This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my site! See our privacy policy for more information.
If you haven’t gathered, I am a big fan of girls trips. Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling with my husband, but there’s something inherently magical about quality time with your best girlfriends. I come back from every girls trip with my cup full and my abs sore from laughing.
In 2022, I had a birthday idea: a cozy, slightly spooky cabin in the woods with my favorite people. A weekend of reading, snuggling, and eating delicious food. Luckily, my friends were on board. That December we had our first Ladies Reading Weekend, and since then it’s become a yearly tradition (with bonus spring trips or even single-day versions at someone’s house).
Because it was such a hit, I’m sharing exactly how to throw your own ultimate Ladies Reading Weekend with your besties.
Location: Find the Perfect Cabin
The destination doesn’t matter as much as the house itself. You want cozy, comfortable, and slightly atmospheric. For us, the ideal was a cute A-frame in the woods with foggy mornings and a big, squishy couch. The very large and very comfortable couch is the key to the weekend. Although, more on adapting later. After a few trips, we’ve perfected the cabin checklist:
- Within 2 hours driving from your home base (ours is Portland)
- One very large, very squishy couch
- Two separate sitting areas (one for silence, one for chatting). Not completely necessary, but a good goal to aim for!
- A big kitchen for cooking together
- Enough beds for proper rest
- Outdoor space for fresh air breaks. Or tucked in a neighborhood where you can go for hot girl walks.
Here are the AirBnbs we have conducted our reading weekends in the past and a couple of others around the United States to give you inspo.
My Stays
- Long Lake Home in Washington
- $650/night. Sleeps 12.
- This is our go to. Although it does have two separate living spaces so we can divide the chatters from the “I actually need complete silence to focus on my book”, we love the room with the doors overlooking the lake. So eventually, we just take cushions from the other room, get cozy making floor beds and squeeze onto the two couches. Then, when its chilly out we hunker down under heated blankets, crack the door for some cool air and put on a spooky playlist.
- Bonus points for the dock, grassy space and paddle boat for when the weather is nice.
- The Storm Watcher in Tillamook, OR
- $875/night. Sleeps 10.
- The pictures are slightly better than the actual product when it comes to this house, but you really can’t go wrong with the view. Posted close to Tillamook, a midday ice cream/squeaky cheese/pepperoni stick break at the Tillamook Cheese Factory is a great opportunity to stretch your legs. Additionally, the hill up and down to the beach is perfect for working up a little sweat between chapters.
- Peaceful Forest Cabin near North Cascades National Park
- $385/night. Sleeps 6.
- If you have been perusing my blog you may have seen this house on my post about North Cascades National Park. And while this wasn’t exactly a “ladies reading weekend location” it was a location in which some ladies, did in fact read a lot. The couches were cozy and the outdoor space tucked away in the woods felt perfect for lounging with a good book.
- Family Home in Union, Washington
- $450/night. Sleeps 10.
- This was the destination of our very first reading weekend. It accomplished all the things we were looking for. Foggy mornings over the lake, double living rooms and super comfortable couches for reading. This was where we really indulged in eating like kings but had far too many leftovers at the end of the weekend.
Other Cabin Inspo
- Cozy Cabin in the Poconos
- $300/night. 8 guests.
- This steal of cabin resides next to Lake Harmony in the Poconos. The wood walls and cozy fireplace give peak cabin vibes. When you are done reading for the day head to the outdoors and roast marshmallows over the fire pit. The cabin is really well supplied to cook some gourmet meals and there is even a book exchange shelf. Perfect if you need a new read or want to share yours with future guests!
- Luxury Log Cabin on Lake Michigan
- $540/night. Sleeps 10.
- This gorgeous house would be perfect to plan a spring or summer reading weekend. The huge deck is perfect for spreading out and enjoying the sunshine while crushing some chapters. Take wellness breaks in the sauna or even dips in the lake. What this cabin lacks in indoor seating it absolutely makes up for in location and outdoor space.
The Activities
The main goal is obvious: smash as many pages as possible. It could be fun to make it a competition, track and record number of pages read by individuals or the group or even start a new book together for the weekend. While reading is the focus, its important to let others explore what relaxes them. So to keep the weekend balanced, we mix in a few other low-key activities:
- Reading (duh)
- Visiting a local bookstore
- Coffee shop runs
- Hot girl walks
- Chatting on the dock or porch
- Crafting, knitting, crocheting (bonus points with an audiobook)
- Board games
- Soft music on Youtube with coordinated backgrounds like this or this.
- Watching a major sports event if it’s happening (we once read through a soccer tournament on TV)
This way, if anyone in your group can’t spend hours reading in one go, there will be a little something for everyone.
The Food: Cozy Weekend Fuel
Full disclosure: one of my biggest anxieties in life is knowing where my next meal is coming from. It is so important to me, I have an entire section of this blog dedicated to eating and drinking while traveling! If you need restaurant reviews, want to know where to skip or read about unique food experiences checkout the eat & drink section of my site.
As I was saying, I like knowing what’s next on the menu. For our weekends, we divide meals so no one is cooking the whole time. Each person signs up for a breakfast or dinner, and we skip lunch in favor of snacking (otherwise we end up with food waste).
Snacks and charcuterie boards are essential. Breakfasts and dinners are the time to bust out the recipes you’ve been saving for “someday.” Wine, Aperol spritz, ciders and bubbly waters are on the menu to sip on and usually we even start the day with a mimosa (what could be better?).
Packing List: Cozy Essentials
If you want the weekend to live up to its dreamy potential, don’t forget the basics (yes, these are all required!):
- A jumpsuit. Nothing says cozy to me than a baggy jumpsuit/onesie. This one from Free People is my go-to and I consider it my reading weekend uniform.
- Slippers/indoor shoes: I don’t know if it’s because I’m in my 30s or have dealt with plantar fasciitis but I love an indoor shoe and honestly a slipper is important when cultivating cozy vibes. I’m a personal fan of these Birkenstocks but also respect the air flow on these open toed slippers.
- A warm and snuggly blanket. It’s best not to depend on the AirBnb to supply a great blanket and take matters into your own hands. A giant Lola Blanket, Bubble Blanket or even a heated blanket are all excellent choices.
- Kindle or hard copy book. I’m a kindle girly myself, but have been known to buy a hard copy especially for reading weekend. It feels like a fun opportunity to splurge to “do the thing in the place”.
- If you and your group are feeling especially fun, we have made gift bags in prior years. They have included book themed stickers, candies, bookmarks with our initials on them etc. Not necessary for a good time, but it is fun finding the sticker that is close to everyone’s personality. Mine was “The book was better”, duh.
The Bottom Line
A Ladies Reading Weekend is the perfect girls trip: simple to plan, affordable, and equal parts fun and restorative. Adapt the formula however you like: do it in summer at a pool, order takeout instead of cooking, or wear jeans if that’s your comfort zone (wild choice, but you do you).
I guarantee you’ll return refreshed, cozy, and with a stack of finished books. And if you need help planning your own, I’m always happy to chat!
