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Fasten your seat belts. In about the same time it takes to drive to Phoenix, you could jet off to somewhere new this summer.

Eleven airlines offer nonstop flights to more than 20 destinations from Tucson International Airport. And that's important because you don't want to spend a lot of time waiting in airports when you have only a couple of days budgeted for fun.

A short trip also means you can pack light — a good thing now that airlines charge fees for checked baggage — and you won't have time to get hungry on the plane.

Save some cash by checking out the airport's Web site, www.airtucson.com, which includes a running display showing flight deals.

Houston often lives in the shadow of cities like Austin and Dallas, but it has much to offer in the way of art, theater, sports, music and food. It's also near the beaches of Galveston.

• Flight time: Two hours, 25 minutes.

• Eat: No trip to Texas would be complete without some Tex-Mex food. Guadalajara Hacienda (www.guadalajara hacienda.com) isn't your typical Mexican restaurant. Try the Parilla Mixta, three quail legs and three shrimp, bacon-wrapped, stuffed with Chihuahua cheese and jalapeño, for $10.95, and wash it all down with a Swirl Margarita, a house margarita swirled with frozen sangria, for $5.95.

If you're in the mood for great sushi, check out Miyako Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar (www.miyako sushibar.com) for happy hour $1 sushi every Monday-Friday, 5-7 p.m.

• Drink: If you're looking for a nice place to grab a couple drinks in one of Houston's historic neighborhoods, try Chaise Lounge in The Heights. And if you find yourself in the Museum District, check out The Harp, an Irish pub with outdoor picnic tables and all the Trivial Pursuit you can handle. Rice Village, just two blocks from Rice University, is also a great place to dine, drink or shop. There are more than 300 shops and dozens of bars and restaurants in the 16-block area.

• Sports: Check out a Houston Astros game on a Friday night at Minute Maid Park and stay for the fireworks show. If you're lucky, one of the Astros will hit a home run, and you can watch the train filled with oranges travel across the upper wall beyond the outfield. You'll also have a great view of the Houston skyline, if the roof is open.

• Hotels: If you want to stay close to the ballpark in a luxury hotel, pick the Inn at the Ballpark, 1520 Texas Ave. It's directly across the street from Minute Maid Park. Be prepared to pay more than $200 a night on the weekend (1-866-406-1520, www.innattheballpark.com).

Need a relaxing day at the spa? Stay at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, 111 North Post Oak Lane. The hotel offers special packages for weekend stays that include spa treatments, meals and champagne starting at $275 a night (1-800-231-2759, www.houstonian.com).

• Must-see: Discovery Green, which opened in April downtown, features natural gardens, a lake, a playground, a jogging trail, a library and a restaurant with a roof-top bar (www.discoverygreen.com).

• Also check out: The National Museum of Funeral History was recently named one of the world's Top 10 weirdest museums by IndependentTraveler.com. For just $6 you can see an 1860s hearse and a coffin shaped like a chicken (www.nmfh.org).

If art is more your thing, check out the amazing Museum District, which includes 18 museums, from the Museum of Fine Arts to the Houston Center for Photography (www.houston museumdistrict.org).

Colorado's capital is full of fun stuff to do. Whether it's bars, restaurants, museums or outdoor activities, Denver has something for everyone.

It seems many of the great restaurants and nightlife are in LoDo, short for Lower Downtown. Most bars, restaurants and museums will be just a short walk away.

• Flight time: About two hours.

Once you arrive at the Denver International Airport, take the Super Shuttle. Rates vary, but if you pay ahead of time, it costs a few dollars less per round trip. The airport is quite a distance from downtown and the trip will cost you at least $50 by cab, so the shuttle is your best bet.

• Eat: Vesta Dipping Grill, 1822 Blake St., will change your life.

And that's a good thing. For the restaurant, which has received numerous accolades, from "best restaurant" to "best place to take a date," uses fab design and unique, flavorful dishes to create an atmosphere and food that diners will remember for a long, long time. Under "sweet," "savory" or "spicy," choose three out of 37 dipping sauces for each entree. Though you'll be full, don't pass up the sticky toffee pudding ($7), which tastes like a gooey Heath bar with vanilla whipped cream (www.vestagrill.com for reservations).

Also, Osteria Marco, 1453 Larimer St., is a great place for Italian-food lovers. For a starter, try the burrata, a creamy blend of ricotta and mozzarella served in a mini-loaf style ($9) (www.osteriamarco.com).

• Drink: Falling Rock Tap House, 1919 Blake St., has more than 69 beers on tap and proudly hands out bumper stickers for the bar that proclaim, "No Crap on Tap." There will be beers you've never heard of.

• Stay: The Hyatt Regency Denver, 650 15th St., is a giant, 1,100-room convention hotel right in the middle of everything. The hotel has its own shops, restaurants, bars, pool and fitness facilities and is a block away from the free shuttle that runs up and down 16th Street.

• Nightclub: Also in LoDo is Sing Sing, 1735 19th St., which features two dueling pianists. The entertainers perform music requests injected with humor and rely on audience participation. Cover is $7 per person (1-303-291-0880).

A limited menu on weekends includes individual pizzas, nachos and wings. Beers are from the neighboring Denver ChopHouse & Brewery (also a fun place to visit) and Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery.

• Do: It is the Mile High City, so you might feel a little out of breath. Keep your hikes short at first. There's lots of urban "hiking" throughout the city, too.

• Extra: Watch money — specifically, pennies — being made at the United States Mint, 320 W. Colfax Ave.

Denver is home to one of the four U.S. Mints in the country. Admission is free and requires advance reservations (1-303-405-4761 or go to www.usmint.gov). The tour lasts about 30 minutes, and you can sometimes get standby tickets.

The Biggest Little City in the World is famous for its legalized gambling and quickie divorces but also offers plenty of outdoor adventures. Reno is also the part-time home of Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic figure skating and "Dancing With the Stars" champion.

(Editor's note: ExpressJet plans to eliminate non-stop service to Reno, Omaha and Austin on Aug. 23.)

• Flight time: 2 hours, 5 minutes on Express Jet.

• Eat: 4th Street Bistro's menu offers "market driven, fresh, sustainable, local, seasonal. . . ." Try the grilled Niman Ranch filet mignon with French beans, potato-sunchoke gratin and cabernet shallot butter ($40). The bistro, at 3065 W. 4th St., is closed Sundays and Mondays (1-775-323-3200).

• Drink: Imperial Bar and Lounge, 150 N. Arlington Ave., which opened in March 2007, is a gastropub with a large beer selection and plenty of exposed brick and dark hardwood.

• Stay: The Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 East 2nd St., boasts a casino, pool and a theater that this summer will host punk rocker Billy Idol (June 28), indie songwriter Andrew Bird (July 16) and comedian Tracy Morgan (July 19).

The Sienna Hotel, Spa and Casino, 1 S. Lake St., calls itself Reno's first boutique hotel. Lower your blood pressure with a spa treatment or raise it with a game of blackjack (1-775-321-5831).

• Nightclub: 210 North, 210 N. Sierra St., is a club and lounge that bills itself as "Reno's only true nightclub experience." Stylish dress required. Go-go dancers and DJs.

Or party poolside at Niki Beach, at the Grand Sierra Resort. Lounge in a cabana or dance the night away. Try not to fall into the pool.

• Do: You don't have to leave Reno for outdoor adventures. The Truckee River runs from Lake Tahoe through the center of downtown Reno and up to Pyramid Lake.

"People can kayak or rent a tube or a raft," says Reno magazine editor Amanda Burden. "You can go hiking all over Reno and Tahoe. There's climbing. For me, I'm a big mountain biker, and this area is just the best for every kind of mountain biking you can imagine."

• Extra: The Tucson Sidewinders will be moving to Reno in 2009. So starting next summer, Reno will have minor league baseball, too.

The multicultural state capital stays true to its roots while embracing art, wealth and environmentalism. Where else would the Subaru station wagon be so cool?

• Travel time: A cheap (as low as $150 round trip), hour flight to Albuquerque, where you can grab a reasonably priced rental and be in Santa Fe 90 minutes after the plane touches down.

• Why you want to go there: The city's 7,000-foot altitude produces a decidedly cooler summer — especially in the evening. If that's not enough, there are art and jewelry shopping, people watching (including the occasional celeb), the magnificent scenery and, of course, the opera. (See Friday's Accent section for details.)

• Eat: New Mexico Mexican food is like the place — it's familiar and not. Food can be fiery; seek advice before you order. We have a soft spot for The Shed, east of the Plaza at 1131/2 E. Palace Ave. It's gotten a bit touristy, but The Shed still has a funky charm. We're told La Choza, its sister restaurant at 905 Alarid St., is more authentic and filled with locals. Savor the blue-corn tortillas and be sure to order the posole.

For a high-end dining experience, try Geronimo, 724 Canyon Road. The elk tenderloin is a signature dish, and the Mexican white prawns are primo. The food and the tab will be memorable. Reservations a must (1-505-982-1500).

• Drink: Del Charro Saloon, 1010 W. Alameda St., south of the Plaza, is one of downtown's cheap treats. Grab a hefty $6 house margarita and $5 burger and chill on the patio or inside. If nostalgia calls, a drink in the dark bar at the historic La Fonda hotel, 100 E. San Francisco St., makes you feel like a time-traveler.

• Stay: Pricey and Santa Fe are BFFs. Start searching early. On a recent stay, the Quality Inn, 3011 Cerrillos Road, offered a large, clean room including a hot breakfast. This time of year basic rooms are still less than $100 a night. It's slightly rundown and a few miles from the downtown, but the price leaves more money for hunky turquoise jewelry.

On an earlier visit, the walk-to-almost-everything location of the The Inn on the Alameda, 303 W. Alameda St., the moderately luxurious rooms, substantial continental breakfast and afternoon wine and cheese enticed us to splurge. Rooms this time of year start at about $200 a night (1-888-984-2121).

The Santa Fe Stay rental units, starting at about $130 a day for a one bedroom (plus a one-time cleaning fee), look like a way to pretend you're a local (1-800-995-2272 or www.santafestay.com).

• nightlife: You might get lucky and spot a celebrity at Coyote Cafe, a trendy restaurant and cantina off the Plaza at 132 W. Water St. WilLee's Blues Club, 401 S. Guadalupe St., is THE place to go for great live music and a beer. Or hit The Cowgirl (Hall of Fame), 319 S. Guadalupe St., where the combination of live music, late hours, respectable food and pool tables is hard to beat.

• Do: The outdoor experiences are reason enough to love the area. Most anyone can enjoy Bandelier National Monument, some 30 miles northwest of Santa Fe. Ruins from the Ancestral Pueblo people are a bonus within the 70 miles of trails in Bandelier's 33,000 acres.

• Extra: Take a little road trip to the Shidoni Foundry and Galleries. The outdoor sculpture garden, where kids can roam about and touch the art, is open during daylight hours. You can watch while 2,000-degree molten bronze is poured into ceramic shell molds. It's in Tesuque, about five miles north of the Plaza (1-505-988-8001).

Just 165 miles from the Arizona border, Hermosillo is the capital of Sonora. "Sun City" offers first-class hotels, fine restaurants and more, and is also near major tourist destinations such as Kino Bay, San Carlos and the canyons of La Pintada.

• Flight time: Nearly two hours.

• Eat: El Marcos serves international food in the heart of the hotel district. The tortilla soup is delicious, and little breads with cheese inside and hot sauce with totopos (chips) are gifts from the house.

Steak del Herradero is known as one of the best restaurants to enjoy the traditional flavors of the Sonora region. You'll enjoy steaks, poultry, seafood and regional dishes in a cozy atmosphere.

• Drink: La Barra Hidalgo is a great bar to hang out with friends and enjoy a fine selection of drinks, salads and baguettes. Live music and a terrace to enjoy cool nights are among the things that make this a pleasant place.

The bohemian bar, La Trova, features beautiful "trova" music, providing the ideal atmosphere for good conversation. La Trova also offers a good variety of drinks.

• Stay: Hermosillo offers hotels for every budget.

One of the best options is the Holiday Inn Hermosillo in the heart of the hotel district. It has 132 rooms surrounded by gardens, a cozy restaurant, a sports terrace bar with live entertainment on weekends, and a friendly staff (Eusebio Kino and Ramon Corral, 52-662-289-1700).

Fiesta Inn Hermosillo, also in the hotel district, offers an indoor heated pool, with a terrace for sunbathing. It's ideal for family enjoyment or relaxation. It has 155 rooms, restaurant, bar and gym (Blvd. Eusebio Kino 375, 52 -662-289-2200).

• Nightlife: Tantra Noc is a club for young people where you can dance all night to hip-hop, electronic and pop music. The Web site, www.myspace.com/tantranoc, gives a good feel of the place.

Sports Planet has two sections: a terrace with live music and great party atmosphere, and the inside bar where you can chat, play pool and watch sports on big screens.

• Do: The Asuncion Cathedral and its Plaza Zaragoza is a must visit. Construction started in 1877, and this majestic structure has become an icon. Plaza Zaragoza has a beautiful kiosk and walking paths where you can find raspados, aguas frescas and corn on the cob with butter, lime juice, chili powder and grated cotija cheese.

Cerro de la Campana (Bell Mountain) is a traditional spot to visit. At its top, you get a panoramic view of the city.

La Sauceda is the state's most-visited amusement park. Every member of the family can find something interesting, including go-carts, pools and mini-golf. Inside is the extraordinary La Burbuja Children's Museum.

With San Francisco next door, Oakland, Calif., isn't usually the first place people think about when visiting the Bay Area. At the same time, it is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country. Oakland teems with a dizzying array of fine dining, intriguing landmarks and shopping opportunities that reflect its intricate mosaic of cultures.

• Fight time from Tucson: Three hours, 30 minutes (which puts it close to the time it takes to get to Flagstaff).

• Eat: The Bay Area has long been a haven for foodies, and Oakland plays an increasingly important role in keeping up that reputation. If it's French and Mediterranean meals you crave, try Citron, located in the heart of Oakland's Rockridge District. Dinner entrees like "Loch Duart salmon filet over stewed chickpeas" and "local petrale sole 'Agro Dolce' prawns" range from $18 to $26.

If you'd rather not break the bank on a single dinner, try Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers, a California chain with two locations in Oakland. Barney's serves up a wide selection of sandwiches and salads with more than 20 veggie burgers available for the herbivore in you.

• Drink: Like many Bay Area cities, Oakland loves its vino. And why wouldn't it? Northern California is a well-known wine hub and home to more than 400 wineries. Oakland boasts several of its own, including Lost Canyon, located in a historic warehouse just south of Jack London Square. Lost Canyon specializes in pinot noir and syrah wines produced in the Russian River Valley, along the Sonoma Coast and in Los Carneros on the southern end of the Sonoma and Napa valleys. The North Oakland Wine Mine is also worth a visit, according to Oakland magazine, which voted it the best winery in town for its reasonably priced tastings.

• Stay: Oakland has its share of Best Westerns, Marriotts and Holiday Inns, but for true luxury, we suggest a stay at the Claremont Resort & Spa in the Berkeley Hills, 20 minutes away from the Oakland International Airport. The 279-room resort, first opened its doors in 1915 and comes equipped with 22 acres of gardens and stunning views of the San Francisco Bay. (www.claremontresort.com.)

• Nightclub: Jazz fans will dig a trip to Yoshi's Jazz Club (www.yoshis.com) not too far from Jack London Square. Once an intimate sushi bar featuring live music in Berkeley, Yoshi's has blossomed into a premier destination for a who's who in jazz music. The restaurant/club relocated to Oakland in 1997 as part of the city's revitalization efforts. By that time, it had already hosted major names like Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. Yoshi's has thrived in Oakland as it continues to bring in big-name artists. Spyro Gyra, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Blind Boys of Alabama are all set to play the venue within the next month.

• Do: Visit Oakland's Chinatown, one of the oldest designated Chinatowns in North America. The area first began taking shape in the 1850s. Today it celebrates a vibrant blend of restaurants and shopping opportunities.

When you've done all that Oakland has to offer, hop on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system and take it right into the heart of San Francisco.

The list of quality artists hailing from Austin, Texas, is head-spinning, from Spoon, to Okkervil River, to Willie Nelson. Called "The Live Music Capital of the World," Austin has nearly 200 live-music venues.

• Flight time: About two hours.

• Eat: If you're looking for a proper night out, Hudson's on the Bend, 3509 Ranch Road, was named the city's top restaurant in 2007 by The Austin American Statesman. Bring your dough, because the crab-cake appetizer is listed at $21 (hudsons onthebend.com).

On the more casual end, try out Louie Mueller Barbeque, just north of Austin in Taylor. The restaurant has been featured on the Travel Channel and the Food Network and serves everything from beef ribs to bone-in rib-eye steak.

• Drink: The beverage of choice seems to be Lone Star Beer. And you can find it just about anywhere. In 2007, Lone Star celebrated its 65th year as the "National Beer of Texas."

• Stay: Family-owned and -operated since 1938, the Austin Motel (austin motel.com) is described as one of the cooler places to stay in downtown. And the neighborhood around it is filled with quirky shops and bars. Rates range from $80 to $168.

• Nightclub: One of the most renowned live-music clubs in Austin, or America even, is Stubb's Bar-B-Q (stubbsaustin.com). The venue was born in Lubbock, Texas, back when the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan would shred there, before it was moved to Austin. Today you can see acts like Grand Archives (June 21) and Thievery Corporation (June 24).

• Do: Austin is also known for two massive music festivals: South by Southwest (SXSW) in March, a 24-hour, weeklong, indie-rock marathon (sxsw.com); and Austin City Limits, taking place Sept. 26-28 and headlined by acts like Foo Fighters and Beck (aclfestival.com).

Like Tucson, San Antonio is a city with a small-town feel. Famous for its River Walk, San Antonio is also home to the first museum of modern art in Texas — the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum — as well as the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

• Flight time: 1 hour 56 minutes.

• Eat: The tacos at Taco Taco Cafe, 145 E. Hildebrand, have been voted the best in America by both Bon Appetit magazine and Food Network. Details magazine voted the restaurant's breakfast the best in the country. Sample the carne asada taco and see how it measures up to the tacos at El Charro. Or, if you go for breakfast, give the huevos rancheros a try (1-210-822-9533).

If you're up for a more upscale dining experience, Gourmet magazine named Le Reve, 152 E. Pecan St., the nation's sixth-best restaurant. Try its summer tastings menu, featuring sashimi grade crudo, onion tart, foie gras, haricot-vert salad, wild-caught salmon, tournedo of beef, cheese and dessert, which is $100, or $165 with wines (1-210-212-2221).

• Drink: The oldest independent brewery in Texas, the Spoetzl Brewery, 603 E. Brewery St. in Shiner, has been making Shiner beer since 1909. Shiner is a 1-hour-45-minute drive east of San Antonio. Try the Shiner Bock. Take the brewery tour. It's free and you get four 7-ounce cups of beer ( 1-361-594-3383).

• Stay: Travel & Leisure named two San Antonio hotels to its list of Top 500 Hotels in the U.S. The Watermark Hotel & Spa, 212 W. Crockett St., offers a variety of amenities such as private treatment suites and a poolside cafe with rooftop views. Try a mesquite scrub or an avocado lime-blossom scalp and body treatment ( 1-210-396-5800).

The Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, 150 E. Houston St., along the banks of the San Antonio River, offers a spa, fitness center and specials such as stiletto-heel Fridays, when, for every inch of your heel, you receive $1 off your first drink at the hotel's Vbar (1-210-227-9700).

• Nightlife: Arjon's International Club, 8736 Tesoro Drive, has live merengue and salsa Sundays from 9 p.m. to close, as well as $1 drinks from 8 to 11 p.m. If your salsa skills are rusty, take a free dance class from 7:30 to 9 p.m. .

The Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham, is a progressive 18-and-older dance club with three dance floors and four bars. Wednesday nights get $2 well drinks and $2.50 domestic longneck.

• Do: Visit the Alamo, site of the 1836 battle between some Texians and Tejanos and Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna's army. The defenders held out for 13 days. Among the Alamo's garrison were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and Davy Crockett. The Alamo is open daily and admission is free.

Looking for something for the kids? Check out SeaWorld San Antonio, the nation's largest marine park. And there's Six Flags Fiesta Texas, home of Superman: Krypton Coaster and Tony Hawk's Big Spin.

• Extra: Watch the 1960 movie, "The Alamo," starring John Wayne and Richard Widmark, before you visit the historic fort.

• Sure, you could lose your paycheck at a local casino, but those don't offer sports betting, world-renowned dining, show options and the eye candy that comes with being in Sin City, the nation's entertainment capital.

• Flight time: 75 minutes.

• Eat: Load up your plate with endless prime rib, shrimp and crab at MGM Grand Buffet on the Las Vegas strip. Expect to pay about $30 for dinner.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck's Spago Las Vegas, tucked into the renowned Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, is a celebrity hot spot. Expect to pay $31-$50 per person (1-702-369-6300).

• Drink: Deals abound, but casinos are notorious for watering down free drinks at the tables. For value it's tough to beat the $5 32-ounce football mugs sold on the street at the Fremont Street Experience Downtown.

• Stay: Tropicana Casino and Hotel is on the hotter end of the Strip near New York New York and the Excalibur. You can save money on cab fare while still being in the heat of the action. When we checked last month, rooms were starting at $80 a night (1-888-826-8767).

The Palms Las Vegas is one of the best-known spots for hosting high rollers, including movie stars and pro athletes. Earlier this month, rooms were starting at $199 (1-702-942-7777).

• Nightclub: George Clooney, Tom Brady and Britney Spears have been known to party at Tryst in the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas. Open 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., the cover is $20 for women, while men pay $30.

Drai's, open from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m., is a low-key after-hours hangout that has a dance floor as well as lounge rooms with bookshelves and fluffy couches. Again, cover is $20 for the ladies and $30 for men.

• Do: The Fremont Street Experience. For those who like a slower pace, head Downtown for iconic Old Vegas sights such as the giant neon cowboy, as well as a free laser light show.

• Extra: Take in a show. Vegas is the new off-Broadway and includes Cirque du Soleil, big-name comics and musicals. Expect to pay at least $100 for tickets to the most popular shows, but take solace in knowing you'd probably have lost that money at the tables anyway.

It seems many of Dallas' residents aren't from Dallas, so you often won't encounter that famous Texas drawl. You will encounter great museums, pro sports teams and a lively nightlife, however.

• FLIGHT TIME: Smidgen over two hours.

• Eat: The Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse is not a game, but it is a fantastic restaurant that serves game. Quail, elk, venison, buffalo and pheasant are just some of the meats. Dinner entrees start at $19.

Located in the West End, the Y.O. has a casual Western atmosphere with a fun bar. Call 1-214-744-3287 for reservations or go to www.yoranchsteak house.com.

One of the best restaurants in the nation is the Mansion Restaurant in the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd. Go to www.mansiononturtlecreek.com/ dine1.cfm to see the menu, which lists dinner starters such as foie gras and crispy braised pigtail.

Expect to pay $100-plus a person for a three-course dinner without alcohol.

You won't forget this meal, but, unfortunately, neither will your wallet.

• Drink: If you crave the nightlife, two popular areas are the West End and Deep Ellum.

Just outside of downtown Dallas, the West End is a former warehouse district now full of chains like Dick's Last Resort. It's fun but predictable.

Deep Ellum used to be a very alternative, edgy place a couple of blocks from the West End. Now it's more like the white-washed bars and restaurants of the West End. They're still fun, though.

Check out The Bone, a blues bar at 2724 Elm St. Downstairs is a typical barroom, but upstairs is a patio bar with live music, a great view and room for dancing (1-214-744-2663).

• Stay: The best of the best is the five-star Dallas luxury hotel Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Besides the super-deluxe restaurant, the hotel offers complimentary shoeshines, cushy robes and a nice workout room that includes free fruit, chilled hand towels and bottled water (www.mansiononturtlecreek.com; 1-214-559-2100).

• Nightclub: Go to Club Dada, at 2720 Elm St., in Deep Ellum. Live music is featured several times a week (www.clubdada.com).

• Do: Channel your love of sports and check out a baseball game. The Texas Rangers are based in Arlington, about a 20-minute drive from Dallas. Ticket prices start at $6 (texas.rangers.mlb.com/).

• Extra: Founded in 1888, the Dallas Zoo was the first zoo in the Southwest. You can see Jenny, the oldest gorilla in captivity who turned 55 in May.

The zoo is three miles south of downtown Dallas.

The more buttoned-up cousin to Los Angeles, San Diego is California's second-largest city and boasts some 70 miles of awesome beaches. Also there are Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, the San Diego Padres, and . . . c'mon, everybody goes there to see ocean.

• Flight time: About an hour.

• Eat: True, you can get good Mexican food in Tucson, but you're still going to want to try the lobster tacos ($9.50) at World Famous, 711 Pacific Beach Drive, Pacific Beach. Besides an amazing view of the ocean, there are daily specials on items like tacos and margaritas.

• Drink: If you're a beer lover, we recommend taking a short drive north to Green Flash Brewing Co. The brewery does tastings and tours most afternoons and, in particular, the West Coast I.P.A. is amazing (greenflashbrew.com).

• Stay: We've never had the bank roll to do this, but of all the places to stay in the San Diego area, Tower 23 looks insane.

If we had to splurge we'd go with the two-bedroom, 710-square-foot Sweet Suite, which features two private balconies with ocean views, a 42-inch LCD HDTV, wet bar and Jacuzzi. Say you want to check out the Sweet Suite on, say Monday — it'd cost you $1,200 before tax (tower23hotel.com).

For the more thrifty, the Hillcrest Inn, 3754 Fifth Ave., is walking distance to downtown San Diego, Balboa Park and the eccentric Hillcrest neighborhood. Rooms start at $109 per night, and if you stay two nights, you get a $25 gas credit (hillcrestinn.net).

• Nightclub: Music venues in San Diego are a plenty, and the long-running Casbah is the one that best suits our musical tastes. There's live music six to seven days a week. Check out Fleet Foxes on June 27, and the Hold Steady Aug. 1 (casbahmusic.com).

Once you get to Westgate City Center, you won't need to drive again. Called the "Times Square of the West," it's a self-contained entertainment mecca with hotels, restaurants, shops and a multiplex movie theater. When it's completed in a few years, it will have five hotels, more than 20 restaurants and 6.5 million square feet of retail and office space.

You can also walk to watch the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium and see the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena — both places are also hot concert spots.

• Drive time: A little more than two hours (130 miles). Take Interstate 10 to the Loop 101, and you'll see the center off Glendale Avenue.

• Eat: Twenty restaurants, from the casual sandwich shop Which Wich? to the laid-back Fox Sports Grill. More unique offerings include Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Sweet O Wine & Chocolate Lounge and the Shout House, home of dueling rock pianos.

• Drink: Jimmy Buffett slings the best margaritas, including the tantalizing Last Mango in Paris and the record-setting Big Rita — $12.95 for 20 ounces in a glass you can take home. Kabuki Japanese Restaurant has a full menu of saki drinks, and Be Sushi & Martini serves up, you guessed it, martinis.

• Stay: Summer means cheaper rates in the Phoenix area.

Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa, 9495 W. Coyotes Blvd., was offering rooms as low as $98 last week. Includes wireless Internet in the room, and a spa, gym and indoor lap pool (1-623-937-3700).

• Nightclub: The Western-themed Hell's Half Acre is the only true bar, but several of the restaurant-bars have hip nightclub vibes, including the just-opened Yard House Bar and Grill. It boasts the world's largest collection of draft beer and has 188 on tap.

• Bonus: Westgate hosts its first-ever pub crawl next Thursday from 7 p.m. to midnight.

• Do: Plan a mini-vacation around a concert or a game. Some upcoming shows at Jobing.com Arena: American Idols Live on July 1; Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Aug. 20; or New Kids on the Block, Oct. 13. The Cardinals kick off their pre-season Aug. 7, when they meet the New Orleans Saints. Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

And the center hosts live entertainment at the courtyard fountain Fridays through Sundays. In the fall, it holds tailgate parties; in the winter, a New Year's bash.

It takes nearly as long as driving and will cost you lots more. The cheapest flight we saw was $138; most seemed to run closer to $300 and include at least one stop. Stops? Where do you stop when you're going only about 115 miles?

Apparently, Denver. Or Los Angeles. Or L.A. and San Diego. There's even one US Airways/Delta flight that takes you through Salt Lake City, with a side trip to Sacramento. You pay $509.50 and get to Phoenix six hours and 33 minutes later.

It takes about two hours to drive, and costs about $40 (based on gas costing $4 a gallon) if you're driving a midsize sedan, according to AAA's nifty Web site, www.fuelcostcalculator.com.