Chick Trips

New Orleans Mardi Gras, the greatest free show on earth, happens in February, but in the Big Easy summer fun comes cheap, too. Book a one-bedroom pad at the Iberville Suites, smack in the French Quarter, one block from riotous Bourbon Street (866/229-4351, ibervillesuites.com, from $139). Bypass the frat-house fray for two live-music clubs on the fringe of the Quarter: Donna's Bar & Grill, where brass bands hoot till dawn (800 N. Rampart St., 504/596-6914), and the jazz-and-blues dive Funky Butt, which serves crawfish po'boys (714 N. Rampart St., 504/558-0872).

Miami Beach In the heart of South Beach's scene, the Greenview Hotel is impossibly cheap (877/782-3557, rubellhotels.com/, $60). The best part: You can use the pool of its more expensive sister hotel, the Albion, to acquire a tan. Hit La Casa de las Guayaberas for those authentic four-pocket Latin shirts (5840 SW 8th St., 305/266-9683). Saturday night, kick it at Cuba Nocturna, a party of urban Afro-Cuban music and dancing (190 NE 46th St., 786/543-6222, 6gonline.com/, $5). Later, try some of Miami's best Cuban food at Sergio's Restaurant, where most entrées are around $8 (3252 Coral Way, 305/529-0047).

Self-improvement is not only for the imperfect

Lenox, Massachusetts Yoga has been serious business at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires since 1983 (800/741-7353, kripalu.com/). But beginners are welcome too. Take all the classes you want for $135 per night, including food and lodging. The peaceful center caters to the mind, spirit, and body--it offers more than 30 types of bodywork (starting at $70 per 50 minutes).

Washburn, Missouri At the nonprofit Wholistic Life Center, located on 900 acres in the Ozarks (417/435-2212, wholisticlifecenter.org/), you can spend a three-night weekend for $395 (in a shared double in a historic stone house) or $475 (your own room). Activities and treatments include meditation and movement classes, and the overall vibe is one of growth and healing--which means lots of juices and family-style vegetarian meals. Massages are extra ($50 per hour). A full week runs $850.

Cortes Island, British Columbia Expand your mind at Hollyhock, a retreat 100 miles north of Vancouver, on a beach nestled against Canadian cedars (800/933-6339, hollyhock.bc.ca/). Programs include shamanism, global justice, and leadership. Bunk in scenic oceanside doubles with private bath ($159), dorms ($79), or tents ($61); prices are per night and cover meals (gourmet vegetarian and fresh seafood), guided walks with a naturalist, and movement classes.

Hot Springs, North Carolina Thirty-five miles from Asheville's airport, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Hot Springs Spa and Resort sits beside the French Broad River amid shady laurels (800/462-0933, hotspringsspa-nc.com/). The spring's powerful mineral water emerges from the hills at 100°F-104°F and is said to aid in the treatment of a host of chronic problems, ranging from indigestion to sciatica. Deluxe cabins for four come with spring-fed private tubs ($159); regular cabins ($45 and up) don't have the tubs, but visitors can use communal pools (from $20 an hour).

Carmel Valley, California In the Ventana Wilderness, 27 miles inland from Big Sur, the Soto Zen Buddhist monastery opens its Tassajara Zen Mountain Center each summer to non-monks wanting to leave the business of life behind (831/659-2229, sfzc.org/zmcindex.htm). Walk through canyons, join in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony ($20), or hang out by the pool. Rates include all food (vegetarian) and comfortable but basic lodging (i.e., no electricity); the best values are redwood cabins for $110 per person double and single-sex dorms for $99 per person.