New Boutique Hotel Steps from Michigan Avenue

Located one block east of Chicago's Magnificent Mile, Ivy Boutique Hotel opens in May 2012 as the newest work from Arthur Minor, who designed The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. With swanky amenities including mirror televisions and theater surround sound in all guest rooms, the hotel seems poised to become one of the city's most exclusive hotels. Although the Ivy rises up 15 stories, there are only five guest rooms per floor, providing guests with a mixture of intimacy and comfort that makes it "the only true boutique luxury hotel in the city," according to HotelChatter.

After guests check in via iPad, hotel staff members personally escort them to 675-square-foot king suites. A paragon of modern design, the suites contain platform beds with white leather headboards and floor-to-ceiling windows that open. Eco-friendly bamboo flooring, along with organic towels and rugs made from thistle, help to reduce the hotel's carbon footprint. Guests can watch the flat-screen TV set in the vanity mirror while getting ready in the morning or practice Tarzan-style affirmation chants in the rainforest shower.

The Ivy is also in the process of opening an intimate 30- to 40-person restaurant and bar on the first floor. "We will try to use as much organic produce as possible," manager James Cazares says of his upcoming, reservations-only hot spot. A rooftop lounge opening in June will offer picture-perfect views of the city.

Gold Coast, Chicago: Ritzy Residential Neighborhood with Historical Mansions and Hip Restaurants

Located north of downtown, Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood hugs the shore of Lake Michigan, occupying some of the city's most desirable real estate. Its reputation as an upscale residential spot dates back to 1882, when wealthy businessmen began building castle-like mansions along the waterfront. For a glimpse at these historical estates, head to the Seven Houses on Lake Shore Drive District, where you'll find a French-chateau-inspired mansion that now serves as the International Museum of Surgical Science. A walk down Astor Street reveals some of the city's most unique architecture, including the Charnley-Persky House built by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in 1892.

Those looking for a hip nightlife will find trendy restaurants and nightclubs-many of which are open until 5 a.m.-catering to a well-dressed crowd. For people watching and the occasional celebrity sighting, head to Rush and Division, a see-and-be-seen spot dotted with upscale shops, classic Chicago bars, and diamond-encrusted parking meters.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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Historic B & B with Park Views and Fine Southern Cuisine

Kentucky's Bluegrass Region is the textbook image of idyllic farmland-a landscape of rolling hills divided by rail fences into orchards, wineries, and horse pastures. In 1926, the Cleveland Orphanage Institution decided it was the perfect setting for educating children. They rebuilt the Cleveland Home as a Dutch Colonial Revival building, providing plenty of room for kids to run around. Today, it's become The Woodford Inn, a stately, red brick structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bruce and Linda Parker, two restaurateurs-turned-innkeepers, keep the place as welcoming as ever with warm hospitality and home-cooked southern fare.

The onsite Addie's Restaurant and Bar is named after Linda's mother, who used to prepare her family's large Sunday dinners. The restaurant serves local specialties such as the Hot Brown sandwich ($12) with roast turkey and country ham in cheesy mornay sauce. An equally hearty breakfast often includes pancakes, bacon, and omelets, all served from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. You can dine inside, where paintings of racehorses line the walls, or head out to the patio, which is flanked by grassy lawns and conifers. There's also a front porch, outfitted in classic southern fashion with rocking chairs and hanging ferns.

Inside, many of the inn's 10 guest rooms overlook the neighboring Woodford County Park. Though no two rooms are identical, all boast Tempur-Pedic mattresses, ornately carved headboards, and jacuzzi tubs. Room 3's two-person tub makes it a good fit for couples.

Versailles, Kentucky: Bluegrass Country Along Bourbon Trail

The town of Versailles was named after the site of Louis XIV's gilded palace in France, yet the two places share little in common. The American version is located along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a string of famous distilleries including Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, and Wild Turkey. The region is also home to some of the most successful racehorse breeders in the world, whose ponies have gone on to win the Triple Crown and star in the doodles of 12-year-old girls all over the world.

Half an hour east, Lexington has many equine-related attractions of its own, including the Kentucky Horse Park and the Keeneland Race Track, a beautiful course that dates to 1935 and is known for its horse auctions. Nearby, the Mary Todd Lincoln House is filled with rooms made to look much like the ones lived in by Abraham Lincoln's First Lady.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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Without costumed interpreters, the only way to make history come to life would be to venture into a wormhole or finally get around to reciting the instruction card that came with your mummy. Learn the difference between reenactment and reanimation with this Groupon.

Choose Between Two Options $15 for two one-day admissions (up to a $30 value) $30 for four one-day admissions (up to a $60 value)

A charming historical village re-creates life as it was in rural Ohio during the 19th and early 20th centuries, educating young and old alike in the craftsmanship, daily chores, and food of a bygone era. Costumed inhabitants immerse visitors in the past with demonstrations on traditional quilting, pottery, and metalwork, and hands-on displays and exhibits enlighten and entertain guests of all ages. See the full schedule.

Sauder Village's rates fluctuate according to age, military status, and day of the week.

Sauder Village

After building up one of the state's most successful furniture companies, woodworker Erie Sauder paid tribute to northwest Ohio's pioneers with an open-air museum dedicated to re-creating the idyllic charm of a 19th-century rural village. To make his dream an even more vivid reality, Sauder moved dozens of historical structures to the village, restoring them and filling them with traditional pottery and tinsmithing shops, general stores, and schools. Costumed actors guide visitors of all ages through the traditional chores and activities of the 1800s, such as singing hymns, shearing sheep, or rebooting the hard drive on the printing press. Exhibits place guests directly into the lives and experiences of the Great Black Swamp's settlers, from the earliest native peoples to the hard-working farmers and master craftspeople of the late 1800s.

As patrons send themselves back in time with the village's sights and sounds, they treat their taste buds to handmade sweet rolls from the Doughbox Bakery or dine on feasts of roast beef and chicken amid the hand-hewn rafters of the Barn Restaurant. Overnight guests lodge at the spacious campground or the beautiful Heritage Inn, replete with exercise rooms, a gorgeous 25-foot tree, and WiFi access powered by a horse on a treadmill.

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