Your employer gives you, what, 10 lousy vacation days a year? No wonder we find ourselves working so insanely hard to make those precious three-day weekends really count. When warm weather finally rolls around, that urge is tripled. (Sorry, Mom, we wanted to visit you on Memorial Day weekend, really. It's just that ...)
So, to help you make the absolute most out of summer Fridays (or Mondays), we've compiled a list of getaways that are close, quick and a cinch to plan. All are easily reached via hub airports with loads of nonstop flights; we've even included their codes to make it faster to search for fares.
Whatever your interests, and wherever you live, we promise you a fab mini-vacation.
1. The classic East Coast summer experience
Fly into: Logan International Airport, Boston (BOS)
Check out: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
The lure: Beaches lined with sand dunes, bike rides through Main Street towns, and clambakes on the shore — all within a two-hour drive of the city, even with summer traffic
The experience: Even if the ocean doesn't really warm up till late summer, all of the outdoor pools feel just right. The ice cream shops and seafood shacks are all open to much fanfare, and preppy locals clad in Nantucket Reds dive into the fried clam rolls and steamers they've been craving all winter. As the summer wears on, the place just gets better.
Where to stay? The Chatham Bars Inn on the Lower Cape (or CBI, as the Boston Brahmins who have summered here for decades call the resort), which has the charm of a beach hotel with many more comforts. Think oysters served on silver trays, a regulation croquet court, clay tennis courts and weekly clambakes.
Oh, and: Don't go home until you've tried candlepin bowling and caught a Cape League baseball game. The Chatham Athletics play on a field just off Main Street, where you can lounge in the sun and slurp down a bowl of wicked clam chow-dah. (Trust us!)
Tel: 800 527 4884
Doubles from $295
2. Gorge on barbecue and Tex-Mex
Fly into: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Check out: Dallas and, um, Fort Worth
The lure: Ribs, and brisket, and tamales, all Texas-size
The experience: The place to start chowing down is the same place you'll be staying: the new Ritz Carlton, Dallas. The in-house eponymous restaurant of chef Dean Fearing was voted 2007's Restaurant of the Year by Esquire magazine. Fearing's nouveau takes on local dishes like barbecued oysters and duck tamales must be tasted to be believed. You'll also want to sneak out to Sonny Bryan's, a local smokehouse that serves a classic Texas-style meat-fest of brisket and sausages. The next day, make for Fort Worth, less than an hour's drive away, for Angelo's, where the pork ribs are legendary and beef comes chopped or diced. And you've got to get some Tex-Mex, too. Joe T. Garcia's, also in Fort Worth, serves locally prized enchiladas in a lovely courtyard, best when washed down with a swirl (a tie-dyed–looking mixture of lime margarita and strawberry daiquiri that's sure to seduce). Just be warned: Joe T.'s doesn't take reservations, and it gets crowded.
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}Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
Tel: 214 922 0200
Doubles from $329
Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
Tel: 214 744 1610
Angelo's
Tel: 817 332 0357
Joe T. Garcia's
Tel: 817 626 4356
Ranchman's Steakhouse
Tel: 940 479 2221
3. Mexican beach time
Fly into: Cancún Airport International (CUN)
Check out: The Riviera Maya, Mexico
The lure: White sand beaches, Mayan ruins, and fish tacos paired with fresh coconut-milk piña coladas
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}Oh, and: Rent a car for a half day to explore the coastline, where fish taco stands sit next to hammock shops. You can also drop in to the bustling town of Playa del Carmen further south, which fills up after dark with the sound of mariachi music, or make for the boho surfing hamlet of Tulum.
Rosewood Mayakobá
Tel: 52 984 875 8000
Doubles from $490
4. Relish nature's awakening
Fly into: Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
Check out: The region's many gorgeous lakes and green areas
The lure: Hiking, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. You'll find a vast number of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls both inside and just outside the city
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}Oh, and: Make sure to consult the schedule of shows at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis, famous for its innovative Shakespeare productions. At least stop by to take in the theater's whimsical new building, the first major U.S. project of Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel, with a 178-foot-long "endless bridge" extending into nothingness. Then check into the art-focused Chambers Hotel, another sign of the city's emergence as a hip cultural hub.
Chambers
Tel: 612 767 6900
Doubles from $305
Guthrie Theater
Tel: 612 377 2224
5. The spa and shopping extravaganza
Fly into: Miami International Airport (MIA)
Check out: Bal Harbour, Miami Beach
The lure: High-end designer shopping and lots and lots of spa time. This ritzy neighborhood on the north end of Miami Beach is home to gated luxury condos and a Beverly Hills-gone-east atmosphere
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}Oh, and: If you love the nightlife and simply must have one big night out in SoBe, book one at the Setai. It's also got a great spa, but it puts you closer to the see-and-be-seen scene.
Regent Bal Harbour
Tel: 305 455 5400
Doubles from $375
The Setai
Tel: 305 520 6000
Doubles from $520
6. Follow the artists
Fly into: JFK International Airport, New York (JFK)
Check out: The Hudson Valley
The lure: Art meets nature. Starting just a half-hour north of the city, you can admire the scenery that inspired the 19th-century Hudson River School of painters — and discover important contemporary artworks.
The experience: Manhattan empties out on summer weekends, when locals head to the Hamptons or Europe. Forgo the beach for the greenery (and scant crowds) of the Hudson Valley. Quite close to the city, the region has a number of quiet towns and art sites worth exploring. Drive north along the river, stopping at the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville with its 500-acre sculpture park (pictured), the Olana State Historic Site (Hudson River artist Frederick Church's mansion turned museum), the antique stores in the town of Hudson, and the über-modern installments at the Dia in Beacon — an art museum that stands in stark contrast to the bucolic landscapes of the Hudson River School. And staying at the Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown (which, yes, looks like one) means you'll be close to the area's best restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, known for ingredients grown on its own farm.
Oh, and: Why not spend the last night in Manhattan? It'll be easier to fly out in the morning, and it's a chance to stay at a trendy spot like the Bryant Park Hotel — where the crowd and stylish decor will be a nice contrast to the down-to-earth attitudes you just experienced.
Castle on the Hudson
Tel: 800 616 4487
Doubles from $340
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Tel: 914 366 9600
Bryant Park Hotel
Tel: 877 640 9300
Doubles from $365
7. The classic West Coast summer experience
Fly into: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Check out: Los Angeles
The lure: California sunshine, city sophistication, and those lovely Pacific beaches
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}Oh, and: The Westwood neighborhood itself is home to many of the city's movie premieres, at theaters such as the Mann's Village Theatre and Bruin Theatre. Ask the concierge if there's anything going on while you're in town. Even if you can't score tickets, it's a treat to watch the red carpet roll out, the searchlights scan the sky, the limos line up. Often, bleachers are set up for the onlookers, and the stars will glad-hand with fans before ducking inside. Hooray for Hollywood, right?
Hotel Palomar Los Angeles-Westwood
Tel: 800 472 8556
Doubles from $229
8. Get into the mountains
Fly into: Denver International Airport (DIA)
Check out: The mountains just outside of town
The lure: Hiking, biking, and exploring the peaks and valleys, while basing yourself among the cosmopolitan comforts of Denver
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}Oh, and: Don't miss Red Rocks Park, 15 miles west of Denver (you know, the place where U2 filmed the video for "Sunday Bloody Sunday"). This gorgeous maze of sandstone crags sits at the spot where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. The terrain is rough, so you'll need those hiking boots. The enormous outdoor amphitheater will be hosting some great acts this summer, including R.E.M., the Cure, the Police, James Taylor, and Alison Krauss with Robert Plant. (Wait, what year is this, anyway?)
Hotel Teatro
Tel: 888 727 1200
Doubles from $269
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
Tel: 720 865 2474
9. Taste America's finest wine and food
Fly into: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Check out: Napa Valley
The lure: Well, wine of course. And good food with wine. But also that soothing pastoral landscape
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}Oh, and: Spend a morning at COPIA, an institute that's dedicated to all things food and wine. The center offers daily tastings as well as cooking classes and tours of its garden.
Auberge du Soleil
Tel: 800 348 5406
Doubles from $700
The French Laundry
Tel: 707 944 2380
Fax: 707 944 1974
10. Have a metropolitan weekend
Fly into: O'Hare International Airport, Chicago (ORD)
Check out: Chicago!
The lure: Culture high and low, from architecture to baseball.
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}Oh, and: Summer means the Cubs are playing in Wrigley Field, which is fun whether the Cubbies win or lose. Nor can you miss a Chicago-style hot dog, loaded with toppings such as chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers. If the game is sold out, which often happens when the rival Cardinals are in town, you can probably still snag tickets (at a premium) at StubHub.com.
James Hotel Chicago
Tel: 877 526 3755
Doubles from $279
Art Institute of Chicago
Tel: 312 443 3600
