(Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico)

If you’re a senior living out your retirement in Cincinnati, the damp, gray weather might have you dreaming about communities in warmer, sunnier climes where you could vacation.

There are plenty of senior-friendly places you could visit. Many of them are quite affordable, and now that discount carriers like Frontier and Southwest have entered the Cincinnati market, air fares are expected to become more reasonably-priced.

Where have you been dreaming about going? Today, we’ll share with you some of our top picks for Cincinnati seniors looking to book a winter getaway.

New Orleans

It’s almost Mardi Gras! The annual Bacchanalia and debauchery surrounding the last day before Lent might be a bit much for many Cincinnati seniors to deal with, but for the adventurous and young-at-heart, there’s no denying that New Orleans is a fascinating warm weather destination.

Visit the French Quarter. See the house where William Faulkner and Sherwood Anderson shot BBs out of the window at revelers drinking bathtub gin.

Or, see the National World War II Museum, where you’ll find extraordinarily rare, restored examples of the PT boats and Higgins landing craft that were produced in the area.

Albuquerque

From its historic Old Town district to its internationally renowned annual Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a wonderful destination for seniors. If architecture and history interest you, you’ll love the adobe buildings and the San Felipe de Neri Church, which was built by the Spanish in the 18th century.

Drive out into the surrounding country and you’ll find a variety of landscapes: high plains, deserts, rock formations like the famous Shiprock and, to the north, snow-covered mountains with ski resorts.

You’ll also get a kick — a tangy kick — out of the local cuisine. Green chiles are grown in and around the Hatch Valley, and many restaurants prominently feature fresh green chile dishes on their menus.

Jekyll Island, Georgia

Jekyll Island is one of the Golden Isles of Georgia — a chain of barrier islands off the state’s extreme southeastern coast — and one of few that have paved causeway access for automobiles.

Why Jekyll Island? Simple: it’s warm and it’s not a top-of-mind spot for most younger vacationers.

That means you won’t find overcrowded restaurants, irritating street congestion, or a lot of families with boisterous children, as you would encounter at more popular tourist destinations.

You will find wonderful beaches, plenty of golf courses and the Jekyll Island Club — a formerly private, Gilded Age resort area on the National Register of Historic Places, which once played annual host to the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and other elites. Today, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel hosts gourmet dinners and ballroom dancing events, making it a perfect romantic vacation spot for retired couples.

Arizona

If you haven’t seen the Grand Canyon, maybe it’s time to cross it off your “bucket list.” But Arizona has so much more to offer.

Schedule your trip during the Cincinnati Reds’ spring training session and take in a few Cactus League games in Goodyear. Drive up to Flagstaff and get in a bit of skiing. Or, take in the natural beauty of the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park.

Puerto Rico

You don’t have to speak Spanish to get around in Puerto Rico. This beautiful, tropical U.S. territory features a wealth of ecological diversity, friendly people and wonderful historic sites to see.

Take a drive down to Arecibo, where the world’s largest radio telescope probes the mysteries of the cosmos every night. Swim in the pristine Caribbean waters off Bahia Beach. Visit Vieques Island — the former site of a controversial U.S. Navy bombing range, which has now been designated as the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge — and take a boat tour of Bioluminscent Bay.

Or, stay in Old San Juan. Tour the fortification — El Morro — that the Spanish built in the 1500s to defend one of their most important possessions in the West Indies from pirates, and English and Dutch privateers. Then wander around the plaza and stop off for fresh seafood, a nightcap and some hot music. We’d recommend a watering hole called El Patio de Sam.

If you’re dreaming of a winter getaway, try some of these destinations.

Or, plan your own trip and tell us about it on Facebook. We love to see pictures of Cincinnati seniors enjoying their retirements and living well. Kick those winter blues and take a memorable vacation this winter!