Fargo, North Dakota

Where: Fargo, North Dakota

Why: Despite the Coen Brothers’ film, its namesake offers chic galleries, hipster hangouts, and one very haute hotel that even caught the eye of Travel + Leisure magazine.

How: Three and a half hours north by northwest on I–94.

Stay: Formerly a flophouse, the Hotel Donaldson (888-478-8768) has seventeen suites designed by regional artists. All rooms have heated floors, flat-screen TVs, and Bose stereos. Rates range from $165 to $330.

Eat: It’s hard to believe there would be a martini bar in the Coens’ Fargo, but Monte’s Downtown (701-526-0149) shakes up thirty martini varieties, served along with sophisticated comfort food in an urban setting.

Pack: A swimsuit for the hotel’s year-round rooftop hot tub.

P.S.: Movie buffs head to the classic Fargo Theatre (701-239-8385)—especially for weekend midnight movies.