Shop 'til you drop (into a historic Chicago hotel)
Chicago
Shop and drop off
How many times have you neared the end of a holiday shopping day on the Mag Mile and wished you could just collapse in a relaxing hotel room instead of schlepping all the way back home? Book an overnight shopping package at Ambassador East Hotel, one of the 220 Historic Hotels of America, and enjoys perks like a $50 gift certificate to The 900 Shops; a welcome gift bag filled with goodies from participating stores and restaurants; a travel mug (which may be brought to Ethel's Chocolate Lounge at The 900 Shops and filled with soothing complimentary hot chocolate); and a signature gift with $100 shopping purchase from The 900 Shops. Your deluxe room or suite is your refuge with weekday rates from $139 per night, weekend rates from $159 per night. For reservations stroll over to www.theambassadoreasthotel.com and say "aahh."
A quantum of solace and a shoe shine
Papa likes a little pampering, too but not in a chi-chi, frou-frou spa all aglow with Jo Malone candles and Yanni tunes. John Allan, the renowned men's grooming pioneer and founder of John Allan's Clubs in New York City, opened John Allan's Chicago a few weeks ago, the first location outside of New York City and his largest club to date. This is a "man's man" club encompassing the entire top floor penthouse of a high rise office tower adjoining the Chicago Board of Trade. Guys enjoy an exclusive and comfortable setting to relax and experience signature services along with a bar/lounge, billiard table, flat screen televisions, plush leather chairs, a chess/backgammon table and a shoe shine stand as well as a 1,200 square foot outdoor terrace. Get this, girls -a Full Service treatment, which includes a scalp massaging shampoo/conditioning treatment, a relaxing hot towel, an expert hair cut from a trained stylist, manicure, beverage and a shoe shine - goes for $65. (Where is our Joanna Allen's?) There are also cleansing facials, sports pedicures and massage therapy by appointment and special events such as weekly premium scotch pouring, wine tastings, live musical performances and more. Gift certificates are available for the holidays. 111 West Jackson Street. Browse www.johnallans.com or call (312) 607-0506.
Yule get a thrill
Dress the kids in their finest holiday attire for what has become a Chicago tradition for 14 years - Welcome Yule! - a full-length concert filled with musical favorites of the season. Orchestra Hall is adorned with lavish decorations and the outing makes an ideal afternoon or night of dress-up for the family. Sing out to your very own Christmas song "Christmas in Chicago" and enjoy audience singalongs of your favorite holiday tunes plus dancing musical surprises. When the kids start getting antsy, a visit from the North Pole's most famous resident should help them refocus. Chicago Symphony Orchestra 220 S. Michigan Ave. Dec. 19 - 21, 23 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (312) 294-3000 or Yule log onto www.cso.org.
Midwest
It's a wonderful life in the country
Frazzled drivers honking past heaps of dirty snow does not a Currier and Ives card make. But Christmas in the Country, courtesy of the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, will get you back to that gentle holiday state of mind with a half million holiday lights, music, festive food, family fun and interactive displays throughout the resort. Running through Dec. 28, the annual event features "A Victorian Holiday," presented fireside in the lobby; "Hooray for Holidays!" - a Broadway style musical featuring costumes, tunes and dancing; afternoon holiday tea served in the Lobby Lounge; symbolic lighting of a Hanukkah Menorah in the Lobby nightly at 6 p.m. on select days; holiday brunch and dinner served on Christmas; Sunday Brunch with visits by Mr. and Mrs. Claus; and a sleigh full more. Why not stay overnight - the resort features 355 luxury guest rooms and suites, additional accommodations at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, Well Spa at Grand Geneva, the Mountain Top, an 18-run, three-chairlift ski and snowboard facility, three restaurants and an executive airport if your last name if Trump or Branson.
Party like its 1989
Fashion some big hair, bigger shoulder pads and a Billy Idol sneer and you'll be partying like it's 1989 this New Year's Eve at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The luxe hotel known for fine service offers celebration packages that includes parking, a reception with hors d' oeuvres, dinner stations and a champagne toast at midnight with prices starting at $199 per couple. Run-D.M.C., Duran Duran, a Flock of Seagulls and others from the sublime to the ridiculous will be blasting from the '80s Night DJ booth beginning at 8 p.m. When you book a New Year's Eve celebration package at any one of the Amway Hotel Corp. hotels, after 10 p.m. gain access to any of the three hotels' themed celebrations - '80s night at the JW Marriott, boogie at the Downtown Courtyard or Top-40 tunes at the Amway Grand Plaza! Get the 411 at (888) 844-5947 or www.ilovethejw.com. Going to the dogs
Be sure to pack the toys and treats for campers attending Camp Dogwood this January for three days and two nights of Freestyle Dancing, Hiking and Games, Photo Workshops and Aromatherapy - but please leave the kids at home. This camp is strictly for furry family members and their adult playmates from Friday, Jan. 16, to Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009. Winter Camp packages range from $300 to $475 and include all lodging, meals, and activities. The weekend is reminiscent of sleep-away camp except instead of kids with braces making lanyards there are unique people/dog bonding and learning experiences, 30 activities, in fact, ranging from sports, training and recreation, lectures and discussions, demonstrations, and pure fun and relaxation. The campsite is in 180 acres of woods, wide-open fields and wetlands on the shores of Wooster Lake in Ingleside, Illinois. Plant your paws at www.CampDogwood.com or woof it up at (312) 458- 9549.
Worth the Trip
Wish they all could be California whales
Champions of the magnificent mammals flock to California to observe the winter whale migration, which takes place between the months of December and February. With more than 800 miles of coastline, the west coast t is the ideal location to catch a glimpse as they make their annual 14,000-mile voyage. In California, the gray whale is the most commonly seen migrating whale, reaching up to 45 feet in length, weighing up to 100,000 pounds each and numbering more than 20,000. Good spots in the state for viewing whales include Mendocino County in the North Coast Region (the Mendocino Whale Festival, is the first weekend in March); in the Central Coast Region, Oxnard commemorates whale-watching season with the Annual Celebration of the Whales Dec. 29 through mid-April; the Annual Dana Point Festival of Whales in Orange County is held the first weekend in March and draws thousands of visitors from around the world. Because whale watching activities can be found along the entire California coast, point your compass to www.visitcalifornia.com for additional information.