PERTINENT PIR TIPS!

[CatMom509]

Hi Friends!!

These are current tips from the March 8, 2013 PIR!  It went by so quick, but is now a treasured memory!  Here are some of my thoughts about this awesome experience

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1.  If you're renting a car, be sure to also rent the IPASS which allows you to be on the 294/94/90 toll roads without having to pay for every toll stop and having exact change.  If you realized you missed any tolls while you are there, you can pay them within 7 days of incurring them before you get a big bill. The IPASS was only $6.95 each day from Enterprise Rent-a-Car.  I reserved using an upgrade coupon #ALRUP10 which gave me a Standard vehicle for the Compact rate for $21.99. Call  866-502-1257 if the online system won't take the coupon.  It's good until 12-31-2013.  Their customer service was outstanding and their vehicle was very clean.  All their vehciles go through their car wash before being rented again.  Their shuttle pulled right up to the Ground Transportation median at Chicago O'Hare when we walked up.

2. The Speedway gas station at the southwest corner of Buckley Road (137) and Skokie Hwy 41 freeway had the best price for gasoline at $3.75/gallon.  I topped off there before returning the vehicle back to Enterprise.  The prices I saw at other stations were $3.83/$3.88 along the 294.  Enterprise told me their "discounted" price to pre-pay the gasoline in the rental car was $4.20/gallon.  Along the 90/94/55 route going to the Midway Int'l Airport, the prices were $4.38/gallon.

3.  It takes a good hour minimum to get to the Midway Int'l Airport and you will pass the big Chicago city skyline.  The route will be 41 South, 94 East, 90 East, 55 South, Exit 286 Cicero Avenue/Illinois 50, turn left.  (All the streets seemed to have a name and a number assigned to it.)  Parking is $5/hour at the Terminal lot, but since we got to spend 10 hours with our new Sailor daughter, we opted to park at the Red Lot on the right almost to the airport for $14.00/day.  They had a free shuttle and heated Shuttle stops to wait in. Please make sure that you bring id (student Ids with photo) for your children too so that they can also get a Gate Pass to see your Sailor off at the gate.  Contrary to what the RDCs tell your Sailors, the airports welcome families there to see your Sailor off.  They all have to arrive at the airport at the same time (1:00 am - 2:00 am), but their flights can leave at 5:30 am, 11:15 am, 4:00 pm, etc).  This is where you give your Sailor their cell phone, cell phone charger, laptop, ac adapter for the laptop,several pairs of their own comfortable underwear, any other selected clothes, and maybe some of their favorite treats (no liquids) that can fit into their backpack.  You will ship more later to them at A school.  They will check their giant 50 lb seabag and their garment bag, but keep their backpack with them.  You will follow your Sailor's group to the ticket counter when they get their boarding passes, then each Sailor will come back to your family to get your Gate Passes.  Both Midway and O'Hare have volunteer guys who help the groups get organized and get their passes.  The bearded guy at Midway unfortunately wastes some time asking the Sailors unrelated things like their ages, where they are from etc.. So unless someone (maybe a dad?) speaks up and asks how is that relevant?  Everyone will just have to wait through his gabbing to get their time with their Sailor.  Once you get through the TSA checkpoint, the Sailors will go to the USO to drop off their backpacks and paperwork for safekeeping.  They have to note when they need to be at the gate to board (about 1 1/2 hour before the plane's departure time).  You get to wander the terminals looking for places to eat and things to buy with your Sailor!!  My daughter wanted Ben & Jerry's at 6:30 am in the morning~~  Take photos!!  They are still in their dress uniforms and I missed out on some photos of my daughter with other Sailors she was friendly with.

4. Sarge's Meet & Greet was at the Sundance Saloon to the leftside across the road from the Springhill Suites.  It does not have a lit sign and the parking lot was set low covered by the snow drifts.  With Daylight Savings time, it will probably be light when you arrive.  Doors open at 5:30pm, the food is set up about 6:00pm  Cash bar with free water.  He gives alot of info about driving into the PIR and all his shortcuts.  You sign up for his PIR shuttles at the end of the evening about 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. After PIR his shuttles (minivans) were parked to the right of the NEX/Ricky Heaven in that parking lot.  Make sure it says Sarge's.  Other taxi's will overcharge the Navy families.  He does have a partner named Dave/David who was driving one with Metro on it, but since I called him, he was able to tell me "you were the one who called me" when all the other taxis were trying to get my attention.  I needed to get my Sailor back to RTC by 6:30pm, so I coordinated with another Navy family who got in the shuttle when we did to meet in the lobby at 5:30 pm so our Sailors could ride in together.  I forgot about calling Sarge earlier, but Sarge himself was there in 15 minutes.  He charged $6 for each Sailor since there was only 2.  If there was more, it would've gone down to $3 each.  For a single Sailor, it would have been $15.00.   I opted to have Sarge bring my Sailor daughter back to the RTC because I wanted to get some sleep before heading out to the airport at midnight.  Don't forget to tip Sarge and his guys and don't be late to the lobby when they come to get you.  Other people have gotten in the vans without prior arrangements. Get down to the lobby to look for his shuttle out front earlier than your appointed time.  If you miss your appointment time, then Sarge has to scramble to have someone come get you.  His shuttle sits outside the hotel entrance, so go outside to look for Sarge's shuttle.  He is frequently early waiting for you.

5..  The signs on their tollway/expressway system go from left to right overhead that tells you the upcoming exits and transitions.  I at first thought these signs were guiding me which lane to be in the make the transition like in California, but no, I had to change lanes quickly to get to the correct lane for transitions.

6.  Holiday Inn Express in Waukegan was $114.99 for a 2 queen room (comfy beds!) It's a new hotel and looks it.  The hot breakfast had french toast, bagels, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits & gravy, warm cinnamon rolls, cereal, coffee, milk, juice and some other items I don't remember.  Use the toaster to warm the french toast.  The bread items were cold.  The breakfast buffet starts at 6:00 am on PIR Friday and 7:00 am on Saturday.  This was an excellent hotel!!  They allow a late check-out of 2:00 pm if you join their Holiday Inn Priority Club, which you can join while you are there.  Oh, there is a McDonalds right next to them.  Holiday Inn Express, 611 Lakehurst Road, Waukegan, IL 60085, 847-473-4400.  Ask to see if their Navy rate or Best Available is the better rate.

7.  PIR -  We got to the RTC at 6:45 am, showed our ids & were checked against the list, walked through their museum area, then into the graduation drill hall.  We got the last 2 spots against the wall on the lower bleachers area, just to the right of the division sign.  The divisions actually line up to the left of the sign, so we were a little further right than we needed to be.  Even though my Sailor daughter was in the front flag line of her division, it was still hard to make her out because they are all short in the ftont.  She told us she was stick 2, but she wasn't carrying a flag at all.  Each division had 2 front flags with the divison number and division flag that they designed and that is what is on the Division shirts that you can order. My daughter bought ones for her sister and myself as gifts.  You can order more for the rest of your family later.  They keep the designs for an extended period of time.  Then there is the front line of "sticks".  There was a person holding a flag, person with no flag, 2 people with flags, person with no flag, and a person with a flag.  Bring your binoculars to see their faces!!  After PIR, my daughter stayed put and we went down to find her.  Otherwise, your Sailor will be walking around looking for you and you will be looking for him/her!  they will want to take photos without their raincoat on, so take advantage of that.  Standing at attention, parade rest, with some of their nearby friends, do all of that, I missed some picture taking opportunity.  Position your Sailor against the cream colored back wall for the best contrast with their uniform (she was in her dress blues).  I took photos of her with all the people around her and the photos were not as good.  If they are wearing their dress whites, look for a darker background.  DO NOT take any photos of the outside buildings, signs, structures at all.  If you are caught, they will erase your whole memory card.  You can take pictures inside the museum and graduation drill hall.  You can also take some nice photos in your hotel's lobby, now that I'm thinking of it (calm and not rushed, with their hair perfect).

8.  Sailor Daughters - If your daughter would like to get her eyebrows done when they are out with you, we found a great place with my other daughter's cell phone and GPS. It's Octagon Salon & Spa, 1333 Delany Road, Gurnee, IL 60031 847-360-9880 www.octagonsalon.com  Their esthetician, Leia Mueller, did an excellent job with my daughter's eyebrows and she charged only $18, not including a tip.  It's about 15 mins north on the 41 Skokie Hwy.  They are a very classy, upscale establishment.  My Sailor was so happy to get this done after not being able to do so at Boot Camp!!  Also, I checked on their prices for additional services: manicures started at $21 and pedicures started at $26.

9.  Lastly, ask your Sailor what they want to do!  Leave enough time for them to rest and take a shower.  They may not want to be dragged all over Chicago sightseeing, especially if they have to be on the bus to the airport at midnight on Friday.  The ones with Sailors staying in Great Lakes for A school are probably the only ones who would have some time to go to a bunch of places.

10.  If your Sailor didn't order his/her photos, you can go to the Photos area behind the double glass doors to the left of the NEX.  The room is to the immediate left to look at the proofs and see what is included in the 2 packages available.  They take 2 shots, smiling and not smiling.  You look at the proofs and decide to order.  It is just a United States flag against a mottled blue background and your Sailor in front.  We thought we could get a better photo somewhere else.  You will have to order the Yearbook separately.  You can order the graduation DVD in there too.  They will not allow you to keep a proof.

11.  Be aware.  The TSA allows liquids maximum 3.4 oz each for shampoos, lotions, toothpaste, hair spray, etc. and all these small bottles need to be in one quart size zipped plastic bag that you put in the bin with your shoes and the other carry on purse/backpack.  After you go through, you could put it back into your 22" carry on.  Delta allowed larger carry ons that were about 24" to be brought to the gate, then they will take it with a hot pink tag and put it on a rack to be in cargo, but it is not considered checked baggage and you won't be charged for it.  They then bring these back for you to collect on the gangway.

This is all I can remember to share with you, so if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer. Sorry its all out of order too, but I wrote things as they came to me.

I can't believe how fast the time went.  PIR was a very special day (and night at the airport) to share with our Sailor!!

[Cindyloohoo (ATI Mom)]

Thank you for the post it was very informative.  Did you, by chance, check out the train system?  We are staying at the Navy Lodge and I understand that it's very close to the airport and the station at the other end is close to Navy Lodge.  Just curious since my hubby and I are a little daunted by the driving. 

[CatMom509]

Sorry, I didn't have a chance to check out the train system myself, but I heard that it's the best way to get into Chicago and not deal with the traffic.  You could put your query up in the main page and one of the other veteran moms can tell you if it is close to either airport and Navy Lodge. 

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Metra in relation to Union Station

Here is the Metra Page for the line you want to look up:

http://metrarail.com/content/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_sys...

It's the Union Pacific / North Line (UP-N).

Here is the page with the Map of the lines...the Dark Green is the UP/N line:

http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/metra_system_map....

Here is the page with the Map for the Stations Downtown. UP/N goes to the Ogilvie Station:

http://metrarail.com/metra/en/home/maps_schedules/downtown_chicagos...

The Metra Station is opposite of the Gate 8 at RTC. This is the same Gate you use to enter for PIR. The Metra Parking Lot is on Ohio...you just continue past the RTC entrance and it takes you straight into the Metra Parking Lot. You then have to walk back down the hill and up the stairs to the Station as there is no entrance from the RTC side (unless they have changed it...I was there last May). You must pay for parking ($2 I think) the ticket box is closer to the entrance of the Parking Lot. Remember your lot number...you will have to enter it into the ticket machine.

Here is the page for the Great Lakes Station. Click "Parking and Accessibility" for a Map.

[CatMom509]

Thanks, FTLW!  I'll get on the main page to let Cindyloohoo know you've answer her train question here.

[Kaleigh's Gramma]

Thank you very much for this info!  We are driving from Florida.  Do you have any idea if we can purchase an iPass prior to our trip, or where we can buy one before having to stop for each tol?

[CatMom509]

I heard of another pass called the E-ZPASS that you can buy at some grocery stores and works in several states.  I guess I better start researching it, huh?  By the way, you're welcome!!

[MichianaMom]

We lived in Indiana and have the E-ZPass; I think that's what it's called, was I-Zoom when it first came out.  I know CVS stores in the area sell them, and I am pretty sure you can purchase them at any "rest area" along the Indiana Toll Road (if you are driving on that).  They work on all of the tolls in the Chicago area, as well as Ohio and several states.  I wouldn't try driving thru Chicago without one!

[Tracey]

Thank you very much for taking the time to share this info with us!

I finally received the formal letter today! Mail was held up for some reasons.... just happy that we heard from him.

Ship 09/Div 246.

He wrote that it was a tough start for his division but things are going better now. Food is good and he gained 5 pounds. Also stated that he will be leaving on the 29th for San Antonio.

We are planning on driving from Minnesota, so the info above helps!

[CatMom509]

Ahhh, I wish I was close enough to visit my Sailor Daina by just hopping in the car.  Could bring so much more stuff and not have to deal with the airports!  You're welcome! 

Oh, you can get an EZPASS that is good in multiple states up in that area and is supposed to be available at grocery stores too~

[hmr615]

Do I need to buy the iPass if I am driving my own vehicle? I went online and they want $50 dollars?

[CatMom509]

hmr615,

It doesn't matter if you have your personal car or a rental.  You will need to pay if you are on the toll roads.  You either need to physically pull over and pay the tolls every time you come to a toll booth--I think you need exact change--or have a IPASS or EZPASS (see if this one is less pricey).  Chicago does have the 41 that is not a toll and runs parallel of the toll one toward the east.  Also there is a street that runs north and south on the westside of the toll freeway, but you would be have stop at all the signals.  Check out the EZPASS.

One of the other veteran moms has a map of the toll roads with approximately how much each section costs in the toll fees.  Go on Boot Camp Moms to ask your questions and others can learn from the answer too.  Hope I helped in some way~~

[ellen0502]

You do not need to buy an toll pass, and there are ways to avoid the toll roads. Avoiding the tolls will add a little bit of time, but not so much it isn't doable. We had rented a car and took the toll roads to GL, but everywhere else we drove, and our return trip to the airport we avoided all of them .

If you have a navigation system, whether your phone or gps, just input avoid tolls to get around them.