Chicago Through Local Eyes

One-Day Shopper's Spree, $276 per couple. The upscale James Hotel, which is located two blocks from the Magnificent Mile of Michigan Avenue shopping centers and designer boutiques, is offering a one night stay, an afternoon tea and snack service for two in the lobby bar (a $26 value), and a $50 gift card to Nordstrom. When: Mar. 26-31, 2007. (Local transportation is not provided.) Details: Rates start at $239 per night plus hotel taxes of 15.4 percent; based on double occupancy. Contact: Enter the promotion code SHOP when you book online at jameshotels.com. (Be sure to use all capital letters. Package must be booked online.)

Art & Antiques Tour, $468 a person. Enjoy private tours of Chicago's Art District and a two-night stay at the Radisson Hotel & Suites. On Friday, take a private tour of an exhibit of paintings by artist Roger Brown, a member of the Chicago Imagist school. Then dine at Latin restaurant Nacional 27. On Saturday, eat breakfast at the hotel and then spend the day at The Merchandise Mart, which showcases modern and antique artworks, crafts, and furniture. Lunch is provided. On Sunday, after breakfast you'll go to the Art Institute of Chicago and view two exhibitions, "Zero Gravity" and "Cezanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde." When: Apr. 27-29, 2007. Details: Local transportation is provided between museums and restaurants. Hotel taxes, admission fees, one dinner, one lunch, and breakfast daily, are included; based on double occupancy. Contact:Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, 877/244-2246.

Food & Wine Appreciation, $485 per person. This package includes accommodations for two nights at the Talbott, a 149-room hotel with boutique touches, such as nightlight turndown service, a Friday night Asian dinner, including wine and sake, at the restaurant Aria, a Saturday morning tasting of foods invented in Chicago, a Saturday afternoon wine tasting at Randolph Wine Cellars, and a Sunday cooking class with a brunch that you cook yourself. When: May 4-6, 2007. Details: Local transportation is provided between tastings and restaurants. Hotel taxes, admission fees, one dinner, tour fees, and breakfast daily are included; based on double occupancy. Contact: Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, 877/244-2246.

Museum Lovers' Weekend, $504 per person. Includes lodging at the Talbott, a Friday evening private tour of two architectural gems, the Glessner House Museum and the Clarke House Museum; dinner of traditional Chicago cuisine at The Chicago Firehouse restaurant; visits to several unique museums, such as the Oriental Institute Museum, the Smart Museum of Art, and the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center; Saturday lunch at Greek restaurant Pegasus; and Sunday breakfast at the Field Museum of Natural History, followed by a private tour and access to the museum's exhibition, Darwin. When: July 13-15, 2007. Details: Local transportation is provided between museums and restaurants. Hotel taxes, admission fees, one dinner, one lunch, tour fees, and daily breakfasts are included; based on double occupancy. Contact:Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, 877/244-2246.

Getting There: The lowest round-trip fares we found for Chicago for April weekend dates are $139 from New York City (United), $278 from Phoenix (Southwest), $284 from Los Angeles (multiple carriers), and $392 from Seattle (Northwest).

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