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US Airways Flights from Chicago (ORD) to San Diego (SAN)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on US Airways, which operates 5 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Chicago (ORD) to San Diego (SAN), departing between 9:45am and 8:15pm. Generally, a movie is offered on this route. The average travel time from Chicago, IL to San Diego, CA is 4 hours and 23 minutes.
During your San Diego vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Torrey Pines State Reserve
The rare Torrey pine tree grows in only two places in the world: Santa Rosa Island, 175 miles northwest of San Diego, and here, at the north end of La Jolla. Even if the twisted shape of these awkwardly beautiful trees doesn't lure you to this spot, the equally scarce undeveloped coastal scenery should. The city first donated 369 acres as a public park, and the 1,750-acre reserve was established in 1921, from a gift by Ellen Browning Scripps. The reserve encompasses the beach below, as well as a lagoon immediately north, but the focus is the 300-foot-high, water-carved limestone bluffs, which provide a precarious footing for the trees. In spring, the wildflower show includes bush poppies, Cleveland sage, agave, and yucca. A half-dozen trails (all under 1 1/2 miles in length) travel from the road to the cliff edge or down to the beach, and there's a small visitor center, built in the traditional adobe style of the Hopi Indians and featuring a lovely 12-minute video about the park. Watch for migrating gray whales in winter, or dolphins who patrol these shores year-round. For a taste of what Southern California's coast looked like a couple hundred years ago, this delicate spot is one of San Diego's unique treasures. Note: There are no facilities for food or drinks inside the park -- bring a picnic lunch.
San Diego Aerospace Museum
The other big kid-pleaser of the museums (along with the Fleet Science Center, above), this popular facility provides an overview of the nation's air-and-space history, from the days of hot-air balloons to the space age, with plenty of biplanes and military fighters in between. It emphasizes local aviation history, particularly the construction here of the Spirit of St. Louis. Highlights include the only GPS Satellite on display in a museum, and a World War I-era Spad. The museum is housed in a stunning cylindrical hall built by the Ford Motor Company in 1935 (for the park's 2nd international expo), and has an imaginative gift shop with items like old-fashioned leather flight hoods and new-fashioned freeze-dried astronaut ice cream. Allow at least an hour for your visit.
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Okay, so it's not high culture as we know it, but this museum is cool and pleasing, and worth 30 to 60 minutes of your time, especially if you have kids in tow. Six permanent, scale-model railroads depict Southern California's transportation history and terrain with an astounding attention to miniature details -- the exhibits occupy a 24,000-square-foot space. Children will enjoy the hands-on Lionel trains, and train buffs of all ages will appreciate the interactive multimedia displays. Allow a half-hour to an hour for your visit.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
San Diego area, including:
Marriott Coronado Island Resort
Once expected to give competitor Loews a run for its money in the leisure market, this Marriott seems content with the substantial group business it gets from the convention center across the bay. Elegance and luxury here are understated. Although the physical property is generic, with impersonal architecture, the staff goes out of its way to provide upbeat attention: Guests just seem to get whatever they need, be it a lift downtown (by water taxi from the private dock), a tee time at the neighboring golf course, or a prime appointment at the spa.Despite its mostly business clientele, the hotel offers many enticements for the leisure traveler: a prime waterfront setting offering a sweeping view of the San Diego skyline; a location within a mile of Coronado shopping and dining, and walking distance from the ferry landing; lushly planted grounds filled with preening exotic birds; and a wealth of sporting and recreational activities. Guest rooms are generously sized and attractively furnished -- actually decorated -- in colorful French country style, and all feature balconies or patios. The superbly designed bathrooms hold an array of fine toiletries. In terms of room size and amenities, your dollar goes a lot farther here than at the Hotel Del.Facilities: 2 restaurants; bar; 3 outdoor pools; 6 night-lit tennis courts; fitness center; spa; 2 Jacuzzis; watersports equipment rental; bike rental; concierge; courtesy shuttle to Horton Plaza; water taxi to convention center $5; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning.
Crone's Cobblestone Cottage Bed & Breakfast
After just 1 night at this magnificently restored Craftsman bungalow, you'll feel like an honored guest rather than a paying customer. Artist and bookmaker Joan Crone lives in the architectural award-winning addition to her 1913 home, which is a designated historical landmark. Guests have the run of the entire house, including a book-filled, wood-paneled den and antique-filled living room. Both cozy guest rooms have antique beds, goose-down pillows and comforters, and eclectic bedside reading. They share a full bathroom; the Eaton Room also has a private half bathroom. You can rent the entire house (two bedrooms plus the den), to sleep five or six, for $285. Crone lends a calm and craftsman aesthetic to the surroundings, aided by a pair of cats, who peer in from their side of the house. Mission Hills, the neighborhood a half-mile west of Hillcrest, is one of San Diego's treasures, and lots of other historic homes can be explored along quiet streets.
The Sea Lodge
This three-story 1960s hotel in a mainly residential enclave is under the same management as the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club next door. It has an identical on-the-sand location, minus the country club ambience -- there are no reciprocal privileges. About half the rooms have some view of the ocean, and the rest look out on the pool or a tiled courtyard. The rooms are pretty basic, with perfunctory, outdated furnishings, priced by view and size. Bathrooms feature separate dressing areas with large closets; balconies or patios are standard, and some rooms have fully equipped kitchenettes. From the Sea Lodge's beach you can gaze toward the top of the cliffs, where La Jolla's village hums with activity (and relentless traffic). Like the "B&T," the Sea Lodge is popular with families but also attracts business travelers looking to balance meetings with time on the beach or the tennis court.
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