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Japan Airlines Flights from Montreal, Canada (YUL) to Chicago (ORD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Japan Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Montreal, Canada (YUL) to Chicago (ORD) regularly scheduled to depart at 6:00am and arrive at 7:45am. Usually an Embraer RJ145 Amazon is flown for this route. The average travel time from Montreal, Canada to Chicago, IL is 2 hours and 45 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Navy Pier
Built during World War I, this 3,000-foot-long pier was used by the Navy during World War II as a training center for pilots. But any military aura is long gone, now that the place has been transformed into a bustling tourist mecca. A combination of carnival, food court, and boat dock, the pier makes a fun place to stroll (if you don't mind crowds), but you'll have to walk all the way to the end to get the best views back to the city.Midway down the pier are the Crystal Gardens, with 70 full-size palm trees, dancing fountains, and other flora in a glass-enclosed atrium; a white-canopied open-air Skyline Stage that hosts concerts, dance performances, and film screenings; a carousel; and a 15-story Ferris wheel that's a replica of the original that debuted at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair. The 50 acres of pier and lakefront property also are home to the Chicago Children's Museum, a 3D IMAX theater (tel. 312/595-5629), a small ice-skating rink, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. The shops tend to be bland and touristy. Dining options include a food court, an outpost of Lincoln Park's popular Charlie's Ale House, and the white-tablecloth seafood restaurant Riva. You'll also find a beer garden with live music; Joe's Be-Bop Cafe & Jazz Emporium, a Southern-style barbecue restaurant with live music that is run by Joe and Wayne Segal of Jazz Showcase fame; and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. & Market, a casual family seafood joint. Summer is one long party at the pier, with fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows may sound incredibly dull, but decorative art aficionados shouldn't miss this remarkable installation of more than 150 stained-glass windows set in illuminated display cases. Occupying an 800-foot-long expanse on the ground floor of Navy Pier, the free museum features works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, John LaFarge, and Louis Comfort Tiffany.Navy Pier hosts a variety of conventions and trade shows, including an international art exposition in May, pro-tennis exhibitions, and a flower and garden show. There's something for everyone, but the commercialism of the place might be too much for some people. If that's the case for you, take the half-mile stroll to the end of the pier, east of the ballroom, where you can find a little respite and enjoy the wind, the waves, and the city view, which is the real delight of a place like this. Or unwind in Olive Park, a small sylvan haven with a sliver of beach that lies just to the north of Navy Pier.You'll find, moored along the south dock, more than half a dozen different sailing vessels, including a couple of dinner cruise ships, the pristine white-masted tall ship Windy, and the 70-foot speedboats Seadog I, II, and III. In the summer months, water taxis speed between Navy Pier and other Chicago sights.Allow 1 hour.
Sears Tower Skydeck
First Sears sold the building and moved to cheaper suburban offices in 1992. Then the skyscraper got an ego blow when the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, went up and laid claim to the title of world's tallest buildings. (The Sears Tower has since put up a 22-ft. antenna in an attempt to win back the title.) Tallest-building posturing aside, this is still a great place to orient yourself to the city, but I wouldn't put it on the top of must-see sights for anyone with limited time (and limited patience for crowds).The view from the 103rd-floor Skydeck is everything you'd expect it to be -- once you get there. Unfortunately, you're often stuck in a very long, very noisy line, so by the time you make it to the top, your patience could be as thin as the atmosphere up there. (Come in the late afternoon to avoid most of the crowds.) On a clear day, visibility extends up to 50 miles, and you can catch glimpses of four surrounding states. Despite the fact that it's called a "skydeck," you can't actually walk outside. Recent upgrades include multimedia exhibits on Chicago history and Knee High Chicago, an exhibit for kids. The 70-second high-speed elevator trip will feel like a thrill ride for some, but it's a nightmare for anyone with even mild claustrophobia. Allow 1 to 2 hours, depending on the length of the line.
Museum of Science and Industry
Even if you don't plan on spending the day in Hyde Park, you'll pass through the neighborhood on your way to one of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions. The massive Museum of Science and Industry is the granddaddy of interactive museums, with some 2,000 exhibits. You should plan on spending at least a couple of hours here, and a comprehensive visit can take all day, especially if you catch an Omnimax movie while you're here. Although it's quite a distance from the rest of Chicago's tourist attractions, it's easy enough to get here without a car; your best options are the no. 6 Jeffrey Express bus or the Metra Electric train from downtown (the no. 10 bus runs from downtown to the museum's front entrance during the summer).While the museum is constantly adding new exhibits to cover the latest scientific breakthroughs, you shouldn't miss certain tried-and-true exhibits that have been here for years and epitomize the museum for Chicagoans. The U-505, a German submarine that was captured in 1944 and brought to the museum 10 years later, brings home the claustrophobic reality of underwater naval life. The full-scale Coal Mine, which dates back to 1934, now incorporates modern mining techniques into the exhibit -- but the best part is the simulated trip down into a dark, mysterious mine. Get to these exhibits quickly after the museum opens because they attract amusement-park-length lines during the day.Kids who love planes, trains, and automobiles shouldn't miss All Aboard the Silver Streak, a refurbished Burlington Pioneer Zephyr train with on-board interactive exhibits; the massive model train exhibit that makes up The Great Train Story; or Take Flight, an aviation exhibit featuring a full-size 727 airplane that revs up its engines and replays the voice recordings from a San Francisco-Chicago flight periodically throughout the day. Computer addicts should be entranced by Networld, which offers a flashy immersion into the Internet (with plenty of interactive screens). More low-tech -- but fascinating -- is the giant walk-through model of the human heart. Well-designed educational exhibits include AIDS: The War Within (which was the first permanent museum exhibit on the immune system and HIV) and Reusable City, which teaches children ecological tips with implements that they might find in their own backyard. Older children with a creative streak will enjoy Enterprise, which lets visitors take on the role of CEO for a day as they immerse themselves in the goings-on of a virtual company.And, not to be sexist, but girls (myself included) love Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, a lavishly decorated miniature palace filled with priceless treasures (yes, those are real diamonds and pearls in the chandeliers). The castle is hidden away on the lower level. Also tucked away in an inconspicuous spot -- along the Blue stairwell between the Main Floor and the Balcony -- are the Human Body Slices, actual slivers of human cadavers that are guaranteed to impress teenagers in search of something truly gross.A major newer addition to the museum is the Henry Crown Space Center, where the story of space exploration is documented in copious detail, highlighted by a simulated space-shuttle experience through sight and sound at the center's five-story Omnimax Theater. The theater offers double features on the weekends; call for show times.When you've worked up an appetite, you can visit one of the museum's five restaurants, including a Pizza Hut and an ice-cream parlor, and there are also two gift shops. Allow 3 hours.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Chicago area, including:
Red Roof Inn
This is your best bet for the lowest-priced lodgings in downtown Chicago. The location is the main selling point: right off the Magnificent Mile (and within blocks of the Ritz-Carlton and Peninsula, where rooms will cost you at least three times as much). The guest rooms are stark and small (much like the off-the-highway Red Roof Inns), but all have new linens and carpeting. Ask for a room facing Ontario Street, where at least you'll get western exposure and some natural light (rooms in other parts of the hotel look right into neighboring office buildings). The bathrooms are tiny but newly renovated and spotless. You're not going to find much in the way of style or amenities here -- but then you don't stay at a place like this to hang out in the lobby (where, by the way, free coffee is available every morning).
Tremont Hotel
The Tremont won't dazzle you with style or amenities, but it fits the bill for anyone looking for a small, European-style hotel. The cozy lobby (complete with fireplace) makes a fine space to hang out and plan your itinerary for the day. The guest rooms aren't too big -- there's space for a bed, a desk, and either a sofa or two chairs -- but they are cheery, with yellow walls and large windows. Ask for a room facing Delaware Street if you crave natural light (rooms in other parts of the hotel look into neighboring buildings). The furniture shows signs of wear, and the bathrooms are fairly basic, but the Tremont will appeal to anyone who likes their hotels homey rather than slick.The steak-and-chops restaurant off the lobby, the memorabilia-filled Mike Ditka's Restaurant, is co-owned by the legendary former Chicago Bears football coach.
Hotel Burnham
If you're looking for a spot with a sense of history, this is it. A brilliant $30-million restoration in 1999 of the historic Reliance Building -- one of the first skyscrapers ever built and a highly significant architectural treasure -- resulted in this intimate boutique hotel named for Daniel Burnham, whose firm designed the building in 1895. The prime State Street location is across from Marshall Field's and 1 block south of the hopping North Loop theater district. The Burnham is a must for architecture buffs: Wherever possible, the restoration retained period elements -- most obviously in the hallways, which recall the original office corridors with terrazzo tile floors, white marble wainscoting, mahogany door and window frames, and room numbers painted on the translucent glass doors. Rooms are clubby but glamorous, with plush beds, mahogany writing desks, and chaise longues. The hotel's 19 suites feature a separate living-room area and CD stereo systems. Don't come to the Burnham if you're looking for extensive amenities -- the lobby is tiny, as is the exercise room. But the Burnham is one of Chicago's most distinctive hotels, and it's highly recommended for visitors who want a historic location jazzed up with a dash of colorful modern style. Ask for a room on a high floor in the northeast corner -- the views north and east are dazzling. The on-site Atwood Café serves creative comfort food against a Gilded Age backdrop.A bonus for animal lovers: Pets are positively welcomed here. The hotel provides beds, treats, and dog-walking services, among other amenities (they'll even clean out your in-room kitty-litter box!).
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