Hot Options for Release, Relaxation

The goal is to get warm, by the heat of the sun. If beach-side lounging doesn't create a travel spark, there are several other ways to get your warm groove on. Consider the following options -- some coastal, others inland -- but all well above 70 degrees.

Go Shopping....

...in Buenos Aires. Why not? It's summer there. The exchange rate is about three Argentine pesos to the dollar, which is an incentive to spend. You'll find the latest in European fashion, plus that of local designers. Plus, leather, antiques, and of course, lunch in between. For a sample itinerary, Post reporter Walter Nicholls shares highlights from his shopping blitz:

...on the Caribbean island of Martinique. As an official territory of France, Martinique offers les produits francais, just as if you were on the Motherland. Perfume, wine, cognac, fabulous clothes -- they're all fair game. There's even an island outpost of Galleries Lafayette, the famous department store in Paris. All this, and then of course, a bottle of killer dark Martinique 'rhum.'

...in the desert, or at least near one. We're thinking Phoenix, land of golf, spas, amazing vistas -- and outlet shopping. Pack an extra bag in your suitcase for the goodies you'll find at the aptly named Last Chance, the final destination for all Nordstrom returns and closeouts. It's a scene, but the shoe selection is unparalleled. I'm still frothing from my finds three years later. In nearby Tempe, Neiman Marcus's Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth are among the bargain spots at Arizona Mills, billed as the largest shopping mall in the state of Arizona.

...in South Beach. It's true that most of the stores you see in malls around the country -- Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic, Levis, Nine West, The Gap -- are also dotted along Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road. However, because of the tropical climate, inventory tends to be less conservative, brighter, bolder -- shall we say racier and more fun? Without wool on the racks, there's plenty of room for swimsuits, sandals, sleeveless everything, and you'll be ahead of the summer fashion curve.

Learn to Cook Mexican

Fly to Mexico City, rent a car and get cook-schooled in a nearby city in the Central Highlands, where the weather is warm enough for t-shirts and outdoor market shopping. Culinary tour company Epiculinary has a seven-day intensive course on the cuisine of Puebla, a crossroads of Spanish, French and ancient Mayan and Aztecan traditions (and home to mole), about 60 miles south of Mexico City. Combination hands-on classes and culinary excursions. 

A five-day, hands-on, bilingual course, using family recipes from host and instructor Estela Salas Silva. Small classes, accommodations in Silva's hacienda located in Tlaxcala, about a two-hour drive from Mexico City.

Similarly, in Cuernavaca (about 45 minutes south of Mexico City), a four-day or seven-day course with host/cooking instructor Ana Isabel Garcia Moreno. Hands-on and culinary excursions. Vegetarian programs can be designed on request.

Strike a Pose

Yoga has become so popular that you can point your finger on a map while blindfolded and probably come up with a retreat destination. Here are a few destinations we'd like to have downward facing dog dreams: Tobago, the smaller, quieter half of Trinidad, is emerging as a yoga oasis. Washington yoga studio Tranquil Space is hosting a week-long retreat in March at The Villas at Paradise Point, a beachfront property with a nature trail.

Ongoing yoga and tai chi classes are part of the daily routine at Kariwak Village, a self-described holistic haven. Massage and other bodywork services, including aruyvedic medicine and reflexology, are available.

Daily yoga classes as well as special week-long retreats with guest instructors are on tap at Moonlight Mountain Retreat, a semi all-inclusive property located in the hills of rural Tobago. Can sleep up to 10, for one or two-week stays. Shared bath only. Fee includes two meals a day, yoga classes, 1 massage and airport transfer. 

Known for its eco-focus, including waterfalls, sulfure springs, a boiling lake, major birdlife and Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Caribbean island of Dominica (do-me-KNEE-ka) is now home to a yoga-centric resort. Two yoga studios, a pool made with volcanic stones and hardwood cottages on wooden stilts in the jungle. Direct flights from Washington to Dominica are not available; connections are available in San Juan, Barbados or Martinique. 

Quick. Book a nonstop flight to Cancun, then take a taxi to either Puerto Juarez or Gran Puerto Cancun ferry dock, for a 20-minute ride to Isla Mujeres, a small island-village and home to beach-front property Na Balam. Three yoga classes weekly, plus organized week-long retreats. This option is great for last-minute planners in search of relatively easy travel logistics.

The Mayan village of Tulum, Mexico, boasts several options for the traveling yogi, but we've got our eye on Amansala, an all-inclusive resort offering both yoga retreats and its home-grown Bikini Boot Camp. Three, five or six-night programs that offer yoga, as well as biking, kayaking, and a creative use of the word 'exercise' (flamenco workout, beach body sculpt, silent beach walk). 

Getting Sporty

Baseball hounds, let's scrap spring training in Clearwater this year and catch a few innings at the first-ever World Baseball Classics, a 16-nation tournament (including Cuba) in March. Although hosted in further-flung western cities, there are exhibition games in Kissimmee, Fla. (about 10 miles from Disney World) and first-round games at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. 

The surf is good in Costa Rica, and don't worry if you don't know how to ride waves. Green Iguana Surf Camp, in Playa Dominical, on the south Pacific coast. Five-day courses for beginners; packages offer two lodging options -- beach or rainforest. Pickup from San Jose airport included in price.

Get your wind back in March on a six-day bike tour of the state of Georgia. Beginning and ending in Savannah, you'll bike between 20 and 45 miles a day, touring wetlands, ritzy Jekyll Island, nature reserves and barrier island Sapelo Island.