Chicago

June, September, and October are the golden months in Chicago -- mild and sunny. November through March ranges from crisp to bitter, April and May are usually cold and soggy, and July and August can be either perfect or the deadly combo of high heat-high humidity. That said, the only thing certain about Chicago's weather, according to locals, is that it will change. Sometimes there are 60-degree days in January. Sometimes August drops down to the 50s. You just never know.

Bundle up because, the windy city didn't get its name by accident. Here all-American style meets the metropolitan panache.

Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its center, and airplanes followed suit. Butcher of hogs and believer in progress, it is one of the world's great cities, and yet the metropolitan luxuries of theater, dining, and shopping have barely put a dent in real Midwestern friendliness. It's a city with a swagger, but without the attitude or fake smiles found in other cities of its size.