of the features, the mesh security pocket, the center zipper which splits the bag into two compartments and the magazine pocket are great features as are the clips to hang things off of. This would make my trip abroad this summer so much easier. I like the blue.
I really like the bronze option! I actually have a few trips planned in the upcoming months including Hawaii and California!
I like the black and I love the fact that it carries like a duffel. So awesome!!
We are heading to Florida for two weeks in late February – the bronze color is amazing! Love that the bag has a minimalist design but seems to hold so much!
I love the blue and bronze colour. My favourite feature is the premium, durable materials and hardware.
i LOVE the black bag!
My favorite feature is has easy access to everything when en route. My favorite color that is offered is the navy/bronze.
My favorite color is Navy/Bronze. I like that there are plenty of external pockets. No specific travel plans yet but my sister and I go on an “old lady road trip” every year
I love the bronze color! We’re planning on a trip to Florida this summer, can’t wait!
My favorite color is the Grey and my favorite feature is the TSA pocket. No plans yet for travel this year as I’m moving to a new state in about 4 months, but hope to do some traveling once I get settled into my new home.
I love the dual compartments and the navy/bronze colored one the best. My Father lives out of state and this is perfect for when I go visit him.
I like the grey/pewter. These are so nice! Thank you for the chance.
I like the black one. I think the coffee thing that can go with it is awesome!! I hate bad coffee!
I love the blue one!! The feature I like the most is the padded laptop pocket.
No plans for travel in the immediate future.
I like the navy/ bronze color. My favorite feature is the all the roominess and compartments. I am not travelling until later in the year, but I have family members who are travelling.
The blue color suits me. My favorite feature is the padded laptop pocket. I’m going to Vegas in about a month.
I love the navy/bronze one the best. I love the easy access to everything the most. And we are hopefully getting away for a few nights. Not sure where yet.
I like the navy/bronze bag. My favorite features are all the pockets, but also that it fits under the seat. We are going to Lancaster County, PA in the spring, and then maybe Switezerland in the fall.
The Navy/Bronze color is my favorite. We are planning a trip to Vegas in late March so this would be excellent instead of my normal carryon.
I love the Pakt carry-on bag and would love to take this to New Orleans for Mardi Gras!
I like the Navy/Bronze color. I love that it has so many pockets and is small enough to be a carry on – seems super convenient for travel!
I like the navy/bronze color. I love all the compartments for organizing. I also like the long shoulder strap. I’m planning a trip to Chicago soon.
This is perfect for a long weekend bag!
I love the Navy bag and I really like that it is carry-on approved! My next travel plans is to go to Disney World with my family!
I like the Pakt One in Black. Just what I need for my weekend trips.
I prefer the black. I do love that you can make GOOD coffee on the go. I’m a coffee lover and I hate when the coffee is less than delicious. Unfortunately no upcoming travel plans for me.
Love the grey/pewter! We are actually going to Vegas to get married on Valentine’s day and then we usually take another trip we haven’t planned yet in November!
i love the black one. Think i am going yo go to Kentucky
I love gray! And I need another carry on bag so that’s perfect!
I like the black one most. I like it is carry on approved
I like the black color and the security pocket. No plans yet!
I like the gray, because that is the “it” color right now. I travel overnights for work regularly, and this would be perfect to use for those trips.
I love the gray color and I like that it is carry-on approved.
I don’t plan on traveling in the near future. The Navy/Bronze color appeals to me and I like the way it carries like a duffel. Thanks for the giveaway.
I like the blue/bronze color combo the best. Favorite part is the zippered outside pockets for accessibility.
I like the black Pakt. I like the TSA pocket to make things easier at the airport. Don’t have any plans so far as I just had a baby recently but hopefully in the near future!
I prefer the black and I like premium durable materials and hardware.
I love the black and that it’s carry-on approved.
I love the black one and I like that it is carry on approved.
I like the grey/pewter. I love the number of compartments it has for easy packing.
I like the black and the TSA pocket. Me and my soon to be graduating sons will def take a trip this summer.
I like the” blues” colors and I like the zippers to keep everything in order. As for traveling maybe some weekend get aways this late winter.
My favorite places to travel these days is to visit our kids/grandkids which are scattered throughout the US. So, lots of windshield and a need for a great travel bag as this giveaway is offering. Thanks for hosting this great giveaway. I like the blue color the best but will be happy with the black or grey, too! I am not picky regarding color. I like the dual compartments and the word durable, as it will be getting lots of use. It will be a great bag for me. Thanks
My favorite feature is the internal laptop pocket. The navy/bronze is my favorite color. I don’t have travel plans yet, but we are starting to think about what we want to do in the summer.
I like the grey/pewter color and my favorite feature is the TSA pocket. That would make life easier. No plans until May but I do need a new bag for my May NC trip.
I like the navy, but many of the colors are great too! Going to California soon, this would be great, especially the padded laptop pocket!
The Navy/Bronze is my favorite. I travel a lot and this would be an awesome carryon. It’s really nice.
I like it in the navy color. This would be great for going on a trip. I don’t have any vacations planned yet, but hopefully soon.
I plan on going to the beach. I like the black color and I like the clip on design for water bottles and small side pocket design for keys