Summertime travelers in Austin soon will have another way to blow into the Windy City.
Starting June 6, Southwest Airlines is adding seasonal nonstop service between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Southwest already offers year-round service between Austin and Chicago Midway International Airport.
The airline says times and days for the Austin-to-O’Hare service may vary. A random search on the Southwest website shows a nonstop flight leaving Austin at 10:20 am June 9 and arriving at O’Hare at 1 pm. The following day, June 10, a nonstop departs O’Hare at 4 pm and arrives in Austin at 6:30 pm.
Other airlines that fly nonstop between Austin and O’Hare are American, Spirit, and United. Southwest is the only airline that flies year-round between Austin and Chicago Midway.
Chicago, the country’s third largest city, ranks 10th on Mapquest’s list of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. New York City claims the No. 1 spot.
Last year, Chicago was voted the best large city in the U.S. by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. It was the fourth year in a row for the Windy City to earn this honor.
“This never-before-seen, four-time accomplishment is truly a testament to the resilience and rich diversity of our city,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says in a news release.
Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas is free to watch online.
Thanks to a new three-part PBS docuseries, you don't need to go to all of Texas' protected lands and waters to appreciate their breadth. Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas follows host of The Daytripper, Chet Garner, from West Texas to the coast, discussing conservation efforts by the conservancy (TNC) along the way.
"Making of a Million" refers to the one million acres in Texas that fall under TNC's protection. The one million figure is a milestone TNC is celebrating with the series, but it's not the full extent of its work; actually, according to the 2025 annual report, its total impact is 1.6 million acres. TNC also works in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and more specific smaller regions within those.
The Daytripping project has been rolled out slowly in 2026, from YouTube previews, to an official release on PBS in April, to an Austin event in May that formally introduced the works. The Contemporary Austin hosted an outdoor screening on behalf of TNC's Board of Trustees, specifically focusing on the episode that explores West Texas.
The 26-minute video shows off striking aerial images of mountains, close ups of plants and wildlife, and even a quick feature of an archeological find. Water, of course, is a big topic in the desert and it's a large topic across the series. Fresh water even has its own dedicated episode.
Although conservation experts are consulted throughout the series, viewers can do more than passively watch other people solve environmental problems. One story, toward the end of the West Texas episode, highlights how a rancher directed researchers to a habitat for an endangered species of fish on his property, simply because he overheard a scientist at a café claim they were extinct.
On a larger and perhaps less direct scale, producing video series like this can kick off similar effects. The more civilians know about conservation efforts in their neck of the woods, the more they might know their place in helping out.
Garner spoke on a panel after the Austin screening with TNC director of land protection Jeff Francell, spatial analyst Jacqueline Ferrato, and director of land protection/stewardship Dan Snodgrass. They discussed the series and the broader conservation topics it connects to.
“This new series really captures the spirit of our efforts and collaborations to protect Texas lands and water,” said Snodgrass in a recap for press. “Chet’s storytelling skills spotlight our partners and projects in a unique, engaging way—we’re excited for more Texans to see why conservation matters and learn how they can get involved.”
“Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas allowed us to visit some of the most amazing places in Texas and to meet people who are making a real difference for conservation,” said Garner. “Folks will love traveling with us across wildly diverse landscapes and learning the solutions shaping the future of our state’s biggest environmental challenges.”
Viewers can watch the series for free on the Nature Conservancy's website or on YouTube.
