Indiana Guide and Deals

On a trip to Chicago from his native Italy, young Mario Tricoci changed his life forever. The fledgling hairdresser stopped in at a prestigious salon, where he impressed the owner with his impeccable display of skill and landed himself a job. The next six decades brought strings of industry awards and the opening of his very own salon, which soon exploded into 26 locations in four states. With his styling prowess proven both to the industry and to the clients he encountered each day, the coiffeur decided to share his gift with others. In 2004, he established Tricoci University to foster a new generation of cosmetologists and spa technicians trained to thrive in the luxury-spa industry.

Throughout the Midwest, Tricoci protégés study a rigorous curriculum in high-end salon and spa surroundings to learn how to create beautiful hairdos, choose skin-flattering cosmetics, and beautify nails and skin. A team of experienced industry professionals readies pupils for the beauty world with in-depth classes, and outside education arrives via video demonstrations and guest-artist lectures on Vidal Sassoon's Wedge-Bob Postulate. More advanced students get a preview of their career to come by beautifying real people during instructor-supervised treatments, which lend the stylist essential experience as the client enjoys a pampering session at a discounted rate.

Kristen Abbott and her troupe of passionate instructors motivate guests through TRX Suspension classes—a rigorous total-body toning system designed by a Navy SEAL—and equipment-based Pilates classes. Upon entering the studio, guests step onto bamboo flooring, which stretches out beneath airy vaulted ceilings, all painted with extra-buff versions of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. The studio—which earned the CityVoter award for Best Pilates Studio from 2008 to 2011—hosts small group classes, leading students through moves that challenge them to use their body weight as resistance in functional exercises. With continued practice, students can evenly tone and develop muscle groups across the entire body, with an emphasis on the posture-supporting core muscles.

Completely restored with modern amenities in 2005, the stately Second Empire Mansion (originally built in 1881) boasts 11 fireplaces, two dining rooms, a large third-floor rooftop party deck with a garden, a front porch, a surprisingly well-mannered poltergeist, and an antique and gift shop. Upon check-in, you'll be ensconced in guest room outfitted with high-speed Internet, TVs with DVD/VCR and cable, bathrobes, and more. Three suites, meanwhile, amp up the luxury with amenities such as double Jacuzzis, separate showers, flat-screen plasma TVs, wet bars, sitting areas with a couch, and mysterious bidets. If you get bored playing life-sized games of Clue inside Market Street Inn's 10,000 square feet of space, take a stroll down to the nearby restaurants and wine shops or the Ohio River just a block away.

The Chicago White Sox have some truly dedicated fans. In 1994, the team decided to reach out to the youngsters who worshipped their footwear. They sought to provide kids with the same conditioning and training they honed their skills with, so they started a sports-training summer camp. In a mere seven years, demand for the trainers' services necessitated that the program conduct year-round sessions in all types of sports, and the Bulls/Sox Academy was born.

Taught by the trainers who spend their life making sure that the Sox and Bulls are ready to hit the field or court, Bulls/Sox Academy's lessons bring professional techniques to aspiring athletes. Baseball programs teach functional speed movements for high-speed base stealing and help kids build the upper-body strength to knock balls out of the park and through the windshield of their least favorite neighbor's minivan. The basketball course divvies up training between shooting, skills, and defensive play. The fast-pitch softball teachers—both former professional players and longtime coaches—arm students to beat back high-velocity pitches without hurting the ball's feelings.

Whether you're sick of looking at that jerk in the mirror who won't get off your couch or you've got relatives coming to visit on the exact same weekend you're hosting the World Championship Indoor Pork-Rind Storage competition, the rooms at the Sheraton are clean, smoke free, and available for sleeping-human storage and waking-human relaxation. Amenities include a 32-inch flatscreen, Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, and Starbucks one-cup coffee maker. Guests' cars are as comfortable as their owners while resting in the free parking, and the fitness center and heated swimming pool ruin any excuse for skipping a workout. Free WiFi in the lobby and a complimentary shuttle service to the airport ensure that high-powered business guests remain connected during their stay.

Noble Hawk Golf Links brings the haggis-flavored flair of Scottish course design to this 6,817-yard Northeast Indiana haunt. A moderate-length opener, hole 1 (par 4) tests club-wielding precision from the first tee with a series of deep bunkers hugging well-contoured fairways. From there, a round gets rowdier with diverse challenges such as a drive between water at hole 4, a huge mound bisecting the green at hole 5, and an over-water tee-shot into a large, undulating green at hole 15. Click here to take an online tour of the course, or let the innovation, diversity, and slumbering deer on the luscious greenery surprise you while you play. Pre- or post-round, practice drives with the large bucket of balls to fine-tune form and eliminate embarrassing mid-swing pirouettes.