Winter Escapes: Now Departing For...

San Diego
JetBlue 411 // Five hours, 30 minutes

San Diego's much-discussed nearly perfect weather and famed SoCal vibe aren't the only reasons to fly west. The sunny city also has its legions of carefree bronzed surfers, the country's best Mexican food (fish tacos!), and bikini-ready beaches, along with the Gaslamp Quarter, a West Coast equivalent of South Beach, with hip shopping and nightlife scenes.

Take off
JetBlue lifts off from Boston every evening at 5. Depart on Wednesday; the return redeye, Flight 412, lands back at Logan at 5:10 a.m. Monday. 800-538-2583, jetblue.com.

Stay
Opened in November, the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, complete with modish “rock star suites” and an in-house Nobu restaurant, is the latest riff in the chain's repertoire. Doubles from $295; 866-751-7625, hardrockhotelsd.com.

Eat
Local star chef Chris Walsh's funky new Hillcrest-area bistro, Bite, serves creative comfort food dishes like yam gnocchi with rock shrimp and house-made duck prosciutto. 619-299-2483, bitesd.com.

Grin and bear
The Louvre of animal menageries, the San Diego Zoo has more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals, including the buzzed-about new panda cub, Zhen Zhen. 619-231-1515, sandiegozoo.org.

Pack
Flip-flops, the city's almost-official footwear.

Savannah
Delta 5031 // Two hours, 30 minutes

With its European-style architecture and deep Celtic roots, Savannah is like a smaller—and infinitely more laid-back—Boston, making it an ideal getaway for cranky Yankees looking to submerge themselves in Southern luxury for a few days. The Historic District is a certified national landmark, and is dotted with 22 distinct squares overflowing with Spanish moss and filled with trendy new boutiques and up-and-coming restaurants.

Take off
Touch down in Savannah at 11:55 a.m. on Friday. Delta's Flight 5352 has you back in Boston on Tuesday just after 3 p.m. 800-221-1212, delta.com.

Stay
Pull into the Thunderbird Inn, a restored vintage motel in the Historic District that's swapped polyester bedspreads for plush modern linens. Doubles from $89; 912-232-2661, thethunderbirdinn.com.

Eat
When his Local 110 opened last spring, chef Keith Latture quickly earned praise for innovative Southern-accented creations like Sapelo Island clams with chorizo. 912-790-9000, local11ten.com.

Party
After Boston, the Savannah St. Patrick's Day festival is the second largest in the United States—it's all the debauchery, none of the bone-chilling cold. savannahsaintpatricksday.com.

Pack
A “Kiss Me, I'm Boston Irish” T-shirt.

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