Eco-friendly exhibits at Eco-chic Hotel Felix

Chicago

Hot package at a cool hotel

Eco-chic Hotel Felix, popular with Europeans and Americans alike, offers eco-friendly exhibits, activities and hotel packages during April, which is Earth Month and also happens to be the hotel's anniversary. The Tesla Test Drive Package includes a luxury overnight stay for two and arrangements for guests to be met by a representative from Tesla Motors, makers of the Tesla Roadster for a test drive through the streets of Chicago. Check out the working wind turbine and solar panel display outside the hotel's entrance and sample a Treetini martini in the lobby bar. Also during Earth Month, the hotel offers guests who drive up in a hybrid vehicle free parking during their stay.

Hotel Felix, 111 W. Huron St., Chicago. The Tesla Test Drive Package price is based on the hotel's best available rate when booked and fluctuates depending on the date. For rates and reservations, visit hotelfelixchicago.com or call (312) 447-3440.

Time is on your side

In celebration of it's 10th Anniversary in April, Real Simple magazine offers Chicagoans the "Gift Of Time" and an event dubbed 15 Minutes and You're Done. Hosted by the magazine's managing editor, the event is open to the public and includes interactive stations and demonstrations by notables such as Jillian Harris, ABC's former "The Bachelorette"; Mario Tricoci, founder of the Mario Tricoci salon; Jim Karas, celebrity fitness expert; Lou Mandfredini, WGN's "Mr. Fix It"; and Radhika Desai, former contestant on "Top Chef" among others. Enjoy mini manicures and gift bags, take in a special performance by trainees from the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, and if you visit between noon and 2 p.m., have lunch for free. Local hotels, restaurants and retail stores also will offer discounts Monday through Saturday, April 5 to 10.

Noon to 7 p.m. Friday, April 9, at the Great Hall at Union Station, 210 S. Canal St., Chicago. Visit realsimplerewards.com/15minutes.

Celebrating smelt

Be a part of a great Midwestern tradition by joining Shaw's Crab House Smelt Fest 2010. Sample the fresh, petite fish, all fried up in a secret batter at the all-you-can-eat 60th Annual American Legion Smelt Fry. Hosted by the American Legion Post #82 in Port Washington, Wis., the fest includes Sunrise Bloody Marys and Mimosas; breakfast buffet; deluxe motor coach transportation with Goose Island brews; a box lunch; entrance fees for the VFW Smelt Fry; and a special Smelt Fest souvenir. Before the fish fry, a stop will be made in historic Cedarburg, Wis., where you can spend time at arts and crafts shops, visit local confectionaries or hang out at the local taps to discuss the fine art of smelt fishing.

9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, April 10. Buses depart and return to both Shaw's locations in Chicago and Schaumburg., To reserve a seat on the bus, call (312) 527- 2722 or (847) 517-2722 or visit shawscrabhouse.com.

Midwest

Hot wheels to Indiana

Those with a fetish for the flame should point the vehicle toward historic downtown Madison, Ind., for the 14th annual Hot Luck and Fiery Foods Expo. Held at the Thomas Family Winery, the event features chili product vendors so you can sample salsas, cheeses and sauces, purchase dried and fresh spices, hot breads, chili powder, vinegars and pepper plants to grow back home. Expect street musicians, a hot-luck dinner, an open-air breakfast and an amateur salsa contest. You can also visit some of the town's historic sites or drive through the rolling hills and forests of eastern Jefferson County.

Noon to 10 p.m., Saturday April 10, at the Thomas Family Winery, 208 East Second St., Madison, Ind. Call (800) 948-8466 or visit thomasfamilywinery.us.

Ardor for arbor

The Morton Arboretum opens an exhibition of 14 massive sculptures by Pennsylvania artist Steve Tobin, who gained international fame for creating the only art memorial of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. Tobin's Steelroots series consists of nature-inspired, abstract tree root sculptures of breathtaking size (up to 40 feet high) that will wow visitors of all ages. Bring your little tree-huggers to touch, run through and lie down beneath the massive art in a relaxed outdoor setting. Hike, bike, play in and otherwise explore 1,700 acres of woodland, wetland, prairie and eight formal gardens.

Exhibit opens Friday, April 9. Hours are 7 a.m. to sunset at Morton Arboretum, Reagan Tollway and Route 53 in Lisle. Admission (including free parking) is $11 for adults (18-64), $10 for seniors (65 and above); and $8 for youths (2-17); with children younger than 2 admitted free. Visit mortonarb.org or call (630) 968-0074.

What the cluck?

Expect a fowl time at the annual Prairie Chicken Festival in and around Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., with pre-dawn viewing of prairie-chicken courtship in three wildlife areas, Dutch-oven outdoor breakfasts, guided birding tours, nature walks and a prairie-chicken calling contest. The main event is watching the sight of male Greater Prairie Chickens defending their territory with displays, postures and sometimes combat with other males. They court females with foot-stomping, feather-snapping and "booming," a sound which can be heard for more than a mile. Additional activities include bird-banding demonstrations; live music and dance performances; lectures and demonstrations by photographers, wildlife experts and humorists.

4:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 16; 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 17; and 4:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 18, at Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Tickets are $25 and include the viewing blind experience, breakfast and entrance to all the other venues of the festival. Visit goldensandsrcd.org/pcfest or call (715) 343-6215.

Worth the trip

If you're looking for a grand summer vacation for the family, consider Vail Resorts' all-inclusive guided trip called Epic Summer: A Colorado Family Adventure. The four- or seven-day Rocky Mountain getaway includes a guide who provides an insider's perspective on the best trails to hike, rivers to raft and sights to see. Activities range from panning for gold and a Wild West cowboy campfire dinner in Breckenridge to horseback riding through aspens, pines and wildflowers at Beaver Creek, a rafting trip and a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Take scenic gondola rides at Vail or Keystone followed by naturalist hikes and mountaintop picnics. Families can learn about local flora and fauna, geology, geography and the history of the region, too. All meals are included with families in mind and reflect the character of the Rocky Mountain West.

Epic Summer trips run from June 3 through Sept. 12, and start at $249 per person per night (or $183 per child per night ages 6-12). Prices vary according to early and peak season. Call (888) 538-3742 or visit epicsummer.com.