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Comment by jackiequeen/ship09div076 on January 14, 2012 at 1:48pm

Jamie...you are talking about weather in the Chicago area! Unpredictable is a good term.  It could be 45 and sunny or it could be -15, cold and snowing.  Pack everything - you just never know!

Comment by Doreen-ProudNavyMom on January 14, 2012 at 1:41pm

Jamie - We just spent 4 nights in Chicago for a last vacation with my son and my girls.  Chicago is a terrific city.  I would recommend shopping on Michigan Ave, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planatarium, Art Institute, Millenium Park.  Navy Pier is the number 1 tourist destination.  They have stores and several restaurants.  We had dinner at Jimmy Buffet's Marguaritaville.  I made a sailor bear at the Build a Bear. He sits in my office at work.

If you rent a car, Chicago is pretty easy to get to.  If you want a scenic route, you can take Sheridan Road (GL is on this road) south and go through some really nice neighborhoods along Lake Michigan and it leads to Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.  Otherwise, you can take the expressway to downtown.  If you like shopping, you can head north to Gurnee to the Gurnee Mills Mall.  Always see sailors there when I have gone.  Also, you can head more north into Southern Wisconsin.  They have a great outlet mall around Kenosha.  That will be a good way to spend Thursday with your daughter.

I think I should check out the Navy Lodge, too.  Off to spend a full day scrapbooking with my friends. I will probably end up scrapbooking the PIR and Navy career to keep for him someday.

Comment by Jamie SHIP13 DIV 067 on January 14, 2012 at 1:14pm

diannep - thank you for all that info.  I feel like an idiot because I dont know much about this process.  Wish I would have found this site before she left for BC.   She is in OS and going to Virgina for A-School.  Will she know when she leaves for school?  Before she left she seemed to think she was going to come home after BC.  I want to make sure its safe to book a flight home on Sunday.  I think to be safe maybe we will fly out Wednesday late. 

Doreen - I booked both Ramada and Navy Lodge.  I was going to see from my Navy moms family which would be better.  It will most likely be just me and my 12yo daughter.  (maybe my mother also). 

Anyone who has any ideas for what there is to do out there please please let me know. Never been to IL.  I am flying into Midway.

 

Comment by ColoradoMom Nuke ET on January 14, 2012 at 1:11pm

Made our hotel reservations.  Still  working on airline options.  Interesting to note, though, that the hotel mistook my reservation dates originally and gave me rooms for the first weekend in February - with no problems!  So, really, I'm thinking that it isn't a huge race to get hotel reservations.  Of course, this is a good thing since if something changes, we may not have much advance time for making reservations.

Comment by Dawson'sChefMom on January 14, 2012 at 1:07pm

Good Morning Navy Family. Another cold day here in Dayton, Ohio. Did have some girl time last night with my BFF's. The one thing I did was I bought a card that says "from all of us". So when friends of mine come over, they sign the card to my SR. I'm going to get the card filled and then to my SR. Have my candle lit for my SR today. Missing him greatly. Going get storage boxes to put his stuff today or tomorrow. It's a good day to chill inside.Making hotel reservations today. As soon as done, I'll let you all know where we will be. To those close to Asheville, you lucky girls. My favorite restaurant in Asheville is Tupelo Honey Cafe. I fix their cauliflower dish alot. That dish is my SR's favorite for cauliflower. Yum, I want to go there for brunch!

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on January 14, 2012 at 12:50pm

Good Morning!

Here is an article on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (with pics):

This Aircraft Carrier is the World's Most Expensive Parking Lot

Comment by Doreen-ProudNavyMom on January 14, 2012 at 11:13am

Jamie - I would assume the weather will be in the 30's or lower.  I would bring layers if you don't have a winter coat.  It would be very rare for it to hit 50 before the end of March. But then again, the weather has been very weird here. I would really like to go to the meet and greets Thursday night.  Problem is we have to work, then pick up my mom and drive up there. I will try to make it because I would love to meet everyone.  We got the suite because we thought it would be more convenient with my mom.  She didn't want her own room, but was weird sharing a room with me and my husband.  I am thinking about making my son's favorite meal and he can heat it up in the microwave.  I think he will leave for A School on Saturday and I would probably try to spend the day with him at O'Hare.  I just made the hotel reservations for 3 days for the possibility that he doesn't leave until Sunday.  My mom has a really hard time walking.  We are thinking of renting a wheelchair, does anyone know where they will sit us in the PIR if she can't get up the bleachers?

Comment by diannep on January 14, 2012 at 9:40am

Jamie:  I saw your question about visits on Sunday?  I assume you mean with your sailor?  If that is what you meant, if your sailor is staying for GL A School, you should have time with your sailor on Sunday, unless they have watch.  Then they will lose a couple of hours of liberty for that time. If your sailor will be going to A school somewhere else, they will most likely fly out Sat or possibly Sun.

Here is how liberty works.  Those in GL A School will move over there right after PIR.  Be sure they have a phone card with them.  They will call you when done (takes several hour).  You pick them up at A School which is right by RTC for a few hours of liberty before they have to be back at night. They then have weekend daytime liberty with you, except for watches.

For those who have sailors flying out to A schools, you will have Fri liberty with them after PIR until 8 or 9 pm.  They will be bussed to the airport (Ohare or Midway) in the wee hours of Sat. morning.  You can meet them there, have your sailor get you a gate pass from his/her airlines (you must be present with ID), and wait at the gate until they leave.  You can also pass off personal items to them at the airport...they will have a Navy-issued backpack where they can store some things and can carry an additional carryon (most airlines allow 2 carryons).  If flights are full on Saturday, they will fly out on Sunday, but most leave on Sat. 

Everyone-- please put SARGE's number in your phones.  As Ruth said, he is wonderful and a lifesaver to many.  He will take care of any transportation needs that you have that weekend.    847-212-0246  You can text him for info or call.  He is a godsend to the sailors there (A School) and the Navy families!  He also holds one of the MeetNGreets.

Good morning all!

Comment by Lala Ribbon Queen PIR Ribbons on January 14, 2012 at 9:34am

Pebbles- It is good to see another NC mom on here :-) There have been several over the last week or so. I am also from NC, live in Brevard, near Asheville in the mountains.

We stayed at the Navy Lodge, It was a nice place for the money. Very inexpensive at $65 a night and if you ask and they are available you can get a kitchenette for the same price. You don't have to have military ID just tell them your recruit will have PIR that weekend and they will ask that he/she stops by the front desk at some point during the weekend.

You can make your hotel reservations early. Most of them do not run your credit or debit card to hold the room and they will allow you to cancel with no charge up to the day you arrive. No charge for changes or cancellations :-)

Comment by diannep on January 14, 2012 at 9:27am

doreen:  Candlewood is right near Residence, Springhill Suites, and Courtyard, so you are very close to Sarge's MeetNGreet and the big Walmart shopping center with restaurants, etc.

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