Introduction to Chicago

The jewel of America's heartland, Chicago blends the style and sophistication of the country's biggest cities with the friendliness of the hard-working Midwest. Architect Frank Gehry and Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa have made the downtown Millennium Park an eye-catcher with public art -- the graceful curves of its fluid, metallic sculptures contrasting sharply with the rectangular office towers in the distance. Just steps away lie the shores of Lake Michigan where families have soaked up the sun and tycoons have yachted for generations.
Things to Do
Bronze lions welcome visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago, known for its immense collection of French Impressionist paintings. The original colonnaded limestone building was joined by the glittering glass-and-steel Modern Wing in 2009. But when temperatures soar Chicagoans prefer to relax in Millennium Park. A Lake Michigan breeze keeps park visitors cool while they take in outdoor concerts, splash in the fountains and sip cocktails at open-air cafés.
Shopping
If it's designer labels and mass market favorites you're after, head to Chicago's Michigan Avenue where 460 storefronts line the city's Magnificent Mile. For adding some one-of-a-kind pieces to your wardrobe, head to the Chicago's neighborhoods. Sassy jackets, clunky boots and art jewelry fill shops at Wicker Park and Bucktown -- items you won't necessarily find in the pages of a fashion magazine.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Blame it on the bitter winters, but no city sings the blues like the Windy City. Get a taste of the Chicago Blues listening to soulful guitar riffs at Kingston Mines in Lincoln Park, or nurse a Goose Island Honkers Ale in the dim light of Buddy Guy's Legends. The curtain is nearly always up in Chicago's bustling Downtown Theater District. Anchored by beautifully-restored historic theaters like the nationally-known Goodman Theatre, the district stages musicals, plays and dance productions.
Restaurants and Dining
Chicagoans are as passionate about their pizza as they are their politics -- once they've settled on their favorite they won't be swayed. Order deep-dish, buttery-crusted pies loaded with meat, veggies and savory tomato sauce, or dig into a stuffed pizza filled with gooey mozzarella and spinach at noisy mainstays like Gino's or Giordano's. For a more formal night out head to Charlie Trotter's, the namesake restaurant of Chicago's original celebrity chef. Eclectic dishes blend seasonal organic ingredients in ever-changing combinations, all served by impeccably proper waiters.

Introduction to Bermuda

    Set adrift in its own dreamy archipelago in the balmy Gulf Stream, this rich little oasis of pink-sand beaches and sparkling blue waters is simultaneously slightly British, slightly American, and very Bermudian. Whether you've come to unwind on Elbow Beach, shop among the pretty pastels and whites of historic Hamilton, or discover 400 years of history at Fort St. Catherine in St. George, you'll discover a pleasant mix of formal British culture dressed in a pair of Bermuda shorts.
Things to Do
Sit by the bustling waterfront and take in the capital scene in Hamilton or step back in time in St. George. Take a morning swim with the kids at sheltered Tobacco Bay or a sunset dip at Elbow Beach. The clear waters and starched white coves of Warwick Parish are made for scuba diving and snorkelling. Marvel at the subterranean beauty of Crystal Cave. Away from the beach, discover the Verdmont Museum, with its period furnishings, or walk along the Bermuda Railway Trail for a closer look at the island's exotic wildlife.
Shopping
All sorts of shops are clustered along Front Street in Hamilton. Under the atrium in The Emporium, you can browse boutiques and jewelry stores, or stroll the Royal Naval Dockyard area on Ireland Island for crafts and island pottery. You can watch local artisans at work at the Bermuda Arts Centre. Comparison shop at the Somers Wharf & Branch Stores along Water Street, for better prices than their Hamilton counterparts.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Many of Bermuda's bars and clubs hug the busy waterfront at Front Street in Hamilton, where Victorian-era balconies offer Atlantic views. The nightlife scene continues in the streets leading uphill from the harbor. Many hotels host steel-drum or calypso bands, or you can head down to the legendary Hubie's Bar on Friday night for live jazz. The little port of St. George and adjoining St. David's Island are loaded with pubs. Enjoy a pint in at White Horse Tavern, the oldest pub in St. George.
Restaurants and Dining
Bermuda embraces a wide swath of American and European cuisines, but fresh seafood is still the default -- and best -- choice. Savor spiny lobster and wahoo steak in the elegant dining rooms of Sandys Parish or sink your teeth into shark hash and Bermudian rockfish in the restaurants along Hamilton's Front Street. For a cool treat, try the ice cream at island favorite Bailey's Ice Cream & Food D'Lites Restaurant in Hamilton Parish.