Sarge's Meet and Greet at the Sundance Saloon

[CarrieN]

Has anyone gone to this the night before PIR?  Would you recommend going?

[Mom2aSailor]

  We had a meet and greet at the Ramada, aren't the doing that anymore?
I <3 Sarge.. good guy! :)

[Angie]

Sarge started doing one that answered peoples questions.  Ramada does one just to take your money.  I would go to Sarge's

[Mom2aSailor]

LOL  We didn't stay at the Ramada, but we went.  I don't remember paying for anything, they had some finger foods and if you wanted drinks you had to buy those.

I would have gone to Sarge's tho if he had done one then, he was a great source of info for us when we had our daughter's PIR! :)

[BunkerQB]

Abby posted this following in the Oklahoma Moms group.

I’m sure by now you have all heard about this wonderful guy named Sarge. I had an hour-long conversation with him the other night and he’s just such a great guy. Sarge retired from the Army after 20 years of active service in 1991. He was stationed in Ft. Sheridan in 1981 which is the sister base to Great Lakes. He has lived in the area for over 30 years and disseminates a wealth of information about what to expect from our visit there and helping to make the planning easier. The Navy should hire him. (LOL). He also owns several taxis and lives in Gurnee, IL. He seems to truly care for our Sailors and has dedicated a large part of his life to helping and caring for them, especially the ones who stay in the Great Lakes for their A School.
Each Thursday (and on Wednesdays when graduations take place on Thursdays, like Nov. 10, 2011) Sarge sponsors the Meet and Greet for Navy Moms and Dads. Sarge has arranged for us to have the Sundance Saloon for ourselves starting at 5:00 PM AND ENDING AT 10:00 PM. The place holds over 2,000 people and they provide a DJ and low cost beverages ($2 dollar beers). FREE FOOD is served at 7:00 PM and, if you’re hungry and can’t wait, you can order off their bar menu at a very reasonable price. ALSO FREE is transportation to and from the Meet and Greet from local area hotels (Please see the hotels shown on the map). Transportation from areas other than the free ones is offered at significantly reduced rates.
At the Meet and Greet there will be a guest speaker from the base who puts out very important information about what to do, how to save $$ and the best places to eat.
You can call Sarge ANYTIME at 847-212-0246 with any questions. I personally like to text first because I know he is very busy. He answers you right away. Below are just some of his recommendations.
1. Rental cars. It is a lot cheaper to rent a car locally rather than at the airport. You can get deals from Enterprise in Libertyville and Waukegan for as little as 30 bucks a day unlimited mileage.
2. Hotels – some of the best deals around are from the Hilton Garden in Mettawa, and the Marriott Hotels and the Holiday Inns in Waukegan. These are all within 10 -20 minutes from the base and are newer hotels with all the amenities. Do your own research! Don’t be fooled by pictures. Sarge can only advise. ALWAYS ask for the military family rates.
3. Taxi rides from the airport can be very expensive. For example if you take a city cab at the airport from Midway or Milwaukee, it will cost anywhere from $130-$185 to the hotel. From O’Hare it will cost about $96. Sarge’s drivers only charge $90 from Milwaukee and Midway and only $52 from O’Hare. This is the cab cost, NOT PER PERSON. Make reservations with him and he will ensure your timely pick-up and return. He does not charge extra for RUSH HOUR pickups.
4. Dining – Sarge has made special arrangements with Trattoria-Pomigliano restaurant in Libertyville for our Sailors to receive a free, YES FREE dinner, at the restaurant on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. All we have to do is mention Sarge, and his friend Nick will give our Sailors anything they want FREE, INCLUDING STEAKS. The address is 602 North Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville. Their phone number is 847-247-2200. Attire is casual and Nick will take good care of all. Their website is www.trattoriapomigliano.com . For other dining options call Sarge directly. He knows where everything is.
5. Visiting Chicago – DON’T DRIVE – take the Metra. It is very safe and low cost. Parking in the city can range from $40-$100 for the day. All of this will be explained in more detail at the Meet and Greet. Most are free.
6. What our Sailors need – for the guys bring their boxer shorts. For the ladies, their nail stuff and polish. Laptops and cell phones – YES. Sarge will tell us at the Meet and Greet how we can get our Sailors their stuff even if they are leaving the next morning for A School outside of the Great Lakes.
7. Driving to and from Graduation. Ok-here’s the deal. The graduation ceremony starts at EXACTLY 09:00 hrs and will end at 10:30 hrs. You must have valid (NOT EXPIRED) photo ID’s to enter the Gate.

[CarrieN]

Thanks for the info!  We'll be going to the meet and greet with Sarge!