Gurnee, midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, is probably best known as the home of Six Flags Amusement Park and the Gurnee Mills shopping outlet. Now Midwesterners looking for a little rest and relaxation can sample the town's top attraction, the KeyLime Cove hotel and water park, which also features a spa, shopping and six restaurants.

Steel and coal may have built this city, and you'll see the names "Mellon" and "Carnegie" on an awful lot of things, but Pittsburgh has come a long way from its gritty, industrial past. The Waterfront Complex, a collection of shops, restaurants, a cinema and even a water park, was recently built on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Works, and two new professional sports stadiums have opened downtown in just the past two years. However, history buffs will delight in a visit to sites like the Point State Park (home of the Fort Pitt Museum) and the Duquesne Incline, where you can ride an antique cable car and browse displays about this unique form of transport. If you don't mind the extra drive, a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater makes a rewarding detour.

Omaha is home to the world’s largest indoor desert under the world’s largest geodesic dome above the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit next to one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests! Climb aboard history at The Durham Museum, explore 100 acres at Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Centre and discover priceless works of art at the Joslyn Art Museum. Explore the Old Market, Omaha’s historic entertainment district, where boutiques, antique stores and restaurants line cobblestone streets.

It's called the Live Music Show Capital of the World-- on any given day, almost 90 music, magic and comedy shows run at 50+ theatres. You might catch into Tony Orlando, the Osmonds or Marty Stuart, all regulars. (Think Las Vegas without the casinos and people drinking margaritas-by-the-yard at 10 am.) Between shows, enjoy nature in the Ozarks-- you'll find great fishing, hiking, biking and water sports in the area.

Don your cowboy hat and get ready for adventure Old West style -- Dodge City beckons. In fact the city, made famous by the legendary Wyatt Earp and the television series "Gunsmoke," offers so many historically interesting and exciting attractions, it's hard to know where to begin. We have compiled some ideas to help you get started. At the Boot Hill Museum, Old West buffs can experience Dodge City in the 1870s, complete with a recreated saloon and an authentic cemetery. Other attractions offer opportunities to reenact famous gun fights and see wax replicas of notorious cowboys. Historic homes and a fort are also available to tour. No matter where you begin, Dodge City offers fun and excitement at every turn.

"The Festival Capital of Louisiana," Lake Charles hosts over 75 festivals each year, the most famous being Mardi Gras, the second largest in the state. The annual celebration attracts revelers with Cajun cook-offs, a children's carnival and a lighted boat parade. The city celebrates its local heritage with "Louisiana Pirate Festival," a two week long party in honor of the pirates that once sailed the local lake. The Central School Arts & Humanities Centre is a stop on the African American Heritage Trail.

Is there any possible way Las Vegas could not be on our "best nightlife" list? The only way we could possibly omit it is on a technicality—since you can do pretty much anything 24/7 in Vegas, it might be wrong to call it "nightlife."

With close to 150 trails, Mammoth Mountain is one of the largest ski areas in the United States. Its diverse slopes appeal to a broad range of skiers and snowboarders, from novices to experts, and equipment for skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling is widely available for rent and sale.

Basking in its 300 days of sunshine, Lake Tahoe is a haven for outdoor fun in every season. Swimming, kayaking and windsurfing are popular in the summer months, while epic snowfall makes for spectacular skiing in winter. For those who prefer indoor fun, there's plenty of that in Tahoe, too. With 24-hour casinos and a flashy nightlife scene, the area has a tangible Vegas vibe. A sprinkle of bling, if you will. Not surprising, since Lake Tahoe straddles the border between California and Nevada.

Modern myth has it that these days everyone in Los Angeles has written a screenplay, is writing a screenplay or is just visiting. For those in the latter category we offer a road map of ideas to help make a trip to this ultra-hip, ultra-happening haven easy, fun and exciting. While LA will always be associated with movies and movie stars, it is also a culturally vibrant city that boasts a range of interesting attractions from prestigious art museums and galleries to fabulous theatre, both well-known productions and smaller fringe shows. Art enthusiasts will be stunned by the extensive collections at the J. Paul Getty Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Visit the La Brea Tar Pits on Museum Row, then investigate the trendy shops on Melrose Avenue. Families will not want to miss the zoo or the action at Universal Studios Hollywood. Of course, no trip to LA would be complete without a stop at the Venice Beach Boardwalk or a visit to Mann's Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame.

Eaglecrest Ski Area is the Alaskan Panhandle’s only resort, located on Douglas Island just about 10 miles from downtown. Eaglecrest features 31 Alpine runs and three Nordic trail loops set on 640 groomed acres. For the adventurous, thousands more acres of un-groomed area lie on either side of the resort.