Lou

Hi,
My wife and I are approaching our one year anniversary, and I wondered if anyone has spotted any great flight/hotel/combo deals recently. We were thinking southern California or Miami, but we're up for anything. We would like to take off on the 20th or 21st and return 24th or 25th. We don't need anything extravagent, we just want a long weekend away from Chicago. Thanks for any help, and I apologize for my lack of homewrok prior to posting.

Jerri

Try expedia or www.11thhourvacations.com
or hotwire.com. You could also try bidding on priceline.

help

You might also want to try some of the airline websites. I know AAVacations.com has last minute specials.

Jim Rosenberg

We picked up a real deal last year by grabbing cheap tix into Orlando, renting a car and then taking the Beeline Highway out to Cocoa Beach, which is barely an hour's drive. You should have plenty of hotel choices and you can case them out for the best deals. If the beach is your goal, Cocoa is considerably less expensive, less congested and far less complicated than Miami or Southern California, IMHO. Of course, it doesn't have the array of "bright lights-Big City" nightlife options, either, so that's your call to make. (But hey, you have THAT in Chicago!)

joesorce

Get tickets on United to Chicago ($199) and rent an Avis car (the website deal is "saturdays are free") to drive 25 minutes north to Del Mar beach. Get a room ($89 per night) at the Best Western Del Mar, enjoy the sun and the sand, walk to shops and restaurants. Take a day trip to La Jolla. Bring your shorts, we're expecting a heat wave.