Winter Escapes: Now Departing For...

Phoenix
Southwest 1033 // Five hours

New Age detox spas and New York–ified boutique hotels abound in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area, one of the country's fastest-growing regions. Scottsdale's Old Town neighborhood is filled with shops and galleries, and the surrounding Phoenix Mountains afford sweeping sunset views.

Take off
Southwest flies twice daily from Manchester to Phoenix. Board Wednesday's outgoing 4:35 p.m. leg; Sunday's return Flight 3598 lands at 6:30 p.m. 800-435-9792, southwest.com.

Stay
Once a hangout for Hollywood royalty, the 1956 Hotel Valley Ho has been overhauled with glass-walled rooms and private poolside cabanas. Doubles from $299; 866-882-4484, hotelvalleyho.com.

Eat
Sit at Yasu Sushi Bistro's tiny bar and order monkfish liver pâté from the chef's sumibiyaki menu. 602-787-9181.

Explore
See the Sonoran in all its sparse beauty at the Desert Botanical Garden, where artist Patrick Dougherty's Childhood Dreams sculpture is on exhibit this month. 480-941-1225, dbg.org.

Pack
Your clubs. With 50-plus courses, the area is a links lover's paradise.

Punta Cana
US Airways 1255 // Four hours

The once sleepy Dominican Republic region of Punta Cana now gets visitors year round. Though you'd hardly know it: Somehow, the white sand beaches remain pristine, the shallow waters crystal clear, and the resorts more or less secluded. Celebs like Julio Iglesias and Oscar de la Renta have homes here and, with them, easy access to the region's famous rums and underappreciated cigars.

Take off
Depart Boston at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Flight 1254 returns from Punta Cana at 2 p.m. local time the same day. 800-622-1015, usairways.com.

Stay
The new de la Renta–designed Tortuga Bay has won rave reviews. Its 15 exclusive beachfront suites have conciergelike “villa managers” to handle everything from serving breakfast to rounding up laundry. Doubles from $245; 809-959-2262, puntacana.com.

Eat
Guests at seafood restaurant La Yola eat local specialties like asopao de camarones (shrimp and rice stew) at tables set on a glass floor. 809-959-2262, puntacana.com.

Sightsee (while tipsy)
Spend the morning sipping the spicy rum aphrodisiac mamajuana on the beach; in the afternoon, arrange a day trip to Santo Domingo, the former seat of Spain's Caribbean colonies.

Pack
A Prada swimsuit. You never know when you might run into de la Renta—or (swoon) a visiting Iglesias junior.

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