Summer is all about escape: Whether it's to an island in the Caribbean or a summer house in Maine, this is the time of year to pack your bags and get away from it all--at least for a few days. You read about some Sarasotans' travel destinations and tips in Pam Daniel's July editor's column; here are a two more we think are well worth mentioning.

Grab a dose of urban energy. When novelist (and Sarasota Magazine's social detective  ) Leslie Glass decided to move to Sarasota, she held on to her apartment on 57th Street in New York City. "My kids don't want to give up their family home," she says. "Whoever gets broken up or whatever goes back and hunkers down there for a while." And Glass loves spending time up there herself, especially in summer. "It's not as frantic--you can get into shows and restaurants," she explains, "and because itÕs not cold, you can walk anywhere."

In fact, walking is the best way to discover the infinite variety of the city, Glass says. Her favorite walk is down Madison Avenue--although "it's dangerous because there's so much to buy." She also advises friends to stroll through the 47th Street jewelry district to see the fantastic array of baubles from around the globe. But wherever you go, arm yourself with a Zagat restaurant guide and a New York walking tour book, decide where you'll have lunch, then spend your day exploring the nearby sights and flavors, from the architecture to one-of-a-kind boutiques and markets. "See New York by neighborhoods," she says. "That's what's so fantastic."

Get in tune with nature--and yourself. Betsy Kane-Hartnett loves all sorts of things about Sarasota, especially her work as co-executive director of 40 Carrots Family Center , but at heart, she admits, she's "a California girl." She and her husband John spend their summers at their farmhouse surrounded by their own vineyards in Calistoga in California's Napa Valley, where she revels in the pastoral lifestyle. "There is nothing artificial about Napa," she emphasizes, from the landscape to the people to the food.

"People who are tied to the earth tend to be good," she says. "And people with wineries tend to have had an earlier career--they're interesting and driven by passion rather than making money." When she's out there, says Betsy, "I don't wear make-up, we work out all day, gardening or walking the vineyards, and we entertain and eat outside. I slow down and literally smell the roses." And with San Francisco 90 minutes away and Berkeley a little closer, she "makes a point of going to one or the other at least once a week."

Calistoga is famous for its spas, she says; some of her favorites are the Calistoga Massage Center and Day Spa and the Mount View Spa. Indian Springs or Calistoga Spa Hot Springs excel at traditional mud baths. There's great shopping throughout Napa, but "if you like New Age stuff, you'll never have to leave Calistoga." She and John and their kids like to make the trek to Bodega Bay, on the coast--cold even in summer, but beautiful. Another favorite destination: Armstrong Forest with its giant redwoods.

"California is all about food and wine," says Betsy. Just a few of her many recommendations: In and Out Burger, where "a couple of bucks buys you heaven," and Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for the oysters Pablo, a rock cod sandwich with spicy slaw or roasted artichokes. Cindy's new restaurant, Go Fish, is also a favorite--try the Ken's roll, says Betsy. Bar Vino, "the new kid on the block," offers small plates and wines by the glass, and Brannan's Grill is pricy but "dependably good." Tip: ask for a table near the window in warm weather or one by the fireplace in winter.