Galena, Illinois

One of the best-preserved small towns in the Midwest. Much of Galena lies within a National Register historic district, so Main Street's 19th-century brick storefronts curve along the hillside almost unchanged, with wine bars, bakeries and antique shops inside. It is an easy drive from Chicago, Madison or eastern Iowa, which makes it a realistic weekend for couples across the Upper Midwest. Stay in a bed-and-breakfast, climb the steep public stairways that link the hillside streets to Main Street, and save an hour for Ulysses S. Grant's home, kept as a state historic site.