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United Airlines Flights from Chicago (ORD) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on United Airlines, which operates 2 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Chicago (ORD) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), departing between 8:50am and 7:11pm, and 3 additional non-stop flights, departing between 10:45am and 3:45pm on select days of the week. The average travel time from Chicago, IL to Fort Lauderdale, FL is 3 hours.
During your Fort Lauderdale vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Billie Swamp Safari
Billie Swamp Safari is an up-close-and-personal view of the Seminole Indians' 2,200-acre Big Cypress Reservation. There are daily tours into reservation wetlands, hardwood hammocks, and areas where wildlife (seemingly strategically placed deer, water buffalo, bison, wild hogs, ornery ostriches, rare birds, and alligators) reside. Tours are provided aboard swamp buggies, customized motorized vehicles specially designed to provide visitors with an elevated view of the frontier while you comfortably ride through the wetlands and cypress heads. The more adventurous may want to take a fast-moving airboat ride or trek a nature trail. Airboat rides run about 20 minutes, while swamp-buggy tours last about an hour. A stop at an alligator farm reeks of Disney, but the kids won't care. You can stay overnight in a native Tiki hut if you're really looking to immerse yourself in the culture.
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
A fantastic modern-art facility, the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale features permanent collections including those from William Glackens; the CoBrA Movement in Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam with over 200 paintings; 50 sculptures; 1,200 works on paper from 1948 to 1951, including the largest repository of Asger Jorn graphics outside the Silkeborg Kunstmuseum in Denmark; stunning Picasso ceramics; and contemporary works from over 90 Cuban artists in exile around the world. Traveling exhibits and continuing art classes make the museum a great place to spend a rainy day.
Bonnet House
This historic 35-acre plantation home and estate, accessible by guided tour only, will provide you with a fantastic glimpse of Old Florida. Built in 1921, the sprawling two-story waterfront home (surrounded by formal tropical gardens) is really the backdrop of a love story, which the very chatty volunteer guides will share with you if you ask. Some have actually lunched with the former resident of the house, the late Evelyn Bartlett, wife of world-acclaimed artist Frederic Clay Bartlett. The worthwhile 1 1/4-hour tour brings you quirky people, whimsical artwork, lush grounds, and interesting design. Inquire about the literary walks and science workshops, which are offered regularly on the grounds.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Fort Lauderdale area, including:
Pillars Hotel
It took me a while to discover this hotel -- and apparently that's exactly the point. One of Fort Lauderdale's best-kept secrets, if not the best, the Pillars transports you from the neon-hued flash and splash of Fort Lauderdale's strip and takes you to a two-story British Colonial, Caribbean-style retreat tucked away on the bustling Intracoastal Waterway. Since it has just 23 rooms, you'll feel as if you have the grand house all to yourself -- albeit a house with white-tablecloth room service, an Eden-istic courtyard with free-form pool, lush landscaping, access to a water taxi, and signing privileges at nearby restaurants and spa. Rooms are luxurious and loaded with amenities such as private-label bath products, ultra-plush bedding and, if you're so inclined, a private masseuse to iron out your personal kinks. Upon arrival, you will be greeted with a welcome cocktail, and there's always free iced tea at the pool in case you're thirsty. A library area (with a grand piano and over 500 books and videos) is at your disposal, as is pretty much anything else you request here. The quintessential Fort Lauderdale retreat, the Pillars is the zenith of Fort Lauderdale accommodations. All rooms are nonsmoking.
Marriott's Harbor Beach
This recently renovated resort is loaded with the same amenities as Pier Sixty-Six but has a more secluded setting on 16 oceanfront acres just south of Fort Lauderdale's "strip." Everything in this place is huge -- from the guest rooms and suites to the 8,000-square-foot pool to the $8-million, 24,000-square-foot European spa. Accommodations feature marble, crown molding, and newish bathrooms with granite vanities, Italian-marble flooring, and wraparound mirrors. All units open onto private balconies overlooking either the ocean or the Intracoastal Waterway. A revamped lobby affords sweeping ocean views. The hotel's 3030 Ocean is an excellent seafood restaurant and raw bar; the Riva, a Mediterranean-style oceanfront eatery, is also top-notch. Return guests include many convention groups and families who enjoy the space and the great location off the beaten strip.Facilities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; outdoor heated pool; 4 clay tennis courts; basketball court; health club; European-style spa; extensive watersports equipment; bike rental; children's center and programs; game room; concierge; tour desk; courtesy car; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service and self-service laundry.
Riverside Hotel
A touch of New Orleans hits Fort Lauderdale's popular Las Olas Boulevard in the form of this charming, six-story 1936 hotel. There's no beach here, but the hotel is located on the sleepy and scenic New River, capturing the essence of that ever-elusive Old Florida. Guest rooms are a bit nicer than the public areas (outfitted in Mexican tile and wicker furnishings); they're both spacious and well maintained. Details like intricately tiled bathrooms and old-style furniture enhance the charm of the otherwise stark building. The best units face the New River, but it's hard to see the water past the parking lot and trees. Twelve rooms offer king-size beds with mirrored canopies and flowing drapes. There are also seven elegantly decorated suites with wet bars and French doors that lead to private balconies. The hotel has two restaurants worth trying: Indigo, a fantastic Asian/Indonesian establishment in the hotel lobby, and the Grill Room, for old-world elegance.
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