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United Airlines Flights from Honolulu (HNL) to Chicago (ORD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on United Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Honolulu (HNL) to Chicago (ORD) regularly scheduled to depart at 5:10pm and arrive at 5:06am. Usually a Boeing 777 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Honolulu, HI to Chicago, IL is 7 hours and 56 minutes.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Lincoln Park Pritzker Children's Zoo & Farm-in-the-Zoo
After hours of looking at animals from afar in the rest of the Lincoln Park Zoo, kids can come here for some hands-on experience. Children are encouraged to come touch a variety of small animals -- hedgehogs, iguanas, rabbits -- under the supervision of zookeepers. There's also a very popular glass-walled animal nursery, where zoo docents and keepers care for the babies of more exotic species -- often, this means gorillas and chimpanzees -- who are ill, born weak, or rejected by their mothers. An adjacent outdoor area houses owls, otters, and other small critters in winding, naturalistic habitats. The Farm-in-the-Zoo is a working reproduction of a Midwestern farm, complete with a white-picket-fenced barnyard, chicken coops, and demonstrations of butter churning and weaving. Of course, you'll also spot plenty of livestock, including cows, sheep, and pigs. Inside the Main Barn (filled with interactive exhibits), the main attraction is the huge John Deere tractor that kids can climb up into and pretend to drive. (Can you say photo opportunity?) Allow 1 hour.
Historic Pullman
Railway magnate George Pullman may have been a fabulously wealthy industrialist, but he fancied himself more enlightened than his 19th-century peers. So when it came time to build a new headquarters for his Pullman Palace Car Company, he dreamed of something far more than the standard factory surrounded by tenements. Instead, he built a model community for his workers, a place where they could live in houses with indoor plumbing and abundant natural light -- amenities almost unheard of for industrial workers in the 1880s. Pullman didn't do all this solely from the goodness of his heart; he hoped that the town named after him would attract the most skilled workers (who would be so happy that they wouldn't go on strike). As one of the first "factory towns," Pullman caused an international sensation and was seen as a model for other companies to follow. The happy workers that Pullman envisioned, however, did go on strike in 1894, frustrated by the company's control of every aspect of their lives.Today, the Pullman district makes a fascinating stop for anyone with a historical or architectural bent. While many of the homes are private residences, a number of public buildings still stand (including the lavish Hotel Florence, the imposing Clock Tower, and the two-story colonnaded Market Hall). Although a fire damaged some buildings in the late 1990s, Pullman has thankfully been recognized as a unique historic site, and much-needed repairs are underway. You can walk through on your own during opening hours (stop by the visitor center for a map), or take a guided a tour at 12:30 or 1:30pm on the first Sunday of the month from May through October ($4 adults, $3.50 seniors).
Arlington International Racecourse
With its gleaming-white, palatial, six-story grandstand and lush gardens, this racecourse is one of the most beautiful showcases for thoroughbred horse racing in the world. It has a storied history stretching back to 1927, and its track has been graced by such equine stars as Citation, Secretariat, and Cigar. The track's annual Arlington Million (the sport's first million-dollar race, held in mid-Aug) has attracted the top jockeys, trainers, and horses in past years and recently became part of the new World Series Racing Championship, which includes the Breeders Cup races. Arlington's race days are thrilling to behold, with all of racing's time-honored pageantry on display -- from the bugler in traditional dress to the parade of jockeys.Arlington likes to say that it caters to families, and it must be said that the ambience here is more Disney than den of iniquity. Various "family days" throughout the summer include live music and entertainment ranging from petting zoos to puppet shows.
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).
Swissôtel Chicago
This sleek, modern hotel is all business, and may therefore feel a bit icy to some visitors, but its professional aura makes it especially attractive to business travelers in search of tranquillity. Panoramic vistas from every room -- of Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and the Chicago River -- are the hotel's best features. The spacious rooms have separate sitting areas and warm contemporary furnishings. Business travelers will appreciate the oversize desks (convertible to dining tables), ergonomic chairs, and -- in upgraded executive-level rooms -- CD players. Executive suites, with wonderful, 180-degree views, have separate sleeping areas. All executive-level guests also receive complimentary breakfast and hors d'oeuvres and have access to a lounge with Internet connections, a library, and a personal concierge.Active travelers will want to break a sweat in the lofty environs of the Penthouse Health Spa, perched on the 42nd floor. And those who just want to indulge themselves can enjoy the ultimate steak-and-lobster expense-account restaurant: the on-site outpost of New York's The Palm.Facilities: 3 restaurants (steakhouse, American); lounge; penthouse fitness center with indoor pool, spa, Jacuzzi, and sauna; concierge; business center with extensive meeting services; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; 24-hr. dry cleaning; executive-level rooms.
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.
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