ATA Airlines Flights from El Paso (ELP) to San Diego (SAN)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on ATA Airlines, which operates a non-stop flight everyday except Friday and Saturday from El Paso (ELP) to San Diego (SAN), regularly scheduled to depart at 9:25am and arrive at 10:15am. Usually a Boeing 737-500 is flown for this route. The average travel time from El Paso, TX to San Diego, CA is 1 hour and 50 minutes.*
* Some flights must connect with additional service on this airline.
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During your San Diego vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
San Diego Zoo
More than 4,000 creatures reside at this celebrated and influential zoo, operated by the Zoological Society of San Diego. The Society was founded in 1916 with a handful of animals originally brought here for the Panama-California International Exposition (many of the buildings you see in surrounding Balboa Park were built for that fair). Legend has it that the zoo's founder, Dr. Harry Wegeforth, a local physician and lifelong animal lover, once braved the fury of an injured tiger to toss medicine into its roaring mouth.In the early days of the zoo, "Dr. Harry" traveled around the world and bartered native Southwestern animals such as rattlesnakes and sea lions for more exotic species. The loan of two giant pandas from the People's Republic of China in 1996 was a twist on the long-standing tradition: Instead of exchanging exotic species, the San Diego Zoo agreed to pay $1 million annually for the pandas, to aid conservation efforts in China. The 100-acre zoo is also an accredited botanical garden, lavished with more than 700,000 plants. Dr. Harry brought home plants from every location where animals were acquired, ensuring what would become the zoo's naturalistic and mature environment. The species of flora from a variety of climate zones are said to be worth more than the animal collection, and in many cases (such as the eucalyptus for the koalas) the plants also serve as the primary diet of the animals.The cuddly pandas may be the most popular attraction, but the zoo has many other rare and wondrous species: Buerger's tree kangaroos of New Guinea, long-billed kiwis from New Zealand, wild Przewalski horses from Mongolia, lowland gorillas from Africa, and giant tortoises from the Galapagos. The Zoological Society is involved with animal preservation efforts around the world and has engineered many "firsts" in breeding: It was here that the Anegada iguana was successfully bred in captivity for the first time, and where a home for a captive-breeding group of the recently discovered Visayan warty pigs was created.Of course, the zoo's traditional beasties -- lions, elephants, giraffes, tigers, and bears -- prowl around as well, and a diverse collection of tropical birds is experienced via sprawling walk-through aviaries with 50-foot trees. The zoo was a forerunner in creating bar-less, moated enclosures that allow animals to roam in sophisticated environments resembling their natural habitats. The newest is Absolutely Apes, a habitat that opened in 2003 to showcase orangutans and siamangs of Indonesia; it marked the first time these primates of a single ecosystem share an enclosure at the zoo. Nearby is Gorilla Tropics, where two troops of Western lowland gorillas roam an 8,000-square-foot habitat. A $28 million "heart of the zoo" project in this area, designed not only to enrich primate and other quarters but to improve human traffic flow in the most congested part of the zoo is due to be completed mid-2005.Despite the hype, I find the Panda Discovery Center to not be worth the hassle when a long line is in place (lines are shortest first thing in the morning or toward the end of the day). More noteworthy is Ituri Forest, which simulates a central African rainforest with forest buffaloes, otters, okapis, and hippos, which are superbly viewed underwater from a glassed-in enclosure; the Polar Bear Plunge, where you'll find a 2.2-acre summer tundra habitat inhabited by Siberian reindeer, yellow-throated martens, and diving ducks, along with the playful titular heroes. The Children's Zoo features a nursery with baby animals and a petting area where kids can cuddle up to sheep, goats, and the like. There's also a sea lion show at the 3,000-seat amphitheater (this is easy to skip if you're headed to SeaWorld). If you come in spring, be sure to walk the Horn & Hoof Mesa, a less-crowded part of the park where unusual plants are often in flower.My favorite way to experience the zoo is to spend the day on foot navigating the lush canyons and dry mesas that bisect the facility. But if a lot of walking -- some of it on steep hills, some of it quite exposed to afternoon sun -- isn't your passion, the zoo offers a 40-minute guided bus tour that provides a narrated overview and covers about 70% of the facility. It costs $10 for adults, $5.50 for children 3 to 11, and is included in the "Best Value" admission package. You get only brief glimpses of the enclosures, and animals won't always be visible, so you'll be enticed to revisit some of the areas (note that lines for the bus tour can top 1 hr. at midday). Included in the bus ticket is access to the non-narrated Express Bus, which allows you to get on and off at one of five different stops along the same route. You can also get an aerial perspective from the Skyfari, which costs $2.50 per person each way. The ride lasts about 5 minutes -- but it's better for a bird's-eye view than it is for spotting creatures. Ideally, take the Skyfari to the far side of the park and wend your way back on foot.In addition to several fast-food options, the zoo has Albert's, a beautiful oasis at the lip of a canyon and named after the zoo's most famous ape. It's located behind Gorilla Tropics. Although the food and service is not flawless, Albert's is a lovely place in which to break up the middle of the day (when the animals are laziest) -- entrees, sandwiches, and salads run $12-$18 and there's a full bar.
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
Located in the former Chinese Mission, where Chinese immigrants learned English and adapted to their new environment, this small museum contains antique Chinese lottery equipment, a series of panels documenting the gold rush, and artifacts unearthed from San Diego's old Chinatown (located south of Market, between Third and Fifth aves.). There's a nice gift shop, and a pleasant garden in back with a bronze statue of Confucius. Allow about half an hour for your visit. Walking tours of the Asian Pacific Historic District start here on the second Saturday of the month; the cost is $2.
Hornblower Cruises & Events
This company has a fleet of seven yachts ranging from a 20-passenger to a three-deck, 800-passenger behemoth. On Hornblower's 2-hour narrated harbor tour you'll see the Star of India, cruise under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, visit the Hotel Del and the Submarine Base, and swing by an aircraft carrier or two; a 1-hour itinerary is also available. Guests are welcome to visit the captain's wheelhouse for a photo op, and harbor seals and sea lions on buoys and barges are a regular sighting. Whale-watching trips (mid-Dec to late Mar) are a blast, and Hornblower does special itineraries for most holidays (like a fireworks route for Fourth of July festivities). There's also a 2-hour Sunday (and Sat in summer) brunch cruise at 11am, with unlimited champagne and a plentiful buffet, and nightly dinner cruises.
La Pensione Hotel
This place has a lot going for it: modern amenities, remarkable value, a convenient location in Little Italy within walking distance of the central business district, a friendly staff, and free parking (a premium for small hotels in San Diego). The four-story Pensione is built around a courtyard and feels like a small European hotel. The decor throughout is modern and streamlined, with plenty of sleek black and metallic surfaces, crisp white walls, and modern wood furnishings. Guest rooms, while not overly large, make the most of their space and leave you with room to move around. Each room offers a ceiling fan and minifridge; some have a small balcony. None have air conditioning, which could be a concern on a hot day -- you can open your window but note that street cafes stay busy till midnight on weekends. Or request a room away from the street, though this means no bay or city view. La Pensione is within walking distance of eateries and nightspots; there are two restaurants directly downstairs.
La Valencia Hotel
Within its bougainvillea-draped walls and wrought-iron garden gates, this bastion of gentility does a fine job of resurrecting golden-age elegance, when celebrities like Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin vacationed here. The blufftop hotel, which looks much like a Mediterranean villa, has been the centerpiece of La Jolla since opening in 1926, and a $10 million renovation in 2000 refined some of the details and added 15 villas and an enlarged pool, without breaking with its historical glamour. Brides still pose in front of the lobby's picture window (against a backdrop of the Cove and Pacific Ocean), well-coiffed ladies lunch in the dappled shade of the garden patio, and neighborhood cronies quaff libations in the clubby Whaling Bar (La Jolla's version of the power lunch). The latter was once a western Algonquin for literary inebriates as well as a watering hole for Hollywood royalty, who performed at the Playhouse at the urging of La Jollan resident Gregory Peck. One chooses La Valencia for its history and unbeatably scenic location, but you won't be disappointed by the old-world standards of service and style.Most rooms are quite comfortable, each boasting lavish appointments, and all-marble bathrooms with signature toiletries. Because rates vary wildly according to view (from sweeping to nada), my advice is to get a cheaper room and enjoy the scene from one of the many lounges, serene garden terraces, or the amazing pool, which fronts the Pacific and nearby Scripps Park. Room decor, layouts, and size (starting at a snug 246 sq. ft.) are all over the map, too -- take a few extra minutes with the reservationist to get the right match for you. If you've got the bucks, spring for one of the newer villas featuring fireplaces and butler service. The hotel's 12-table Sky Room is one of the city's most exclusive dining rooms.
Horton Grand
A cross between an elegant hotel and a charming inn, the Horton Grand combines two hotels that date from 1886 -- the Horton Grand (once an infamous red-light establishment) and the Brooklyn Hotel (which for a time was the Kayle Saddlery Shop). Both were saved from demolition, moved to this spot, and connected by an airy atrium lobby filled with white wicker. The facade, with its graceful bay windows, is original.Each room is utterly unique, containing vintage furnishings and gas fireplaces -- bathrooms are lush with reproduction floor tiles, fine brass fixtures, and genteel appointments. Rooms overlook either the city or the fig tree-filled courtyard; they're divided between the clubby and darker "saddlery" side and the pastel-toned and Victorian "brothel" side. The suites (really just large studio-style rooms) are located in a newer wing; choosing one means sacrificing historic character for a sitting area/sofa bed and minibar with microwave. With all the individuality, there's a room that's right for you, so query your reservationist on the different features (if you're lonely, request room 309, where the resident ghost, Roger, likes to hang out). The Palace Bar serves afternoon tea Saturdays from 2 to 5pm.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to San Diego (SAN) on ATA Airlines