Samba yourself silly at Carnivale in Chicago

Chicago

Samba yourself silly

If you can't join the conga line to Rio this spring, Carnivale in Chicago offers festivities for revelers of all ages. The three-day extravaganza from Sunday, Febr. 22 through Tuesday, Febr. 24, offers a parade of activity: family night is Sunday when kids get their faces painted to join the celebration, watch balloon cartoonists, get free masks and beads, watch stilt walkers and dance to live music before after indulging in the special family and kids menu. Adults want to visit either Monday for the Masquerade Ball ($5 Mojitos from Around the World) or Fat Tuesday, Feb. 24, featuring samba dancers, hot Latin music, free masks and beads and a fabulous Carnival menu. Carnivale, 702 W Fulton St., Chicago. Call (312) 850-5005 or get wide-eyed at www.carnivalechicago.com.

Begin The Beguine on Mondays

If life is a cabaret, old chum, why is another viewing of American Idol the highlight of your week? Take in Musical Mondays at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place when Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) entertain with top notch repertoire of Oscar tunes, the music of Johnny Mercer and, in time for spring, romantic songs. Past performances witnessed capacity crowds so snag some tickets ($25 each) at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., its box office at (312) 642-2000 or at www.ticketmaster.com. For show dates and details, visit www.chicagocabaret.org.

There goes the neighborhood

Take advantage of brand new half-day bus tours that explore Chicago's nooks and crannies. The 2009 Calendar Features a new Albany Park tour that visits the Cambodian American Heritage Museum, River Park Dam and Waterfall, the 155-acre-North Park Village with urban wildlife and the famous Superdawg Drive-In. The Land of Lincoln Bicentennial tour includes stops at Civil War grave sites at Oak Woods Cemetery, the Stephen A. Douglas Tomb and Monument, Grant and Lincoln Parks and the Chicago History Museum's collection of Lincoln memorabilia. Drive by President Obama's home during the Hyde Park & Kenwood tour when you'll also see the University of Chicago campus where he once taught, Hyde Park's St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, the Oriental Institute Museum and a walk through Jackson Park's fascinating Osaka Garden.

For more info about these and other new tours offered by Chicago Neighborhood Tours call (312) 742-1190 or visit www.chicagoneighborhoodtours.com. Midwest

Green and gorgeous

There's a new, eco-chic, luxury boutique hotel in town but the town is not Chicago. Hotel Arista, located in Naperville, is the state's first LEED-certified luxury hotel and that means it was built and is maintained by strict criteria in order to certify it as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) property. What does that mean to you? You can loll in modern luxury while feeling self-satisfied that you're helping the world with a green getaway - a win-win, to be sure. Consider some of the winter-early spring packages such as the Star (includes a one-night stay in a standard king or queen luxury room, two movie tickets, concessions credit (up to $15), breakfast for two and complimentary transportation to the AMC Cantera Movie Theatre - for $179 per night for two). There are also shopping packages that include gift cards and transport to Chicago Premium Outlets; girlfriends' getaways with wine tasting and dinner at the fabulous on-site Sugar Toad restaurant; and more. Take a look at www.hotelarista.com or ring (630) 579 - 4100.

Freeze frame

Our Midwestern brethren to the north know how to embrace the cold and carve out some fun: visit nearby Whitewater, Wisconsin on Febr. 21st for Freeze Fest. Watch ice carvings, see who wins (or enter) the Fishing Derby; tour the town's Historical Museum; cheer at the Snow Dog Show; take a free wagon ride or candlelight ski. Crafters will want to see the Quilt Show, shoppers should explore the bargains in downtown Whitewater and foodies may beg to sample at the Chili cook-off. There will be plenty of family entertainment and have the kids bring their suits - admission to Whitewater Fitness and Aquatics Center is half price that day. Details at www.discoverwhitewater.com or by calling (262) 473-0520.

Fly like the wind to Iowa

Are the kids sulking about the weather and pining for spring? Point the vehicle west toward Iowa for the 2009 Color the Wind Festival in Clear Lake. Hundreds of colossal, colorful kites float on the crisp air (think nuclear-sized bears and penguins floating up above) and fun ground displays on the frozen waters of Clear Lake. Eight states worth of kite fliers participate in team flying shows choreographed to music. You can bring your own kites or purchase one at the event. Warm up with a hot bowl of chili, steaming hot chocolate or a hot dog from the food wagon then traverse the ice to get the best views and photos and visit with the kite pilots. Febr. 21. Fly over to www.colorthewind.org or give a shout out at

(641) 357-5516

Worth the trip

Once-in-a-lifetime adventure

If you're the type who likes to go where no man has gone before, forget the Starship Enterprise, check out Adventure Life Voyages. On Dec. 4, the company is offering a 31-day voyage exploring the Phantom Coast of Antarctica aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov - the only passenger vessel slated to explore this seldom visited Antarctic coastline in 2009-2010. Depart Santiago, Chile, cross the Drake Passage and head southward to traverse the Antarctic Circle where you'll experience a world of continuous daylight. You'll stop at Peter I Island, a place that only 800 people in all human history have visited. There will be opportunities to view Yellow-eyed Penguins, Royal Albatross, New Zealand sea lions, Red-Crowned Parakeets, whales and other unusual wildlife. Explore www.alvoyages.com or call (800) 344-6118.