If you didn't get quite enough of an escape this Labor Day weekend and want to find a get-a-way that fosters healthy living, consider these fitness vacations that provide great escapes AND wonderful fitness training and fitness workout opportunities:

1) Bend, Oregon - Mountain Biking

Bend is a growing town located in the central Oregon mountains, about a 3-hour drive from Portland. Flights into neighboring Redmond are operated by several major airline carriers, including United.

We've enjoyed mountain biking in many destinations, but Bend is our favorite. Why? Many reasons. First, the scenery is majestic. While the wind whisps through the tall trees and carries the pine aroma along the trails, snow capped mountain tops tower over riders. Second, the weather is perfect. No awful desert heat, no worrying about summer rain storms, and no crazy elevations-mountain bike trails generally stay in the 3,500 to 6,000 foot range. Third, the place is still not overcrowded. The trails are in great shape and you/your group will feel like the only riders on the route. Last, the town and area offer many other pleasurable experiences. Delicious and healthy restaurant, top golf courses, interesting shopping (don't miss the Nike Outlet on the outskirts of town - it's better than other Nike Outlets due to the proximity of Nike headquarters), and nearby white water river rafting are just a few distractions to add to your on-the-road fitness program.

2) Incline Village, NV - Hiking, Moutain Biking, Swimming, Boating, etc.

Go to Lake Tahoe and stay away from the tourist crowd. T-shirt shops, big casinos, and other typical tourist traps are located on Tahoe's south shore. But, savvy travelers stay on the Lake's northern edge. Hyatt Hotels operates a luxury resort in Incline Village, complete with an upscale casino for your gambling fix, a sand beach, a fitness gym, and a fabulous spa. Plenty of house rentals are also available through booking agents like Goldfish Properties.

Flights into Sacaramento will leave travelers with only a 2 hour drive. Once in Lake Tahoe, a ton of fitness health opportunities abound. Mountain biking along the shores on trails like The Flume, walking and playing 18-holes at famous golf courses such as Edgewood (each year Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and a slew of actors golf here in a celebrity tournament with live national television coverage), renting power boats and wave runners to water ski and tube, and day hikes through thousands of acres of forest land, are just a few fun and active pursuits.

3) Colorado Springs - Hiking, Moutain Biking, Golf, Olympic Training Center, etc.

When people talk or write about vacationing in the Rocky Mountains, Denver and Boulder get all the headlines. However, Colorado Springs (located about two hours south of Denver) deserves just as much attention. Our two favorite resorts in the area, The Broadmoor and Cheyenne Mountain Resorts spoil travelers in search of an active vacation that will improve their fitness health and well-being. We cover these two accommodations in depth on the site. In addition to a fabulous hotel fitness center, Broadmoor offers a true outdoor lap pool, 18 holes of championship golf, and proximity to awesome jogging trails for fitness running. Cheyenne Mountain Resort offers many of the same outdoor enthusiast activities at half the cost, sports an appealing hotel gym for exercise fitness, AND the property includes an outdoor Olympic-size lap pool (50 meters).

White water rafting is also near Colorado Springs, with several options around an hour away. And tours of the Olympic Training Center are another unique outing.

4) Omaha, Nebraska

Just kidding. Omaha is a great city and a wonderful place to raise a family, but a summer vacation destination it isn't-unless, of course, you're heading to town to sit next to Warren Buffet at the annual College World Series weekend in June.

Enjoy your healthy lifestyle and physical fitness!

In addition to being lucky enough to live in one of the best cities in the world (San Diego), I am also fortunate that a trip to visit the in-laws doesn't bring the burden of a 3-hour road trip into the barren desert or a 2-connection flight to po'dunk USA in the middle of nowhere. No, you will not hear me complain one bit about compelled conjugal visits to the funky and athletic-minded town of Bend, Oregon.

More familiar to leftcoasters--likely because easterners and midwesterners find it difficult to pass over the mountain towns in Colorado and Utah--Bend is an active travelers' paradise without the gaudy scene of Aspen and Vail nor the crowds of Park City. Locals are friendly to a fault and the village has sprouted enough restaurants, bars, shops and galleries to boast a vibe.

My favorite Bend activity is getting dusty on the *singletrack*--hiking, mountain biking, jogging--you name it. I have yet to discover a better trail system in the U.S.

The Deschutes River is your wet and wild water playground. Rent a raft with your group and experience the central mountain class 3+ rapids. Be prepared for cold water.

For a more sedate way to enjoy Bend's 300 days of annual sunshine, bring the sticks along and play 18-holes at one or more of the half dozen public courses. River's Edge is a personal favorite with multiple blind tee shots and various hazard challenges. Golf Digest rates the course as a "Best Places to Play."

Breakfast is serious business in Bend as locals come in for hearty and healthy eats before or after their workouts. Victorian Cafe is often cited as serving the area's best breakfast and my taste buds can't argue. AlpenGlow Cafe is another delicious choice.

I could write all day about this fabulous city. Although the winters dissuade me from making the place a permanent home, Mt. Bachelor's ski trails are reason enough to stay for a week in December.

Put the destination on your short list -- you will NOT be disappointed.

Travel note: commercial flights land in neighboring Redmond (about 20 minutes from Bend).