Chicago

What the brood needs is a last blast of fun. Chicago landed on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best summer vacation spots, and Parents magazine called the city “one of the best to visit with your family.”

A bacchanalia-on-boats bash takes place every weekend in downtown Chicago.

Weekday matinee games, which are far less numerous now though thankfully not extinct, are still the cheapest and best way to experience a Cubs game.

From May 20 to 22, Chicago throws Ferris Fest, a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, set in and around the city.

After one son died in a house fire, Kristine Bunch of Greensburg did 16 years for murder and arson while separated from her other child. Eventually she won a grueling fight for freedom and a chance to be a mother again. But some things, she discovered, were lost forever.

Avoid rush-hour traffic and shelling out cash for gas and tolls by taking the train from Indianapolis to the Windy City.

The British visionary aims to restyle guest accommodations at Virgin Hotels by creating the kind of place where he’d want to stay

Even if you’re a native of the Windy City, these 25 ideas make it possible to play tourist in your home city.

Low taxes, cheap rents, and incentives galore.

This small sit-down eatery offers Asian dishes including hand-pulled noodles and soup dumplings.