Gurnee, midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, is probably best known as the home of Six Flags Amusement Park and the Gurnee Mills shopping outlet. Now Midwesterners looking for a little rest and relaxation can sample the town's top attraction, the KeyLime Cove hotel and water park, which also features a spa, shopping and six restaurants.

Boasting 20,000 acres of green space, numerous golf courses, four rivers and the verdant Rock Cut State Park, Rockford is a haven for the outdoor adventurist. Tee off at the Aldeen Golf Club or relax in the splendor of the Anderson Japanese Gardens. In cooler weather, warm up at the vaudevillian Coronado Theater or visit Jane the T-Rex at the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Learn of the history of the area at Midway Village and Museum Center, a living museum with pioneer village and exhibits.

Caleta de Fuste (also known as El Castillo) is a rollicking tourist destination with wide beaches and outdoor sports, including sailing, diving, and windsurfing. Travelers enjoy sharing the blue waters with the  turtles and dolphins, as well as hitting the greens at the luxurious Fuerteventura Golf Club.  If you're looking for equal parts adventurous-trip and relaxation-central, you'll find it here with a day of snorkeling or trike riding followed by lounging on the serene sand beaches.

Fussen is steeped in over 700 years of history, from its roots as a Roman trading fort to its present-day status as a nearly secret Alpine holiday escape. Situated on the southern end of the Romantic Road, the medieval town center is framed by the majestic Alps, towering above the banks of the river Lech and surrounding lake region. Here you will discover late-gothic castles, baroque cathedrals and the oldest preserved fresco in Bavaria.