Sedona
Red rocks, inspiring hikes, and spas abound.

"God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona," claim the locals. No argument here. Just two hours by car from Phoenix, the town's newest getaway, Andalusia-inspired Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa (www.sedonarouge.com, 866-312-4111), opened in June and quickly struck a balance between serenity and style—even offering a little San Francisco culinary flash in the form of Reds, the hotel's restaurant. Serving new interpretations of classics such as house-baked ham with roasted jalapeño, Reds was designed by the team responsible for Lulu and Rose Pistola. Many of the 77 rooms include a fireplace and private patio or balcony. Unusual feature here: spa rooms with living areas—you can have your soaking tub and CNN, too. Daytime, hike the red rocks skirting Coconino National Forest, explore back roads, golf in the desert, or indulge in concentrated spa-hopping.

Sonoma
Hole up in stylish wine country seclusion.

The problem with small inns and B&Bs: they're often twee, too cluttered with someone else's sentimental bric-a-brac. Fortunately, there are brilliant exceptions such as Healdsburg's Honor Mansion and Glen Ellen's Gaige House Inn. Both Sonoma treasures deliver comfort, style, and even romance without dripping treacle. The Honor Mansion (www.honormansion.com, 800-554-4667) is bigger than just the 1883 main house, with 15 guest rooms, including some hidden cottage suites. Amenities include fresh flowers, feather beds, and data ports. Glen Ellen's Gaige House Inn (www.gaige.com, 800-935-0237), north of Sonoma, features contemporary Asian-inspired rooms. Spa options here include the "Four Hands On"—two therapists, four hands, one client. Breakfast offers artichoke-and-postachio blini with home-smoked salmon. Both hotels work well as post-crush wine country headquarters, de-stressing off-line retreats, or self-indulgent love nests. They promise—and deliver—abundant decedence with luxurious restraint.

Palm Springs
The rakish desert playground gets a dose of hip.

No condo in Palm Springs? No worries. Whether you're looking for a tumbledown shack on the outskirts or a mid-century glam ranch in the Movie Colony, you can rent it—for a nights, a week, or a month. But for true don't-lift-a-finger indulgence, this year's splashiest new hotel is the Parker Palm Springs (www.theparkerpalmsprings.com, 760-770-5000). A mod $27 million makeover of Merv Griffin's Resort Hotel and Givenchy Spa by hip New York ceramicist Jonathan Adler, the Parker's playful, sometimes wildly eclectic sensibilty won't appeal to everyone. But if you think a suit of armor goes perfectly well with mid-century furniture and shag carpeting, prepare to be delighted. Whether you're a shameless pool-sitter or a golfing, biking, hiking, tennis-playing outdoor activist, you'll fit right in. Come November, the single most important requirement for a good time in Palm Springs is complete and utter devotion to the sun.

Central Coast
Oenophiles will love this down-home, upscale trip.

Something's happened to the sleepy Central Coast farm burgs of Atascadero and Paso Robles; they've morphed into exciting wine centers offering everything you'd expect from long-standing wine country destinations, where the locals can trip terroir off the tongue without tripping up. Try a twist on the usual wine-tasting expedition. Cindy Newkirk, a fifth-generation scion of a wine-making family, offers tours of her 500-acre Steinbeck Vineyards from aboard Wine Yard Willy, a 1958 jeep. No tasting here: Steinbeck's a grape supplier, not a vintner. But this field trip is a vivid reminder that without up-before-dawn farmers, there'd be no wine country.

You can still find a Travelodge in Paso, but you'd probably prefer Villa Toscana, the ultimate in B&Bs (805-238-5600, www.myvillatoscana.com). This country idyll offers vineyard views from private terraces. Over in Atascadero, the plush Carlton Hotel (877-204-9830, www.the-carlton.com) may look like a refurbished bit of history, but it's brand-new, incorporating just two of the original building's walls.

Yosemite area
Savor the quietude of Yosemite's off-season.

If your last trip to Yosemite was marred by summer cowds, consider an off-season visit and a stay at the tiny, acclaimed Chateau du Sureau (www.elderberryhouse.com, 559-683-6860). Located on nine acres in the small gateway town of Oakhurst conveniently close to Yosemite's South Gate entrance, Chateau was founded in 1991 by Erna Kubin-Clanin, who had already had success on the site with Erna's Elderberry House (sureau means elderberry). Each of the inn's ten rooms is decked out in an herb- or berry-inspired color (think saffron, rosehip, mint). A comprehensive spa featuring signature treatments with the indigenous elderberry is under construction.

San Diego/La Jolla
America's Riviera exudes a rich, understated charm.

For some reason, when northern Californians head south for an extra long weekend, we rarely aim for San Diego. Time to wise up: San Diego's got a lot more going for it that its world-famous zoo. For starters, a lovely fall or winter day at the seashore is always a realistic possibility. And the relative abscence of Hollywood bling and attitude is an asset. Besides, there are more than enough seductive boutiques, intriguing galleries, high-end department stores, and celebrity chefs to fill a half-year sabbatical—if not a lifetime—many within walking distance of one another in lively, distinctive neighborhoods. And dressy La Jolla, up on sandstone bluffs, is a winning bet for base camp. The newest bivoac, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (www.estancialajolla,com, 858-550-1000), doesn't offer ocean views, but its contemporary take on California ranch style is a winner. Room balconies hang over a lush palm, succulent, and cactus garden. While away the days at the La Jolla Playhouse, Torrey Pines Gold Course, Birch Aquarium, or any of the other attractions close to both hotels.