Travel America: Follow the sun: head south for winter getaways that will warm your spirits and chase

EVEN THE MOST AVID WINTER sports enthusiast can only stand so much snow. Freezing temperatures, gloomy skies, and layers of polar fleece take their toll. When thoughts turn to balmy breezes, sun-sprinkled beaches, romantic sunsets, and dazzlingly green golf courses, clearly, it's time to fly like the birds south to the coastlines and deserts where snow is seen only on The Weather Channel.

Georgia's coast has long been a favorite winter getaway. When it comes to culture and history, you can't beat Savannah, with its tree-shaded squares, historic brick buildings, and horse-drawn carriage rides.

For activities like golf, tennis, and bicycling, Georgia's Golden Isles are the place to be. Accessible front Brunswick, a shrimp port, Jekyll, St. Simons, and Sea islands are semi-tropical playgrounds that call to the active set. One of the country's most famous resorts, The Cloister, is on Sea Island and offers everything from skeet shooting to cooking classes.

The King & Prince Beach Resort, opened as a dance club in the 1930s, offers 21st century amenities in a historic setting on St. Simons. Golfers can try for the elusive hole-in-one on the resort's 18-hole golf course. The Hampton Club, which was voted one of the top 10 new resort courses by Golf Digest when it opened in 1990.

Jekyll may be the smallest of Georgia's barrier islands, but there is no shortage of beauty and history. Thanks to the building of the exclusive Jekyll Island Club in the late 1800s, the island became the playground for the country's wealthiest financiers in the early part of the 20th century. Today the entire island is a state park where vacationers can golf, tennis, bicycle, canoe, kayak, or just soak up the sun on the 10 miles of unspoiled beach.

For a mild-weather city vacation in Louisiana, New Orleans fits the bill. So what if you get a little rain in the "Big Easy"--the French Quarter is filled with places to listen to jazz, have a libation, or wolf down some spicy Cajun food. If picking a spot to eat or party seems overwhelming, consider starting your visit with a walking tour of the French Quarter. Expert guides go rain or shine and, besides getting a good dose of history, you'll find out where the resident ghosts hang out. Museum aficionados can learn more about the spooky side of the city at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, while the cooks in the group can take classes in Cajun cuisine. For a look at the city from the river. accompanied by the sounds of a live jazz band, book a dinner or sightseeing cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.

Florida, appropriately named the Sunshine State, is America's most popular getaway mecca. Average winter temperatures range from the low 60s in the north to the high 70s in the south. A golfer's paradise. Florida boasts over 1,000 coupes, more than any other state. White sand beaches stretch for miles and while the water may be a little nippy for a swim (50s to tow 70s), the weather is perfect for walking, shelling, and fishing.

Boasting 343 sunny days a year, northwestern Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico, seldom gets cooler than sweater weather in the winter months. One of the area's largest cities, Pensacola, has a rich history. It has three preservation areas. one of the best air and space museums in the world--the National Museum of Naval Aviation--and 40 miles of tantalizing beaches.

From Pensacola to Panama City, a series of beach towns make up the Emerald Coast and the Beaches of South Walton. In Fort Walton Beach successful fishermen can have their catch prepared by a local restaurant. The nouveau-Victorian community of Seaside has redbrick sidewalks that wind by pastel buildings and picket fences. And Panama City Beach otters 27 miles of beaches, an aquarium called the Gulfarium, and an amusement park.

Indian River County, mid-way down Florida's Atlantic Coast, is home to some of the country's tastiest oranges and grapefruits. The area boasts a January-to-March high of 71 degrees, and the central town is Vero Beach. Besides golf, tennis, and water sports, the area offers family-oriented environmental activities such as turtle watches and hands-on experiences with river creatures at the Environmental Learning Center's wet lab.

Not only is the Lee Island Coast of southwest Florida one of the warmest spots in the state in the winter 177 degrees average high), it is home to some of the best shelling in the country. There are some 200 varieties of shells on Sanibel Island alone, and devotees spend hours in what has come to be known as the "Sanibel Stoop," combing the beach for perfect specimens.

In Fort Myers, friends Thomas Edison and Henry Ford built neighboring winter residences. Both properties are open to the public, and for three weeks in February the Edison Festival of Light celebrates Edison's birthday with all sorts of events.

Alabama's coast is located at the tip of the state on the Gulf of Mexico. Winter temperatures hover around the high 50s to low 60, perfect weather for golf, tennis. walking, and cycling. Known as the "Red Snapper Capital of the World." Orange Beach every February celebrates the tasty fish at the Red Snapper Festival.

While mild winter weather, 26 miles of manmade beach, and 19 golf courses make Mississippi's Gulf Coast appealing, the 12 casinos don't hurt either. With casino space second only to Las Vegas, visitors can try their luck 24/7. For a unique firsthand look at the fishing industry, take the Biloxi Shrimping Trip--a 70-minute shrimp-catching cruise--or visit the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum.

Those looking for a pristine beach experience can board the ferry and head for one of Mississippi's barrier islands. Part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. these remote islands offer plenty of outdoor activities, including swimming, fishing, hiking, and birdwatching.

If festivals and celebrations get your heart racing, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is rumored to have something going on almost every weekend, and winter travelers can take advantage of the area's biggest annual bash, Mardi Gras in February.

Southern Texas is long and varied. The eastern portion, on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Galveston, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island, boasts white sand beaches and a fish-filled sea. Farther west, in and around El Paso, the landscape turns to desert.

Arizona's desert has balmy winter temperatures (60s and 70s), and accommodations run the gamut. Cowboy and cowgirl wannabes can rope dogies and brand calves at the Williams Family Ranch near Wickenburg, while the pampered set luxuriates in spa treatments at Tucson's 93-acre Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.

In Palm Springs, California, and surrounding desert cities, daytime temperatures in the winter range from the 60s to the 80s. With more than 100 golf courses. tennis courts by the score, and swimming pools numbering in the tens of thousands. the area is a winter wonderland for the active set.

Whether it's the desert or the seashore. a warm escape will go a long way toward curing the winter blues as it lifts your spirits and warms your soul, not to mention the rest of you.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

FOR INFORMATION ON SUN-SPLASHED WINTER GET-aways, contact the following state tourism offices:

Alabama, (800) ALABAMA; www.touralabama.org.

Arizona, (866) 275-5816; www.arizonaguide.com.

California, (800) 862-2543; www.visitcalifornia.com.

Florida, (888) 7-FLAUSA; www.flausa.com

Georgia, (800)-VISITGA; www.georgia.org

Louisiana, (800) 633-6970; www.lousianatravel.com

Mississippi, (866) SEE-MISS; www.visitmississippi.org

Texas, (800)-8888 TEX; www.traveltex.com