A Hawaiian vacation, without the 12-hour flight

Chicago Hula over to the TalbottIf a Hawaiian vacation isn't in the budget, don't toss the pineapple just yet. The Talbott, a luxury, boutique hotel in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast, is offering a Chicago Hawaiian Holiday Package this spring. The package includes: complimentary upgrade to one of the luxury suites; Hawaiian treats like chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, special room key, pineapple tea, a tropical floral arrangement from Hilo, Hawaii, VIP admission for two to the Shedd Aquarium, a $50 gift card to Roys Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine and $30 breakfast credit at Bice Bistro on the morning of departure. Aloha!Through Sunday, May 2, at the Talbott Hotel, 20 E. Delaware Place, with rates starting from $329. Call (312) 944-4970 to visit talbotthotel.com/packages for other options including one that combines a stay with Field Museum's "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age" exhibit starting at $259.Going apeIt's a swinging good time at Brookfield Zoo every weekend in APE-ril because it's Ape Awareness Month. Expect tons of special programs for adults and activities for children all taking place in Tropic World, home to three ape species: the endangered orangutans and western lowland gorillas and white-cheeked gibbon, including Thani, a white-cheeked gibbon who just turned 1. Zoo volunteer educators engage visitors in a variety of fun activities to understand how to protect apes struggling to survive in the wild. The weekends also feature special informal zoo chats during which staff share interesting facts and stories about apes. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 17-18 and 24-25, at 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield. Ape Awareness Weekend activities are free with general zoo admission: $13.50 adults, $9.50 children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older; children age 2 and younger admitted free. Parking costs $9. Call (708) 688-8000 or visit CZS.org.Dancing for your dinnerIf you're keen on seeing the production of "Billy Elliot the Musical" consider the Billy Elliot Dinner Theater package offered by Lawry's The Prime Rib. The package combines a performance of the 10-time Tony Award-winning production and a themed dinner at the restaurant. The menu includes items like Striking Miners' Soup, Yorkshire Coal Miners Pudding and Lawry's iconic Roasted Prime Ribs of Beef, Au Jus with all the sides and dessert (vegetarian options are available). Available Sundays, April 25, May 2 and May 16, with a 2 p.m. performance of "Billy Elliot the Musical" at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., followed by dinner at Lawry's, 100 E. Ontario St. The package is priced at $165 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Call (312) 787-5000, ext. 25, or visit LawrysOnline.com.Midwest Ticket to rideJust an hour's drive northwest of Chicago, the Illinois Railway Museum in Union opens for another season of the bygone era of railroading. With more than 400 pieces in the rolling collection, the museum treasure is the largest of its kind in the country. Learn about the role railroads played in America's growth and day-to-day life as you view steam and diesel locomotives, streetcars, commuter trains, passenger cars, freight cars, dining cars, dome cars, baggage cars and cabooses, plus snowplows and track-maintenance cars. Visitors can climb aboard 10 miles of track around the grounds and ride on a variety of trains. The Illinois Railway Museum is open weekends in April and October and daily May to September. Trains run daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and on select weekends in April, May, September and October. Admission is $8-$12 for adults, $4-$8 for kids and $25-$45 maximum for families. Call (800) 244-7245 or visit irm.org.Taxes dueThere's something good about tax season? If you trek to the outdoor Arboretum of South Barrington, there is. Enjoy a three-day shopping event where you can shop tax free and grab some great deals at participating retailers offering a 10 percent discount. Participating retailers include furniture stores, fashion stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, Chico's, Coldwater Creek and DSW shoes, children's shops, jewelers, hair and nail salons and restaurants, such as L'Eiffel Bistro Creperie and Pinstripes: Bocce, Bowling, Bistro and more. During store hours Tuesday to Thursday, April 13-15, at the Arboretum of South Barrington, 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington. To participate in the shopping event, go to shopthearboretumsb.com to print out an access pass to redeem discounts at participating shops. Call (847) 426-6200 for details.Antiques road showThe Delafield Hotel, the only Preferred Boutique hotel in the Midwest, used to be a warehouse for The Lang Cos. and that storied past re-emerges each spring and fall as some 70 antique dealers present their wares in the lower level and first-floor ballroom. The Delafield Antique Show showcases collections of 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century American and English furniture, paintings and estate jewelry, and as an added bonus, the hotel itself is chock-full of antiques from the colonial period. The antiques show has earned a reputation as one of the premier exhibits in the Midwest, attracting collectors from Chicago and Minneapolis and dealers from the Midwest to the East Coast. Make it a weekend getaway with overnight accommodations, dining and boutique shopping in the Delafield area, 25 miles west of Milwaukee.5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 23; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 24; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 25, at the Delafield Hotel, 415 Genesee St., Delafield, Wis. Admission is $8. Call (800) 594-8772 for overnight accommodations with special rates starting at $125. Visit thedelafieldhotel.com.Worth the tripLEGO has partnered with Atlantis, Paradise Island, in the Bahamas so fans can build to their heart's content in paradise. The first-ever LEGO Fantasy Camps in July will be five-day LEGO workshops where children have a chance to work side by side with a LEGO master builder in group-building events and hands-on, minds-on building challenges. This program allows parents to book a specialized trip to immerse themselves in the world of LEGO building while the kids participate in activities that encourage teamwork, personal creativity and fine motor skills. The program includes all activities and LEGO materials, a swim with the resort's rescued Katrina Dolphins in Dolphin Cay, complimentary Atlantis Speedway sessions along with a car for each child to race, lunch each day for the campers and an all-camper ice cream social and pizza party. JetBlue is the official airline of LEGO Fantasy Camp at Atlantis and will provide air-inclusive room packages.Camp sessions are July 12-16, 19-23 and 26-30 with a cost per session of $425 per child. Space is limited. Camp pricing excludes room cost and is available in conjunction with a four-night minimum stay at Atlantis. Visit atlantis.com.False20001500All aboard the trolley at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. False