Stroll the North End

This traditionally Italian neighborhood is a favorite of Boston visitors, and it’s not hard to see why: postcard-perfect streets give way to the fresh smell of garlic and tomatoes in every direction. Lately, the North End has been becoming more upscale, with cute shops springing up in between traditional restaurants. But even so, the neighborhood retains its character, with bickering grandmothers chiding nearby kids and groups of men cheering on soccer in cafés. And remember: no visit to the North End is complete without a cannoli from Modern Pastry!

Shop the Back Bay

If you’ve come to Boston hoping for some serious retail therapy, look no further than the upscale Back Bay. Start at Copley Place, where you’ll find designer shops like Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton nestled amongst more mainstream offerings. Follow the bridge to the Prudential Center and more upscale stores. But the pièce de résistance is Newbury Street. Anything you could possibly desire is on this street, from Burberry trench coats to affordable minidresses and one-of-a-kind accessories by local artists – all sandwiched in between great restaurants and coffee shops.

Rock the South End

Visitors rarely venture to the South End, and that’s a gift to us Bostonians: we want to keep this cool neighborhood to ourselves! But you and your girlfriends aren’t average tourists, and you deserve to see it. The tree-lined, brownstone-filled streets are filled with trendy boutiques, artists’ galleries and the best restaurants in Boston. You’ll even find a few fortune-tellers! It’s also one of the best places to be during a fresh snowfall – you’ll be dazzled.

Join the hipsters at the Otherside Café

Unabashedly urban and staffed by a tattooed crew, the Otherside Café is where hipsters and those in the know come for a diverse menu and funky atmosphere. Relax with rooibos tea and vegan chocolate mousse, or a craft beer and some nachos. Wild local art and Sunday night movies keep this place busy. And if you’re feeling daring, check out Sweet ‘n Nasty across the street for some cupcakes that …well…you wouldn’t dare to show your mother.

Try the Chowdah

Yes, that’s how it’s pronounced, and for the love of God, it’s white, not red! New England clam chowder is Boston’s signature dish, and if you’re going to try it, you better do it right. Lots of restaurants make great chowder, but you can never go wrong at Legal Sea Foods. You’ll be hooked with your first spoonful.

Cheer on the Red Sox at Fenway

If you’re a sports fan, you’ll love it. And if you couldn’t care less about baseball, believe it or not, you’ll love it, too. Fenway Park is so much more than an athletic event: it’s a religious experience. Just make sure you’re ready for a few things: You will sing “Sweet Caroline” during the seventh inning stretch, you will hug a random stranger after a home run, and you will join a “Yankees suck!” chant, even if the Sox are winning…against the Tigers.

Show up the Ivy Leaguers

Think you can hold your own with the brainiacs at Harvard and MIT? If you’re in town on a Tuesday, join your fellow intellectuals at Highland Kitchen in nearby Somerville to compete in a spelling bee! It’s not quite as cutthroat as traditional spelling bees – for one thing, you get three strikes! What better place to show off your smarts than the Athens of America?

Dine at Cuchi Cuchi

This Cambridge restaurant is probably the girliest place in town, and by that, I don’t mean it’s made of sugarplums and candy canes. Think retro decor, mosaics, mermaid statues, and flirtatious waitstaff that wear costumes from the 20s, 30s and 40s! The cocktails are vintage; the menu features small plates from around the world. You’ll probably be one of many groups of girls there that night. Try the Guatemalan seafood avocado!

Hobnob with Boston’s Most Elegant Ladies

Trendy lounge 28 Degrees, with its gay-straight crowd, legendary cocktails and unbelievable bathrooms that you must witness firsthand, is the place to be on Sundays. Throughout the evening, drag queens perform to the hits of Whitney, Madonna and more. The costumes are wild; the makeup is fierce! Be sure to try the bar’s signature frozen bellinis, which are served out of a slurpee machine.

Get Imprisoned at the Liberty

Since opening a few years ago, the Liberty Hotel has become the place to see and be seen. It’s also the place where you’re most likely to see a local or major celebrity. The building was originally a jail, and the jail theme is played up as much as possible. Gape at the opulent lobby, grin at the cheekily named restaurants, and be sure not to miss Alibi. At this bar, in between the steel bars hang giant celebrity mugshots, from Mick Jagger to Lindsay Lohan, complete with their famous alibis that failed to impress the cops.

Take note, because after a few days in this fantastic city, you might have to craft a creative alibi of your own!

Travel writer Kate McCulley has recently been awarded with an Apple IPad award for her wonderful story and GirlsGetaway.com’s most popular story of the year! Congratulations Kate!

Here’s a secret about Las Vegas that not many people know: this is a woman’s town. For every stereotypical bachelor party, there’s a group of girls partying twice as hard.

My girlfriends and I know this, and that’s the reason why Las Vegas is always our first choice for a getaway. From the moment our plane touches down in Sin City, we’re ready to go, dressed up and primped, bypassing the long cab line in favor of our limo. We cruise down the Strip, blasting music and sipping champagne, as we gaze at the bright lights and crowds. Our first night always includes dinner at a chic restaurant and dancing at a hot club – perhaps Sushisamba and Tryst, respectively – before finally hitting the sheets at 4:00 AM. Now, that’s how you start a weekend in Vegas.

There are lots of ways to plan a Vegas getaway, but there are a few tips that every group of girls should know. Here’s how to take a trip to the next level.

The Best Group

First of all, be careful who you invite. Bring your closest friends – you’re going to be making incredible memories, and you don’t want them to miss out. But whatever you do, don’t invite the girl who had a recent breakup, the girl on an airtight budget, or the annoying girl who drives you crazy but you’re friends with anyway. You know the type. Don’t invite her just to be nice. Think she’s bad at home? She’ll be worse in Vegas. Stick with three to five of your best drama-free girlfriends. Trust me.

Set up Shop

A group of fabulous girls deserves the hotel of a lifetime – and Vegas hotels are not lacking in fabulosity. Your hotel’s amenities and location will affect the tone of your entire trip, so choose wisely.

Want to rub elbows with celebrities? Go to the Palms, which is always crawling with A-listers. Desire opulent luxury and unsurpassed service? Choose the gorgeous, pristine Wynn. Live for fashion? The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace will make you weep with joy…until you see the Shoppes at the Palazzo.

But wherever you choose, don’t even think about splitting up your group. The one time my girls and I split our group between two hotels, it took 25 minutes to get from our room to theirs – and we were staying across the street from each other! This is one time when you need to stay as close as possible.

Laugh Hard

There are enough activities in Vegas to keep you occupied for months, but there are two that I believe should be on every girl’s itinerary.

The first is Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. It always surprises me that Madame Tussaud’s doesn’t get much attention from the guides. It’s a shame, because this is probably the most fun activity you can do in Vegas during the day. Put on a wedding gown and marry George Clooney, swing from a pole with Britney Spears, or simply do what my friends and I do – pose inappropriately with as many statues as possible.

The second is Chippendales. This world-famous show is a lot funnier than it is sexy, but god, do those men have gorgeous bodies! Just know that if you volunteer to go on stage, you will have men all over you in ways of which you’ve only fantasized.

Best of all, both of these activities are cheap. Same-day tickets for both Madame Tussaud’s and Chippendales are available for 50% off at the Tix 4 Tonight booths that dot the Strip.

Make the Scene

But Sin City heats up once the sun goes down, and this is when power really shifts into your favor. Groups of women are highly sought after by club promoters, who aim for a high women-to-men club ratio. There is no reason why a group of girls should ever have to wait in line at a club. Period.

At the very minimum, you should call the afternoon of the day you plan to go and get your group on the guestlist. If you learn of club promoters through friends, the web or while walking the Strip, that’s even better. Just make sure you’re on someone’s list.

Whether you decide to dance underneath exploding fireballs at Rain at the Palms, a waterfall at Tryst at the Wynn, or hundreds of Buddha statues at Tao at the Venetian, one thing is certain: these clubs will stun you with their glamour. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, because once the music gets going, you’ll be dancing till dawn.

Recover

By the time your Vegas getaway is winding down, your body will be fatigued from a toxic combination of casino smoke, alcohol and lack of sleep. A day at the spa is the perfect way to recover – not to mention laugh and gossip about the past few days with your girls!

Make spa reservations at the same time at least a month before you go. While most hotels have spas, you can’t go wrong with Spa Bellagio at the Bellagio or Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian and the Palazzo, which have plenty of spacious areas for small groups.

By the time you leave the spa and head to the airport, you and your friends will be agonizing over one question: how soon can you return?

That’s the thing about Vegas – it’s one addictive destination. And each trip is better than the last.