Essence: Girlfriend getaways: celebrate friendship and enjoy a great spring break in these exciting

If the demands of work and family have kept you from spending more quality time with your sisterfriends, it's time to make a change. Our suggestion: Plan a girlfriends-only escape. Traveling with friends not only lets you reconnect but also is good for your health. Studies show that time spent with friends can increase relaxation, improve coping abilities and even lower stress. An increasing number of properties across the country are offering packages that make it a snap to slip away for a long weekend of catching up. Following are five cities worth a visit.

Atlantic City

WHY IT'S HOT: The boardwalk. The beach. The shows and casinos. This New Jersey seaside city is enjoying a renaissance after a more than $2 billion investment in hotel-and-casino complexes, entertainment venues and the beachfront. Even if you're not into gambling, there's plenty to do, from upscale dining to spa treatments to outlet shopping.

MUST-SEES: The Borgata, which opened in 2003 and is credited with sparking the city's revitalization, is home to a new spa, restaurants and dozens of nightlife venues, including the Mixx. The Quarter at the Tropicana, modeled after Old Havana, also has high-end bars and restaurants, a comedy club, an IMAX theater, and live music spots like The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), co-owned by legendary R&B producers Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble. This supper club celebrates soul, from menu to music.

Outside, stroll the boardwalk, chew saltwater taffy, or visit the outdoor outlet mall, Atlantic City Outlets. The Walk features fine retailers like Coach, Banana Republic, Kenneth Cole, Nautica and more. Don't miss the Civil Rights Garden, where you can stroll among ginkgo trees, sculptures and inscriptions relating to the Civil Rights Movement. Contact: (888) 228-4748 or atlanticcitynj.com for information.

WHERE TO STAY: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa: This upscale site's Up All Night package includes a standard room, passes to the Borgata Comedy Club and drinks at the B-Bar or Gypsy Bar. Price: * Doubles, $149 per night. Contact: (866) MY-BORGATA or the borgata.com. Tropicana: Its Havana Two-Night package includes two nights in a Havana Tower room, VIP check-in, access to Tropicana's private club, cocktails, a $100 gift card for use at the shops at The Quarter, admission to IMAX, one live show, health-club admission and breakfast. Price: $205 per person. Reservations: (800) THE-TROP or tropieana.net.

New Orleans

WHY IT'S HOT: The jazz. The food. The French Quarter, with its slate cobblestone streets, lacy iron-grillwork balconies and raucous revelers. It doesn't take a Mardi Gras parade to make you feel like cutting loose in this humid Gulf Coast city, where southern gentility, Creole culture and live-for-the-moment decadence cheerfully coexist.

MUST-SEES: For a top-notch performance, head to Tipitina's or Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro. Try gumbo, etouffee, blackened catfish and smothered everything at one of Emeril Legasse's three restaurants or at Commander's Palace. Take a half-day cooking class at New Orleans Cooking Experience. Visit the Item& the oldest urban African-American neighborhood and home to the New Orleans African-American Museum of Arts, Culture and History, located in a nineteenth-century Creole villa compound. Order a mimosa and linger as long as you want at The House of Blues all-you-can-eat Sunday gospel brunch, The Praline Connection Gospel and Blues Hall, or the classic brunch spot, Brennan's. For more information, visit neworleansonline.com.

WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Monaco New Orleans: The Sirens and Seer package offers a Mediterranean suite with a Jacuzzi tub, a bottle of wine, Aveda bath products, a red feather boa and a fortune-telling tea ceremony. Price: Doubles, $284 a night. Contact: (504) 561-0010; monaco-neworleans.com. Akwaaba in the Bayou: Waiting to Exhale spa package includes three nights at Monique Greenwood's latest bed-and-breakfast inn, with daily breakfast, spa lunch, one dinner and a spa treatment for each of you. Price: Singles start at $150 a night. Reservations: (866) INNDULJ; akwaaba.com. Mention ESSENCE when you book, and get a signed copy of Greenwood's Having What Matters: The Black Woman's Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want (HarperCollins).

Palm Beach, Florida

WHY ITS HOT: This mile-wide island city, 60 miles north of Miami, is the Sunshine State's sophisticated side. Even the public beach feels exclusive. Savvy travelers and celebs such as Venus and Serena Williams, who own a house in Palm Beach Gardens, have already rediscovered the spot.

MUST-SEES: Stroll the wide, clean sidewalks of Worth Avenue, the Palm Beach version of Fifth Avenue. Drape yourself in a splashy, fruit-hued Lilly Pulitzer frock from C. Orrico. Now that you look like a local, do lunch at Ta-Boo and order the stone-crab claws. For nightlife, drive across the Intercoastal to CityPlace, West Palm's massive indoor-outdoor shopping district. It's the hot spot for shopping, dining, dancing, club hopping and people watching. Call (800) 833-5733 or visit palmbeachfl.com for more information.

WHERE TO STAY: The Breakers: The Stay Longer and Save package includes a $200 credit for use in the hotel's restaurants, spa, shops, salon and/or fitness programs, and one Tropical Essence Massage for stays of three nights or more. Give booking code "Essence" when malting reservations. Price: Doubles, $399 per night. Reservations: (888) BREAKERS; thebreakers.com. The Chesterfield Palm Beach: The Like Mother, Like Daughter package includes a suite, an in-room movie, chocolates, champagne, continental breakfast, dinner, a $50 gift certificate and a spa treatment at Georgette Klinger. Price: Doubles, $545 per night. Contact: (877) 955-1515; chesterfieldpb.com.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

WHY IT'S HOT: The rounded red mountains. New Age spiritualists. Native Americans practicing ancient pottery techniques. Settled in 1607, this compact city has become a mecca for people eager to escape the fast-paced lifestyle.

MUST-SEES: Santa Fe is synonymous with southwestern style--art, architecture, cooking, handicrafts. There are more than 200 art galleries and museums here, some of the best along Canyon Road. For African artifacts, check out Al-Shariff Gallery. Buy a pair of handmade boots at Back at the Ranch. Sign up for an outdoor art class at Art Adventures in the Southwest ([505]986-1108; skyfields.net), tailored to all levels. Leave the city center to drive to functioning Native American pueblos, catch an opera at Santa Fe's famous outdoor opera house (June through August only), and see the sexiest flowers ever painted at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Call (800) 777-2489 or visit santafe.org.

WHERE TO STAY: Inn on the Alameda: You've Got a Friend package includes two nights, breakfast, wine-and-cheese reception, two massages and a disposable camera. Price: Doubles start at $390 per night. Contact: (888) 984-2122; inn-alameda.com. Inn and Spa at Loretto: The Dining and Dreams package includes pueblo room and $50 dining credit at Baleen restaurant. Price: Doubles, $209 per night. Reservations: (800) 727-5531.

Vancouver, British Columbia

WHY IT'S HOT: This laid-back outdoorsy Canadian city by the sea keeps popping up on Best North American City lists. Perhaps it's the fact that you can hit the ski slopes and the beach in the same day. Or maybe it's because visiting Vancouver feels like stepping into a Land's End catalog that has cool restaurants, boutiques and nightlife around every corner.

MUST-SEES: Bike, walk, run or blade along the Stanley Park Seawall, a 1920's sea barrier that runs along the waterfront Stanley Park. Go kayaking, windsurfing or swimming. Explore the galleries, restaurants and shops at the artsy, hip Yaletown. Shop in the third-largest Chinatown in North America. Head here June 14 through July 3 for the twentieth anniversary of Vancouver's International Jazz Festival, At Queen Elizabeth Park, see 100-plus species of birds and blooming daffodils, hyacinths and more in its domed greenhouse. On weekends, enjoy high tea at the Venetian-themed Bacchus Restaurant in the Wedgewood hotel. Visit tourismvancouver.com for more information.

WHERE TO STAY: Pacific Palisades Hotel: The Girls Night In package includes a suite, 60-minute spa manicure, complimentary popcorn, licorice and Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Price: Doubles, $308 a night. Contact: (800) 663-1815. The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver: Retail Therapy package includes a Fairmont Gold room, private check-in, continental brealdast, and a personal shopper at Holt Renfrew. Price: Doubles start at $285 a night. Reservations: (800) 441-1414; fairmont.com/hotelvancouver. * All prices subject to availability and season.

How to Travel With Friends

You adore each other, but you may not have the same travel style. Some tips for a smooth trip:

PICK THE RIGHT PARTNERS. That acquaintance you can only tolerate for two hours at a time is not a good choice for a traveling companion; it's best to choose a friend whose presence puts you at ease. If you're traveling with a group, make sure you select people whose personalities and temperaments complement one another.

SHARE YOUR VISION BEFOREYOU LEAVE.

"Have a clear understanding of logistics, responsibilities and how you will pay for things you do or share together," says Debra Asberry, president and founder of Women Traveling Together (women-traveling.com), a Web site that specializes in women's tours.

PLAN TIME APART. You probably don't have identical tastes, so don't force yourselves to take an identical trip. Give your friendship space, whether that means reading alone at night, going your separate ways for part of a day, or planning an entire day away from each other. Have a way to stay in touch, such as communicating by cell phone or leaving messages back at the hotel, in case something comes up.

BE FLEXIBLE. Traveling with friends can be a great way to expand your interests and knowledge. So go along with some of their preferences too, says Evelyn Hannon, editor of Journey Woman (journeywoman.com), an online travel resource for women.

Wendy Paris is a freelance writer who lives in New York City.