Helping Girls Get Away

A divorce followed by being let go from a job she loved hit Casey Wohl like a one-two punch.

"It was hard," Wohl said. "There were days that I could not get out of bed. I was devastated (and) really, really upset."

Living in Lakeland at the time, Wohl left a public relations job at Florida Citrus Mutual "that I gave everything I had" in March 2006. She credits an "amazing support system" of girl friends in Lakeland with helping make it through that difficult time.

"They are like 'you are not going to sit around and cry; you're not going to sit around and mope. We're going to go do this and we're going to go here and we're going to go there. We're taking you away,"' Wohl said.

A couple of weeks after the divorce was final, Wohl went to Orlando for the weekend with her college roommates. Wohl is familiar with the popular tourist destination because she graduated Rollins College in nearby Winter Park.

"We went there and realized 'oh, we went to school here, we know where to go, we know what do," she said. "It was like 'no we don't.' We had been here several years ago - almost 10 years ago - and things changed a lot."

Wohl said they made a return trip to Orlando. But this time Wohl did some research on new hotels and restaurants there.

"I had everything kind of mapped out for them, so that is kind of how it fell into this book," she said.

The book Wohl is referring to her "Girls Getaway Guide To Orlando: Leave Your Baggage At Home." It was published in September 2007. A guide to Key West was published last year and a third book about Nashville, Tenn., is scheduled to come out later this year.

Wohl is planning to go to Austin, Texas, in a few weeks. Chicago and Charleston, S.C., are other possibilities for future books.

Although not quite sure if the idea would work out, Wohl went ahead with the Orlando book and is glad she did.

"I didn't want to be 80 years old and say 'I had this idea and I never did it.' I didn't want to have any regrets," she said.

Wohl felt much better about her budding career as an author on Dec. 26, 2007, when she received a call from Barnes and Noble. The caller told her the giant bookseller wanted to carry her book.

"It was funny," Wohl said. "I called my mom, and I said 'Mom, are you sitting down? I have big news.' "

"She's like 'oh, my ... Oprah called.' "

"I'm like, not Oprah, but Barnes and Noble, but thanks for taking the wind out of my sails,' " Wohl said laughing.

It's fun to compile the information for the books that also cover nightlife and places to visit, Wohl said. But it is also work.

"You just don't get to go to a restaurant and just have a good time," she said. "You have to pay attention to what's on the menu, the pricing, the wait staff, the atmosphere, so you can describe it."

Wohl, 33, said she worked six days a week at Florida Citrus Mutual. She continues to work hard, but there is a difference now.

"If I'm going to work a lot I might as well be doing something for me," she said. "it's something that I feel good about and that I feel like I'm helping people."

According to Wohl, getaways for women is about a $200 million market in the United States and is projected to increase.

The books are available on Wohl's Web site GirlsGetawayGuide.net and Amazon.com. The Orlando book is sold in Barnes and Noble.

A 1993 graduate of Sebring High School, Wohl earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Rollins and a master's degree from the University of Florida.

Wohl is also a contributing writer to Web sites including Girlfriendology and Girlfriend Celebrations.

Wohl will organize trips for women and will serve as a tour guide if she is asked.

Last month, Wohl, known as The Getaway Girl, appeared on the nationally syndicated morning TV show "Daily Buzz" as well as on "Daytime," a TV show geared toward lifestyles and entertainment.