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Illinois

When it comes to fun, California takes the cake. Mississsippi? Not so much. A new study by Wallet Hub compared the 50 states across 26 key indicators of a jolly good time that won’t break the bank. They range from movie costs to accessibility of national parks to nightlife options per capita. Here’s the top 10: California (beaches, nature, cities, food, theme parks and wine) Florida (beaches, nature, cities, food, theme parks and not so great wine) Nevada (can’t argue with Vegas for fun) New York (I’d rank it higher, but there you go) Illinois (Chicago is one of the Read more

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A lakefront that’s the envy of the world. Amazing architecture. Fabulous food. And Midwestern hospitality. Those are just some of the reasons that readers of Conde Nast Travel have voted Chicago the best big city in the U.S. six years in a row. “That means more than 240,000 readers of Conde Nast voted for us,” Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of Choose Chicago, told me in a recent interview. “No other city has been chosen number one three years in a row, but we’ve done it six times straight.” Osmond said the city’s Midwestern hospitality is another key factor in Read more

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CHICAGO – Okay, I was a little reluctant. I mean, we’ve all see those people rolling about various cities on those silly-looking Segways. And, let’s face it, they look like mall cops. But, at the same time, they look kinda cool, right? I mean, we might not ever make it to the Jetsons but a Segway is at least in the same area code; all futuristic and such. So, yeah, I had mixed emotions when the folks at Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism board, suggested my wife, Barbara, and I take a two-hour tour through Millenium Park and environs the Read more

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