MIAMI DAY THREE

Calling El Palacio de los Jugos (5721 West Flagler Street, 305-264-4557; 14300 Southwest Eighth Street, 305-226-3141) a juice bar is a vast understatement. Families and friends meet over mango and guava shakes, while the aroma of steaming tamales fills the air. Come hungry, stand in line, and prepare for a treat.

We'll be the first to admit that plunking down nearly $4,000 while you're on a three-day trip might seem a little, well, extravagant, but how often do you get to go weightless? Zero Gravity (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, 888-664-7284, www.nogravity.com) takes groups on a two-hour flight that includes parabolic maneuvers - meaning you experience g-forces on ascent, near weightlessness at the crest, and full weightlessness on the descent. The all-day affair includes lunch.

Prefer to see a different side of South Florida? Two out-of-town adventures are highly recommended. Biscayne National Park (305-230-1100, www.nps.gov/bisc) is the only living tropical reef in the country, sprawling across 173,000 acres - and since most of it is underwater, seeing what this park offers is best done in or on the water.­ Are gators your thing? A large variety of tour operators will take you through the Everglades National Park River of Grass (www.nps.gov/ever), or you can get up close and personal by hiking, biking, or riding the tram on the 15-mile Shark Valley Tram Road (www.nps.gov/ever/visit/tramroad.htm).

Back in town and still going strong? For your final evening's dinner (assuming you've made reservations ahead of time), you'll be dining with those in the culinary know at Blue Door at the Delano Hotel (1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, 305-674-6400), Norman's (21 Almeria Avenue, Coral Gables, 305-446-6767), or Prime One Twelve in the Browns Hotel (112 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, 305-532-8112).

CHICAGO DAY ONE