By Sherri Eisenberg

updated 10:27 a.m. ET Aug. 1, 2008

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.

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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!)

Chatham Bars Inn
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.

Slide show   Deep in the heart of Texas “Big D” rises high and mighty from the prairie, but beyond Dallas’ gleaming facade you’ll find a city that loves its music, parks and arts. more photos

Oh, and: If you can spare the calories, savor chicken-fried steak at Ranchman's Steakhouse, 45 minutes north of Fort Worth. Chicken-fried steak is to Texans what pizza is to New Yorkers — a taste of home that's missed desperately when they leave town.

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

Slide show   Cancún caliente Beaches, water sports, fine dining, nightlife, culture and more – you’ll find your adventure here. more photos

The experience: Summer means that the spring breakers are gone, so you won't have to share paradise with college kids pounding yard-long beers. Fly into Cancún and staffers from the new Rosewood Mayakobá will pick you up for the 45-minute drive south along the coast. As soon as you arrive, make for the Sense Spa — it'll put your body on notice that it's on vacation, too. Get the aloe and agave cactus wrap, and then spend some time steaming in the local temezcal sweat lodge. Of course you've reserved a beachfront suite with a private plunge pool, just the place to enjoy an after-dinner marg. A beach day follows, with frequent visits to the Agava Azul bar for tequila and ceviche.

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

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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

Slide show   The Mini Apple Known by many nicknames, the “City of Lakes”, it is part of the metropolitan “Twin Cities” area. It is a land of art, architecture, and thousands of things to do. more photos

The experience: Locals are known for making the most of the Twin Cities' outdoor setting even in the worst of the winter months (think lots and lots of layers), but come June, natural delights warrant a visit by even us less hardy folks. Spirit out of town to Banning State Park (an hour and a half away) for the shooting rapids at Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate — again, less hardy folks can just watch. The area's Kettle River has tremendous hiking along explosively green riverbanks. If you want ultimate solitude, you can trek up to the Boundary Waters (pictured). It's a five-hour drive north, but well worth it. No need to flee town to get your fresh-air fix, though: The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway is a green space that wends through Minneapolis. Make for the Chain of Lakes, comprised of five city lakes along a 13-mile stretch, and join the in-line skaters, sunbathers, bikers, and canoeists taking advantage of the warm weather.

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

Slide show   Sunshine statement Greater Miami is the place where the cultural energies of the U.S. meet those of Latin America. more photos

The experience: The Regent Bal Harbour opened in March 2008, the first luxury hotel in this tony little beachside enclave. Bal Harbour has never cared to attract tourists, instead preferring to minister to the fussy needs of free-spending locals and snowbirds. It's perhaps best known for its glamorous open-air mall on Collins Avenue, home of heavyweights such as Chanel and Hermès as well as smaller boutiques like Agent Provocateur and Anne Fontaine. After exploring this year's summer trends (Lemon-yellow sundresses? Ballet flats? T-strap sandals?), work off that shopping stress with a day at the Regent's Guerlain Spa. Consider a decadent trio: A body polish to make your skin soft, a classic French facial to make your face glow, and an indulgent four-hand massage. The locals may rely heavily on plastic surgery for that youthful, fresh look, but it's amazing what a day at the spa can do for your appearance.

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

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