Carpe Weekend!
There's a lot to be said for the easy get-out-of-town escape: You roll out a map at five o'clock on Friday, choose a point an hour or two away, pack the ice chest, and throw everything in the car with the dog. Sweet freedom. But be honest: You keep going back to the same spot, don't you? This summer, break out a bigger map, one that has all your dream getaways on it. In the pages that follow, we present a varied menu of tasty adventures, whether you're looking for epic bragging rights, a quiet escape for two, an easy-to-reach nexus for a group gathering, or a wild road trip. With the Internet awash in last-minute-travel sites and package deals, the choice is yours. All it takes is two or three days to kick the lazy-summer habit, so extricate yourself from that inflatable pool toy and let the weeds live another day: Now's your chance to steal away to someplace completely different.

» Extreme Relaxation: When nothing but epic downtime will do

» The Road-Trip Cure: Because sometimes you've just gotta roll

» The Group Dynamic: Amazing places for a harmonic convergence

» Wilderness Therapy: Lose (and find) yourself in the great wide open

» Just Hit Escape: Point, click, go. Plotting a last-minute getaway is almost that easy.

» The Hub Club: Where you can find the season's best airfares

» Fast Cultural Fix: Go international without going far

» Bragging Rights: Be the hero of your Monday-morning meeting

» Saturday-Night Special: Even when you're short on time, you can go long on adventure

» Romantic Hideouts: Feel the love, without the heart-shaped bathtub