Kona Quickie
ESCAPE: OAK to Kona, Hawaii, on North American, started April 3   
ETA: Five hours
THE DAMAGE: At $440 through mid-June, this Sunday flight costs 20 to 35 percent less than Aloha's and United's nonstops, so splurge on a hut at the Kona Village Resort ($530).
WISH YOU WERE HERE!: After a lull, the show's on again at Volcanoes National Park, where a 20-minute hike gets you to the spectacle of red-hot lava pouring into the ocean. For the Big Island's famed powder-fine white sand and sparkling clear water, Hapuna Beach can't be beat.

Venture Capital
ESCAPE: SFO and SJC to Washington, D.C., on Independence Air, starting May 1   
ETA: Five and a half hours
THE DAMAGE: This spring, flights can be had for under $200. The
Ritz-Carlton starts at $299, but for a boutique option, try the campy, bordello-chic Hotel Rouge (from $189).
WISH YOU WERE HERE!: Politics aside, D.C.'s all about museums. Take in the Modigliani show at the Phillips Collection or, for a 007 moment, the Spy Museum. Visit hip hood U Street and grab a chili dog from Ben's Chili Bowl before hitting new club DC9 to hear an indie band.

Head for the Border
ESCAPE: OAK to Mexico City on Mexicana, started in January
ETA: Four hours
THE DAMAGE: May flights start at $400. Once there, the smart set heads for Habita ($178 and up), a translucent green and blue temple of design with a lighted rooftop bar.
WISH YOU WERE HERE!: No longer the Calcutta of Latin America, the city's now an "it" locale for the jet set. Wander the Polanco district to glimpse flashy new architecture, pick up art in the up-and-coming Belle Epoque Roma area, and sip a café in trendy Condesa's Avenida Amsterdam. 

Ice, Ice, Baby
ESCAPE: SFO to Reykjavik on Iceland­air, starting May 18
ETA: Eight and a half hours
THE DAMAGE: $559 and up for spring flights. Design fans rave
over the 101 Hotel ($430), which doubles as a watering hole for Reykjavik's chic contingent.
WISH YOU WERE HERE!: Iceland is more than just the Blue Lagoon and Bjork. Reykjavik's morphing into a 24/7 clubbing-party town, à la Ibiza, and the action's nonstop in downtown's 101 district. Foodies stop by 3 Frakkar to try local fare like fried fish chins, puffin, and raw whale meat.