Brittany is the ideal destination for a vacation when you want to escape the challenges of day-to-day life without traveling too far. Here are the top five reasons to visit.

Weather
Brittany is well-known for its long summers and mild winters. Average temperatures in the summer are around 25 degrees C while in the winter it can be as mild as 15 degrees C.

Golf
These days it seems anybody who’s anybody plays golf. And Brittany has not been slow on the uptake. There are currently 34 golf courses in the region ranging from 9 hole beginner courses to private pro courses. Golf fans can’t go far wrong.

Thalassotherapy
Thalassotherapy is the medical use of seawater. It was developed here in Brittany during the 19th century. The province is home to 13 thalassotherapy spas which offer both day packages and vacations.

Festivals
Brittany hosts almost three hundred events each year so regardless of when you visit there is sure to be something going on. From the Art Rock music festival to theatre productions and sporting events you’re bound to find something that takes your fancy.

Sights
There are plenty of interesting sights to see in Brittany, the most famous being the megalithic monuments. The monuments are found scattered over the peninsula and the purpose of them is unknown. Tourists flock to the unusual stones all year round.

Colarado’s largest city, Aspen, has long been acknowledged as the perfect location for a winter getaway.  The ski playground for the rich and famous, during the winter months Aspen is never short of visitors.  But that’s not to say it can’t be enjoyed in the summer too. Here are the top five reasons to visit.

Mountains
Whether you’re heading to Colarado for a winter break or a summer holiday there is plenty to do on Aspen’s mountains.  Skiing is huge here and during the warmer season hiking and mountain climbing are just as popular. Red Mountain and Smuggler Mountain are two of the favourties in the city.

Water Sports
If it’s an adventure holiday you’re after then Aspen will not disappoint. There are three rivers near the city meaning water sports are a popular hobby. Try kayaking or white water rafting. There are instructors on hand so even amateurs can have a go.

Paragliding
And if the mountains and the lakes don’t provide ebough activity for you there’s always paragliding! There are plenty of paragliding providers in the city with instructors giving you training before you take to the sky. The sport is becoming more and more popular in the city thanks to the thrill-seeking vacationers.

Music
In July, Aspen hosts the Blue Notes Jazz Festival featuring some of the greats of the Jazz world. But if you don’t make it to thar don’t worry. The city is big on music and regularly features performances from major acts.

Celeb-spotting
Let’s face it, we all love celeb-spotting and there’s few places better to do it than Aspen. A host of Hollywood stars and award-winning singers vacation in the city with many owning property here. Keep your eyes peeled for Mariah Carey who reportedly spends Christmas here every year and Goldie Hawn who owns a home here.

In recent years Dubai has gone from being a country with a relatively small tourism industry to one of the world’s hottest holiday hotspots. And it’s not hard to see why. Here are the top five reasons to visit.

1 Nightlife

Dubai is famous for its cosmopolitan spirit. There are over 100 nightclubs and plenty of bars and restaurants. There is also regular firework displays so you’re night is sure to go with a bang!

2 Shopping

If you like a Bargain, you’ll love Dubai. The world-famous gold market is where you can find gorgeous jewelry at great prices along with other unique treats. But if designer shopping is more your thing then you won’t be disappointed. The country is home to plenty of chic shops and boutiques.

3 Architecture

Dubai’s architecture is amongst the most remarkable in the world. The modern buildings where designed by a host of leading architects resulting in some of the most breathtaking buildings you’ll ever see.

4 Beaches

Dubai is home to plenty of stunning beaches with perfect white sand and gorgeous blue waters, offering the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon.

5 Weather

Dubai’s climate is nothing short of perfect. In the summer it is sunny almost every day and even during winter despite the odd bit of rainfall the sun still shines. Temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees C during the summer months so be sure to pack your sunscreen!

Vail's $1 billion renewal has quickly become a $2 billion and increasing renovation -- with no end in sight.

Developments including a Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton Residences are under way, and two more large developments -- including a W Hotel and a St. Regis -- are in negotiations.

Town officials say the construction crane is the new town bird, with eight looming across the landscape.

Resort watchers say the development will help keep the 40-year-old ski town at the top of its game.

Age and the need for new infrastructure have made this the right time to redevelop, said Mayor Rod Sifler.

"It's very competitive out there," Sifler said. "Every resort is trying to be a summer resort too. We had to redevelop and grow."

Vail Resorts Inc.'s three projects -- Front Door, the Arrabelle at Vail Square and the proposed Ever Vail -- account for a large portion of the development, but other owners are also jumping on the remodeling wagon.

Vail has been named the No. 1 ski resort in North America 14 of the last 19 years, and both developers and officials want to keep it in the top spot.

"There's no question in our minds that the on-mountain experience at Vail has no comparison, and what we are looking to do is make sure the base area is in the same league," said Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.

Vail's renewal is projected to create more than 450 new lodging units and more than 100,000 square feet of new shopping and dining space.

Plans call for hotels, condominiums, fractional ownership units, retail space, convention services, restaurants and two ice skating rinks.

All of the development will help keep Vail near the top of ski resort life, said Stan Zemler, town manager.

"It's a fresh face on an image that is already high-end," he said. "There has never been as much development or redevelopment going on in Vail's history."

Vail Resorts' Front Door project is a redevelopment of the area surrounding the Vista Bahn lift. It will include coffee shops, sitting areas and 13 chalets, all of which have already sold for $10 million to $15 million each.

The Arrabelle, in the middle of Lionshead, boasts condominiums, residences, retail outlets and restaurants. City officials say the development of the $250 million Arrabelle was the catalyst for the frenzy of activity.

"The quality of the experience that people had on the mountain was not being reflected in the portal," said Katz. "The Arrabelle was the first step to say we are going to take Lionshead and bring it up to par with the rest of the experience."

Other developments include the $180 million Solaris, which is replacing the old Crossroads commercial and residential building. It is offering buy-ins at $1.9 million plus $35,000 annual dues for fractional ownership.

Solaris is planning to be the new town square, said Craig Cohn, director of sales, marketing and leasing for Solaris Residences. The project is estimated to be complete for the winter of 2009.

Because development is on-going and some buildings are down because of construction, the town estimates taking a hit of $45,900 in anticipated sales tax this year.

But the town expects the total impact of redevelopment to bring in $5.9 million in additional sales tax revenue in the next five years, said Kelly McDonald, Vail economic development manager.

Katz hopes to help rename Lionshead as Vail Square to create synergy between Vail Village, then Vail Square and extending on the west with Ever Vail.

The 114-year-old home of the Chicago Athletic Association, once the playground of some of Chicago's most prominent leaders, hosted its last annual meeting Thursday evening.

On Friday, the landmark property is to be sold for $31 million to a development team that will invest an additional $100 million to preserve the two-building complex at 12 S. Michigan Ave. and 71 E. Madison St. while converting it into a luxury hotel.

"It's like a death in the family," said Mike Callahan, 48, who noted that the association will try to find a new meeting place. "I'm a fourth-generation member. I had my first Easter there, my wedding reception, and constantly came to the club with my father."

But the sale of the building where William Wrigley, Marshall Field and their friends exercised and socialized is an opportunity for David Songy, chief executive of Atlanta-based Songy Partners LLC, and his partner firm in this development, Cleveland-based Snider-Cannata Interests LLC.

"Architecturally, it's one of the most striking buildings in the country, and once completed it will be one of the finest hotels overlooking Millennium Park," Songy said Thursday.

By the end of September, the team expects to receive final city approval on historic preservation aspects of the plan and close the buildings. By late this year, the 18-month construction project should get under way, Songy said.

The 265,000-square-foot buildings will be renovated into a 300-room Omni hotel, ballroom and athletic facility, Songy said. The exterior facade and interior features such as marble floors, stained-glass windows, chandeliers and mahogany finishes will be restored.

Built in 1893, the 11-story Venetian Gothic building at 12 S. Michigan Ave. was designed by Henry Ives Cobb, replete with stylized carvings of lacrosse sticks, rackets and balls.

In 1906, the association built the Madison Street annex, designed by Schmidt, Garden & Martin. It ultimately rose to 18 stories.