SirCharlesFan Summer Tour 2005

Okay...so I decided not to post another "...it looks like I'm..." thread. Instead, I am asking advice for the SirCharlesFan Summer Tour 2005.

Here is the itinerary:

Chicago: May 16-29
Alaskan Cruise: June 11-18
Las Vegas: June 26-30

I guess I'm looking for advice on things that you guys have enjoyed on trips/visits to these cities and this cruise. I'm most curious to hear about suggestions on what to do while I'm in Chicago. I'm going with about 8 people from my university as part of a history trip (history major), but we don't have any classroom time at all. Basically, as a group, we're hitting up all of the major museums and cultural centers with the professor. Beyond that, we are free to do whatever. I'm going to be there for two weeks, so I'm sure there will be quite a bit of downtime. We're staying at Concordia University in Forest Park. Are there any good sports bars where I can watch the Rockets play (hell yeah we'll still be playing) and other NBA games? What about other places cool to hang out? Any other recommendations about what to do in the Chicago area are cool.

The Alaskan Cruise is with the family, so I probably won't have much input on what all we do...And we'll be on a damn boat most of the time. The cruise is through the inside passage. Are there any must sees on the places where the boats stop?

I'm going to Las Vegas with my buddy from high school. We've been planning this trip since our senior year of HS, and now that we just turned 21 we're making our pilgrimage to Vegas. I've been 4 times before and I absolutely love the city. I know about all of the Casinos...but what I want to know about is the strip clubs. I'm not a big fan, but my homeboy loves dropping huge cash on strippers. I figure it's my obligation to show him a good time at the best strip clubs in Vegas. So, what place has the best girls and atmosphere?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me.