Several hotels and resorts (including The Lodge on Lake Detroit, above) offer special weekends and packages designed for women who want a fun getaway with their friends.

That’s what the song says, and women agree: those special times when the ladies get away together are a great time.  A 2007 survey by AAA found that one of four women have taken a getaway with their women friends.

Resorts, B&Bs and hotels have caught on, and many now offer special “girlfriends getaway” packages or events.  Some are packages on lodging and other activities, such as spa treatments or shopping, which are available anytime.  Others are two- or three-day events with a full schedule of activities planned for women guests.

“It’s such a treat for women to get together for a weekend, just for some time off for themselves; they get reinvigorated,” says Jana Lemke, who plans a Gals of November weekend at East Bay Suites in Grand Marais.  Held in early November, this special package offers women an in-suite massage, yoga, gourmet dining, a guided tour to the Little Spirit Cedar Tree-a spiritual landmark on the Grand Portage Indian reservation, an evening of poker or “chick flicks,” and just some relaxing “wave watching” as November gales stir up Lake Superior.

For the past three years, the Audubon Center of the North Woods, at Sandstone, has offered Women’s Wellness and Adventure Weekends, which have drawn dozens of women twice a year for a buffet of rejuvenating activities in small groups: yoga, seated massage, Nordic walking, a ropes course or climbing wall, nature hikes, meditation, sessions on wellness topics, and crafts like beading bracelets or creating cards.

“I found it truly transforming-extremely relaxing, rejuvenating, a wonderful weekend with friends,” reported past participant Jen Cozik.  “It’s like a huge slumber party, something we don’t get to do very often.  Somebody takes care of you, for a change,” adds Melissa Eggler, another participant. This fall’s session will be held Oct. 3-5.

Some getaways focus on a specific activity. Wilderness Inquiry, an adventure travel company, will lead women on three days of hiking Superior National Forest, with views of fall color, woodland streams and waterfalls, and overnight stays at comfortable lodges.  The trips are offered September 19-21 and Oct. 3-5.  Golfers can hone their swing during clinics and relaxing rounds on the Wildflower Golf Course during the Sept. 19-21 Wild Women’s Weekend at Fair Hills Resort, near Detroit Lakes.

Others offer a full schedule of fun. The Lodge on Lake Detroit, right in Detroit Lakes, is holding a Women’s Wellness Weekend Nov. 7-8, with a wine tasting, yoga, water aerobics, programs on nutrition and reducing stress, a credit for use in the on-site spa, and live music in the evenings. That same weekend, the Passport to Hutchinson Ladies Weekend includes a package of activities in this inviting, central Minnesota town, including art and history tours, designer martini night, and a Hutchinson Theatre Company performance.

Sportsman’s Lodge on Lake of the Woods focuses on the ladies during the Pure Indulgence weekend Nov. 14-15.  Yoga and spa treatments relax the body, speakers energize the spirit, and cooking classes, wine tastings and Texas hold ‘em card games are just for fun.  The Oct. 10-12 Women’s Weekend at High Banks Resort on beautiful Lake Winnigiboshish includes a wine tasting, massage and fashion show.

Other travel packages designed for women are available anytime.  Tours and Treasures in Lanesboro offers three different packages, focusing on shopping, quilting, or biking the scenic Root River Trail, with lodging at the Stone Mill Suites, for groups of eight or more women.  During the fall, the two-night packages are available only during the week.  The packages can be expanded to include a horse-drawn wagon ride, a performance at the Commonweal Theater, or tours to Amish farms.

Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd offers “Fun with Friends” and spa packages.  Both are geared for women friends taking getaways together just to relax, shop, and enjoy resort activities, including Cragun’s on-site spa.

Shopping is the focus for packages offered by two hotels in Maple Grove, home to the popular Arbor Lakes shopping center. The Hilton Garden Inn throws in a chocolate tasting and a nails treatment, and the Hampton Inn includes pizza and an in-room movie.

For more information on women’s getaways, go to the “packages” listings at www.exploreminnesota.com.