Mexicana Flights from Ottawa, Canada (YOW) to Chicago (ORD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Mexicana, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Ottawa, Canada (YOW) to Chicago (ORD) regularly scheduled to depart at 6:15am and arrive at 7:50am. Usually an Embraer RJ145 Amazon is flown for this route. The average travel time from Ottawa, Canada to Chicago, IL is 2 hours and 35 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Six Flags Great America
One of the Midwest's biggest theme/amusement parks, Six Flags is located midway between Chicago and Milwaukee on I-94 in Gurnee, Illinois. The park has more than 100 rides and attractions and is a favorite of roller-coaster devotees. There are a whopping 10 of them here, including the nausea-inducing Déjà Vu, where riders fly forwards and backwards over a twisting, looping inverted steel track, and Superman, where you speed along hanging headfirst (with your legs dangling). Other don't-miss rides for the strong of stomach include the Iron Wolf, where you do corkscrew turns and 360-degree loops while standing up, and the American Eagle, a classic wooden coaster. Because this is a place that caters to families, you'll also find plenty to appeal to smaller visitors. The Looney Tunes National Park is full of kiddie rides with a cartoon theme; other worthwhile stops include the double-decker carousel and bumper cars. Six Flags also has live shows, IMAX movies, and restaurants. If you take the trouble to get out here, allow a full day.
Chicago Fed Visitors Center
It's not worth a special trip (unless you're a huge Alan Greenspan fan), but the Visitors Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is worth a quick stop if you're wandering around the Loop. More than just the standard history-of-banking displays, the center has kid-friendly features such as a giant cube that holds a million dollars, and an exhibit that lets you try detecting counterfeit bills. And yes, there's even a section where visitors can pretend to be Alan Greenspan for a moment, showing how changes in interest rates affect the economy. Free guided tours are offered weekdays at 1pm. Allow a half-hour.
Chicago Cultural Center
Built in 1897 as the city's public library, and transformed into a showplace for visual and performing arts in 1991, the Chicago Cultural Center is an overlooked civic treasure. Its basic Beaux Arts exterior conceals a sumptuous interior of rare marble, fine hardwood, stained glass, polished brass, and mosaics of Favrile glass, colored stone, and mother-of-pearl inlaid in white marble. The crowning centerpiece is Preston Bradley Hall's majestic Tiffany dome, said to be the largest of its kind in the world.The building also houses one of the Chicago Office of Tourism's visitor centers, which makes it an ideal place to kick-start your visit. If you stop in to pick up tourist information and take a quick look around, your visit won't take longer than half an hour. But the Cultural Center also hosts an array of art exhibitions, concerts, films, lectures, and other special events (many free), which might convince you to extend your time here. A long-standing tradition is the 12:15pm Dame Myra Hess Memorial classical concert every Wednesday in the Preston Bradley Hall. Other ongoing programs include a monthly cultural festival -- which highlights a different city or country over a weekend with art, theater, and film.Guided architectural tours of the Cultural Center are offered Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 1:15pm. For information, call tel. 312/744-8032.Allow a half-hour.
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
The latest addition to Chicago's already-crowded luxury hotel scene, the Sofitel aims to impress by drawing on the city's tradition of great architecture. French architect Jean-Paul Viguier created a building that's impossible to pass without taking a second look: a soaring, triangular white tower that sparkles in the sun. But the place doesn't take itself too seriously, as you'll see when you walk in the airy lobby and check out the luminescent floor tiles that change color in a never-ending light show. The overall feel of the hotel is European modern; you'll hear French accents from the front-desk staff, and foreign-language magazines are scattered on tables throughout the lobby. The bright, stylish Café des Architects has become a favorite business lunch spot for locals.The guest rooms feature contemporary decor with natural beechwood walls and chrome hardware. All the rooms enjoy good views of the city (but the privacy-conscious will want to stay on the upper floors, where they won't be on display to surrounding apartment buildings). The standard doubles are fairly compact -- but thanks to large picture windows, the spaces don't feel cramped. The luxurious marble bathrooms (with separate tub and shower stall) are quite spacious. The amenities are top-notch. Recognizing that business travelers are the bread and butter of Chicago hotel profits, ample support services exist for working visitors. But this doesn't mean that Sofitel doesn't welcome families; in fact, up to two children can stay in a room for no extra charge (they'll even roll in a portable bed for the kids).
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
The Hyatt Regency rises 33 stories from Chicago's ever-sprawling convention center. While the hotel is often solidly booked during trade shows and meetings, it has plenty of rooms to spare during winter and late summer, so vacationers might find bargains if they're willing to sacrifice the convenience of staying downtown. Although the hotel is only minutes from the Museum Campus, the lakefront, and the Loop, getting around is a little tricky without a car or a cab, although the hotel does offer a complimentary shuttle to downtown shopping areas, the main museums, and Navy Pier. The average-size rooms are freshened up with upbeat, contemporary furnishings. Bathrooms are smallish, with the sink and vanity outside the bathroom. Business-plan rooms ($20 extra) include a workstation with a fax/copier/printer machine and complimentary continental breakfast. Most north-facing rooms feature scenic views of the city skyline and lakefront.
Windy City Urban Inn
This grand 1886 home is located on a tranquil side street just blocks from busy Clark Street and Lincoln Avenue -- both chock-full of shops, restaurants, and bars. While the inn is charming enough, the true selling point is hosts Andy and Mary Shaw. He's a well-known local television reporter, while she has 20 years of experience in the Chicago bed-and-breakfast business. Together, they are excellent resources for anyone who wants to get beyond the usual tourist sites. Plus, their subtle touches give guests a distinctive, Chicago experience: Blues and jazz play during the buffet breakfast, and local food favorites offered to guests include the famous cinnamon buns from Ann Sather's restaurant and beer from Goose Island Brewery.The more-open-than-typical remodeled Victorian home has five rooms in the main house and three apartment suites in a coach house; all are named after Chicago writers. Lovebirds should request the Nelson Algren and Simone De Beauvoir Suite, which has a large bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and a view of the Sears Tower. Two of the coach house apartments can sleep four: two in an upstairs bedroom and two on a bed that folds up against the wall (custom-made for the Shaws, these feature top-quality mattresses, making them much more comfortable than the Murphy beds of old). In good weather, guests are invited to eat breakfast on the back porch or in the garden between the main house and the coach house.
