Palm Beach

A small island town of palatial homes and gardens, with streets so clean you could eat of them, Palm Beach has been synonymous for nearly a century with the kind of lifestyle only limitless loot can buy. The nation's nobs began wintering here in the 1980's, after Henry Flagler brought his East Coast railroad south from St Augustine, building two luxury hotels on his then-secluded, palm-filled island. Since then, tycoons, sports aces, aristocrats and rock stars have flocked here, eager to become part of the Palm Beach elite.

Summer in Palm Beach is very quiet, and the least costly time to stay. The winter months, from November to May, see a whirl of elegant balls, fundraising dinners, and charity galas, as well as the polo season.