You might consider Chain-O-Lakes - some of us were talking about it in another discussion. I have been looking into going there with Leslie for a weekend sometime soon.
www.colresort.com Seems to have some nice accomodations, good fishing, and some wonderful ponds to take pictures of. It is worth looking into anyway. Or somewhere in east Texas where you might find some good fall colors and glassy ponds. If you really want to be brave - There are some amazing places in New Mexico - I suggest the Sangre De Cristo Range around Taos!!!
As for backpacking with 25-30lbs of camera stuff, leave it behind - invest in a compact and enjoy the trip. 25-30lbs of necessities (including the compact digital of course) would be sufficient to go on a weekend warrior trip for sure!
BTW, thanks for all the hard work going on behind the scenes, we all appreciate it!