Here are answers to frequently asked questions about girlfriend getaways:

How do I explain it to my family? The first G.G. can be tough. Your significant others can't imagine why you'd want to go anywhere, especially on vacation, without them. But once you've taken that first getaway, once they see how happy and refreshed you are upon your return, they'll be begging you to plan the next one.

How often should I go? Once a year is a bare minimum.

What else do I need to know? Get your group of gals a name and some props. For example, a group of six girlfriends who ski together every year call themselves "Chicks on Sticks," and a few friends in North Carolina formed a "Spinsters' Club."

First and foremost, your Great Escape vehicle needs... a full tank of gas.

Next be sure to yell "shotgun" in a loud, persuasive voice,
to ensure your front-seat space.

Then, the ever-important, don't-even-think-about-forgetting-this part... Your roadmobile has to have a name. Big Brutus? The Partymobile? You and the girls can vote on it, and go!

Once the miles start rolling, break out the CDs and turn up the volume to these, World's Best Road Songs:

Don't bring your planner on your getaway! In case a Day-Timer is seen in a bag, here are three new (and improved) uses for your planner:

Just think of it... with road trips, you and your girlfriends are on your own. No one needs you to find his science homework or wash the basketball jersey that's been stuffed under her pillow for a week and a half. No one cares if your hair is clean or your lipstick matches your purse.

Great Escapes await you in Warren County, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, Ohio.

* Road Trip Tips content courtesy of The Girlfriend Getaway Guide by Pam Grout, published by The Globe Pequot Press, 2003, and girlfriends get together: Food, Frolic and Fun Times by Carmen Renee Berry, Tamara Traeder and Janet Hazen, published by Wildcat Canyon Press, 2001.