Chicago

It's a special town that shares the love of Frank Sinatra, the Blues Brothers and Michael Jordan, but Chicago is just that: special. From Wrigley Field to the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower), from the Lincoln Park Zoo to Soldier Field (home of the Bears), from the Chicago History Museum to the Navy Pier (the Midwest's top tourist destination, complete with a 150-foot Ferris Wheel), the Windy City offers something for the entire family.

And don't let its big-city reputation fool you. Chicago is even perfect for the nature lover. With 29 miles of lakefront paths, Chicago is one of the world's most walkable and beautiful cities. Here are some more numbers: 15 miles of bathing beaches, 36 annual parades, 19 miles of lakefront bicycle paths and 552 parks. Or ditch the hiking boots for skates: In the winter, popular tourist hub Millennium Park -- home to music, art, architecture and the mammoth, stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture -- offers ice skating to rival New York's famed Rockefeller Center.

Golfers will have a blast in Chicago, with its abundance and diversity of public golf courses. Cantigny Golf Course in nearby Wheaton offers 27 holes, including the signature ninth hole at the Lakeside course, which features a bunker in the shape of Dick Tracy. Also, don't miss: Orchard Valley in Aurora (former home to the Illinois Open), Pine Meadow Golf Club in Mundelein, former Senior Tour host Kemper Lakes Golf Club and the famed Cog Hill Golf Club, home to No. 4, nicknamed "Dubsdread."

Foodies will have a field day choosing between the 7,300 restaurants in Chicago, including some of the best in the world (the city boasts more AAA five-diamond restaurants than any other in the nation). Food fans will certainly recognize the names of local chefs, such as Charlie Trotter, Grant Achatz and Rick Bayless. Or ditch the silk tablecloths for a real Midwest tradition: Chicago-style pizza at the original Pizzeria Uno and Chicago-style hot dogs at Gold Coast Dogs. Art lovers won't want to leave. It's fitting that the city that is the birthplace of the famed Second City -- where comics such as Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, John Belushi and John Candy got their start -- would support more than 200 theaters and nearly 200 art galleries. With a climate that boasts warm summers and comfortable springs and falls, Chicago is not to be missed.