A: The best way to get your husband out of his conference is to score two tickets to a Cubs game. That won't be easy, because most home games are sellouts and you'll have to pay premium prices to a ticket broker like StubHub.com or Gotickets.com.
Otherwise, here are some ideas for you:
If shopping and eating rank at the top of your list, the Magnificent Mile (www.themagnificentmile.com ) is impressive enough to occupy every day of your visit. The area - Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to the Chicago River - has 460 retail shops, 275 restaurants and dozens of hotels. A personal shopping favorite is Water Tower Place (www.shopwatertower.com), 835 N. Michigan Ave., an eight-level atrium full of shops and restaurants.
Chicago is home to stellar museums. "The Ancient Americas" is a new permanent exhibition that just opened at the Field Museum of Natural History; it covers 13,000 years of history. At the Art Institute of Chicago, you'll find important works by U.S. painters (Grant Wood's "American Gothic" and Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks") as well as noted pieces by the impressionists and post-impressionists (Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, Picasso).
If you're not afraid of heights, how about a ride to the 1,353-foot-high skydeck of the Sears Tower, 233 S.
For more ideas, check out the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's Web site: www.choosechicago.com.
VACATION CAMPS UPDATE: A recent Travel Q&A item about vacation camps included Shady Creek Family Camp in the Sierra foothills near Nevada City. The camp recently closed and canceled its summer program, according to an e-mail sent to campers by founder Ken Croley.
In the e-mail, Croley said refunds to anyone who had paid for the camp would have to come from the proceeds of the sale of the camp, although he added, "we are unsure when or if that will happen." He said the property is on the market.
Family Vacation Center in Santa Barbara (www.familyvacationcenter.com) is offering 5 percent discounts to Shady Creek clients. It has one-week camp dates open July 7, July 14, Aug. 18 and Aug. 25.
Have a question? Contact Michael Martinez at travelqa@mercurynews .com.