Chicago

An open-air museum of architecture and one of the few places in the world where the words ‘high rise’ are synonymous with structural magnificence. ‘Make no little plans,’ urged city planner Daniel H Burnham, ‘they have no magic to stir men’s blood.’

To appreciate its fine looks, take a Chicago’s First Lady cruise on the city’s eponymous waterway before riding the escalator to the airy summit of Willis Tower. For a more architectural bias to your trip, head out to Oak Park, a quiet semi-rural village where Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style masterpieces abound. You can also visit his home and studio.

There are many museums here too, but one not to miss is the Art Institute of Chicago in Millennium Park, one of the city’s many green acreages on the shores of Lake Michigan.