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All Hands Magazine's full length documentary "Making a Sailor": This video follows four recruits through Boot Camp in the spring of 2018 who were assigned to DIV 229, an integrated division, which had PIR on 05/25/2018. 

Boot Camp: Making a Sailor (Full Length Documentary - 2018)

Boot Camp: Behind the Scenes at RTC

...and visit Navy.com - America's Navy and Navy.mil also Navy Live - The Official Blog of the Navy to learn more.

OPSEC - Navy Operations Security

Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind.  In the Navy, it's essential to remember that "loose lips sink ships."  OPSEC is everyone's responsibility. 

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DO be smart, use your head, always think OPSEC when using texts, email, phone, and social media, and watch this video: "Importance of Navy OPSEC."

Follow this link for OPSEC Guidelines:

OPSEC GUIDELINES

Events

**UPDATE 4/26/2022** Effective with the May 6, 2022 PIR 4 guests will be allowed.  Still must be fully vaccinated to attend.

**UPDATE as of 11/10/2022 PIR vaccination is no longer required.

**UPDATE 7/29/2021** You now must be fully vaccinated in order to attend PIR:

In light of observed changes and impact of the Coronavirus Delta Variant and out of an abundance of caution for our recruits, Sailors, staff, and guests, Recruit Training Command is restricting Pass-in-Review (recruit graduation) to ONLY fully immunized guests (14-days post final COVID vaccination dose).  

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UP TO DATE INFO:

RTC Graduation

**UPDATE 8/25/2022 - MASK MANDATE IS LIFTED.  Vaccinations still required.

**UPDATE 11/10/22 PIR - Vaccinations no longer required.

RESUMING LIVE PIR - 8/13/2021

Please note! Changes to this guide happened in October 2017. Tickets are now issued for all guests, and all guests must have a ticket to enter base. A separate parking pass is no longer needed to drive on to base for parking.

Please see changes to attending PIR in the PAGES column. The PAGES are located under the member icons on the right side.

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Chow time!

 

The Silo in Lake Bluff

http://www.silopizza.com/


Giordanos in Gurnee

http://www.giordanos.com/locations.html


Someone had asked about shakes.
I did not get a shake while there...but there are Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins dotted around the area. I believe there is one on Buckley and Green Bay Road.

Then there is the Gurnee Mall which is just a short drive away.


The Mall has a Rain Forest Cafe and LOTS of other eats!


http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=1251


I live in CA. We do not have Cracker Barrels. I don't believe you can GET a bad meal here. Breakfast for four of us was $40 plus a tip.

Our favorite breakfast place was not to far from the mall--Cracker Barrel.

There is also an IHOP near it and a Joes Crab Shack.

The Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon is in the Gurnee Mills Mall parking lot. It is right off of Grand Avenue.

There is also a place called the Steak and Shake that makes hand dipped shakes and their burgers are "steakburgers" Ground from steak, I think. I kept driving past it and thinking that we really ought to try it...but we never did.

Lone Star Steakhouse

http://lonestarsteakhouse.com/files/home.aspx

I have read a few other posts that this place is very good!
Steak n Shake

http://steaknshake.com/about-us

Here is a link on this site to a discussion about places to eat.

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/pirreferenceinformation/forum/topi...

Reply by m3 on June 16, 2011 at 11:30am

Just throwing in my 2 cents! 

In waukegan in the Fountain Square Plaza(5 miles from base), there are a lot of places:

 TO EAT:

BW3 (10 discount if your sailor is in uniform) 

Chilis

Sweet Tomatoes

Jimmy Johns

Chipotle

Pot Bellies

Dennys

Anastasia's restaurant & sports

Dunkin Donuts

Star Bucks

McDonalds

 

 STORES: 

Walmart

Office Max 

Fashion Bug 

Sallies Buty

Deals

PayLess

GNC

Game Stop

 

BANKS:

Bank of america

Chase

fifth third bank

 

CELL PHONES:

ATT

tmobil

 

And a bowling alley

 

There is also a gas station 

Reply by m3 on June 16, 2011 at 11:36am

Vernon Hills Mall  

http://www.westfield.com/hawthorn/

 

There is also Deer Park Town Shopping center. It's and outside shopping center. 

Apple Store

Victorias secret

american eagle....just to name a few stores...

 

There are plenty of places to eat out there, our favorite is California Pizza kitchen!!

http://www.shopdeerparktowncenter.com/go/dirListing.cfm?FL=All

 

There is another CPK and Apple store at Northbrook. A little more upscale then the other malls

http://www.northbrookcourt.com/

 

 

We spent our PIR weekend at the deer park and vernon hills malls but there are a lot of other things to do!

There is 6 flags great america

Free Jelly Belly Factory Tour in Wisconsin (about 25 min away) Lots of free samples!!

Linkin Park Zoo in Chicago (free! Just have to pay for parking....Its on the outside of the city so traffic is not bad)

And of course all the sight seeing in the city.

Reply by jma1216 Ship 2 Div 940 on Sunday

On Grand Avenue (5404) there is a pizza place named Rosati's. They serve Chicago dogs, italian beef sandwiches, and real Chicago style pizza (thin crust, cut in squares!) It is where I used to eat as a teenager, I grew up about 15 SW of the RTC.

 

For Friday night graduation dinner we went to Sullivan's Steakhouse, 250 Marriott Dr Lincolnshire. It was about a 20 minute drive from our hotel (Residence Inn, Gurnee). The food was absolutely amazing, and very pricey, about $50.00 + per person, hubby and I got a bottle of wine, about $30.00. We had planned on going in to the city to Gene and Georgettis, but due to time constraints we had to stay closer to base. We had been planning on the splurge since he left.

 

If you're ready to put a dent in your wallet I highly recommend it, and be sure to try the mac and cheese!!

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Replies to This Discussion

there is also a Buffalo WIld Wings in Fountain Square Plaza for those sports and wings fans!  And a Red Lobster by Gurnee Bills mall.
Are there places to eat at or near the Navy pier?

Here is a link to the Navy Pier webpage:

Navy Pier

Here is a link to a map:

Navy Pier Map.pdf

Here is a link to an interactive map:

Navy Pier Interactive Map

aerial view of Navy Pier

Visit Navy Pier - Hours

Navy Pier is open year-round* and hours vary depending on the season. Following are general vendor hours for these seasons (subject to change):

Current Hours of Operation:
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight

Summer (Friday before Memorial Day - Labor Day)
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight

Fall (Tuesday following Labor Day through October)
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Winter (November 1 - March 31)
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Spring (April 1 - The Thursday before Memorial Day)
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

* Closed Thanksgiving Day and December 25

List of restaurants: (All will open up a new page)

Billy Goat Tavern | Bubba Gump | Capi's Italian Kitchen | Dock Street Cafe
Haagen-Dazs | Harry Caray's | Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Bar & Grill | Riva / Riva Cafe

 

Dining at Navy Pier - Food Court

Following is a list of our food court patrons, providing a variety of tastes to please everyone's palate:

America's Dog - Choose from 13 savory versions of the hotdog, including the Boston (bean) dog, the Houston (chili) dog and, of course, the Chicago (all toppings) dog.

Auntie Anne's - Auntie Anne's mixes, twists and bakes pretzels to golden brown perfection in full view of customers. Its freshly baked, hand-rolled soft pretzels come in a variety of flavors from Cinnamon Sugar to Sour Cream & Onion, all with a pretzel perfect guarantee. Auntie Anne's also serves Pretzel Stix, Pretzel Dogs, Pepperoni Pretzel, and its signature lemonade, along with a selection of dipping sauces to complement every pretzel flavor. Contact Telephone: 312-595-5557.

Ben & Jerry's - Treat your taste buds to great ice cream in generous portions with favorite flavors such as Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream!

Carnelli's Deli - Featuring creative gourmet sandwiches, pasta salads and Mama's chicken noodle soup, the deli also offers a health conscious menu and favorites for kids.

Connie's Pizza - Visitors can create a 7' personal mini pizza. The menu also includes homemade soups, salads and pastas.

Garrett Popcorn Shops - A Chicago tradition for 60 years, handmade fresh every day, one batch at a time, using only the highest quality ingredients. For more information call 888-4-popcorn (888-476-7267) or click here

Greek Delight - Get a taste of the Mediterranean with gyros sandwiches, Greek salads, pork and chicken kabobs and tasty baklava for dessert.

Jamba Juice - Jamba Juice® is the leading blender of fruit and other naturally healthy ingredients, including the company's signature fruit smoothies such as Strawberries Wild® and Five-Fruit Frenzy®. Made with 100% real fruits and fruit juices, these natural, freshly blended-to-order fruit smoothies provide three-to-five of the daily-recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and are available in a variety of sizes and options to accommodate every activity level and diet objective. Contact Telephone: 312-595-5557.

King Wah Express - Direct from Chicago's Chinatown, King Wah provides favorites such as sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, pot stickers, egg rolls and fortune cookies.

McDonald's The Future - Visit the most exciting and unique McDonald's in the Chicagoland area. This 7,500-square-foot restaurant features hourly laser light shows, videos and electronic gadgets to fascinate children of all ages. A retail store is also available, selling McDonald's novelty items and easy-wear clothing. For more information, please call 312-832-1640.

Starbucks - Starbucks Coffee offers its many varieties of coffee and fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, along with its wide variety of pastries, and a great selection of coffee-related accessories and equipment. Starbucks at Navy Pier can be reached at 312-595-5502.

Twisted Lizard - Enjoy moderately priced southwestern and Mexican cuisine such as burritos, tacos and salads.

 

Dining at Navy Pier - Seasonal

Late Spring through early Fall, Dock Street food vendors and the Navy Pier Beer Garden are additional dining options available to you.

Chango Loco
A delightful Mexican cantina, Chango Loco is a fiesta of great food at budget-pleasing prices presented in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. Choose from an array of Mexican favorites including nachos, tacos and carne asada - all served by a friendly, efficient staff. Chango Loco will also be overflowing with specialty drinks, which include the pink senora and the Sauza Cosmopolitan to name a few. Of course, margaritas, daiquiris and cervezas will be pouring as well. Change Logo is nestled next to Navy Pier's Crystal Garden so patrons can also enjoy terrific views of the Pier and city skyline.

For more information, call 312-595-5434.

Dock Street Vendors
Bike Chicago
Churro Factory
Country Corn
Taylor Street Trolley (frozen lemonade, ice cream)
America's Dog
Dippin Dots
Completely Nuts
East West Camera (Pier Park)
Massa
Flav-o-Ricious
Kiddie Train Express (moves to South Arcade in October)
Grayline Sightseeing
Ben & Jerry's
Landshark Beer Garden at Navy Pier
The Landshark Beer Garden on the East End of Navy Pier is a great place to unwind and enjoy Chicago's lakefront while listening to live music five nights a week. Headlined by its signature, Landshark Lager, the beverage menu includes imports, microbrews and domestic beers, as well as trendy cocktails and frozen drinks. The walk-up window features favorite summer foods like pizza, brats and burgers. (Seasonal)

Click here for more information and the music schedule.

 

For Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza (and delicious pasta dishes) I highly recommend Lou Malnati's. (www.loumalnatis.com)  They have a few locations.  We went to the one in Lincolnwood, about 20 minutes from the Naval Base.  There is also one in Chicago on Well's ... they have valet parking right next door.  There are other locations as well. For GREAT grilled foods - Weber Grill in Shaumburg (also one in Chicago) http://www.webergrillrestaurant.comStarted by the Weber grill family.  Everything is cooked over charcoal grills.  Delicious ribs, burgers. We also found a polish restaurant with the best homemade polish dishes, including incredible Polish Pickle Soup.  The name is Reflections and it is located on Deep Lake in Lake Villa about 20 minutes from Waukegan/Gurnee area.  www.reflectionsondeeplake.com.  Bon appetit !!   :)  
Thank you! I'll add this to the post!

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