Labor Day weekend trip during A-School Questions!

[nicolel818]

Hello!

My boyfriend will be graduating on August 1st, and immediately reporting for A-School in Great Lakes. During one of our phone calls he said he wants me to fly there for Labor Day weekend. I have looked at all flights from all airlines, to both airports, and looked at countless hotels but I'm so confused on what my plans should be. I've heard they have to be back to the base by 10pm, but I read somewhere else that past a certain point in A-school they can leave for the weekend and come back. What is true? If anyone has any travel advice for me that would be amazing!

- Trip would be fly in Thursday or Friday (which is better? do they have school on friday?) and come home Tuesday

- I would prefer to fly Southwest because of the price, even though it only flies to Midway

- I will be 21 when I get there, so renting a car could be a possibility

-What are some must see or must do attractions?

I appreciate any feedback that anyone has! Thank you so much!

[Fur&FeathersDVM]

Emily is right- if you have to change it and you change to a cheaper fare, Southwest will refund you (or issue you a credit) for the change in fare. My husband was a geobachelor for over four years so I have a lot of experience in making last minute flight changes due to changes in navy schedules. :) I can’t even begin to tell you how much Southwest has saved us over the years in change fees- seriously. Plus I’ve found them to have the nicest flight attendants. :)  To me it is worth a bit of extra travel to fly Southwest, especially if you aren’t certain of your plans. And Emily gave you great directions for how to get from Midway up to Great Lakes! Most of the people who work on the trains and buses here are very helpful and will make sure you don’t get lost. The area that the trains come into in downtown Chicago is fairly safe and there are always lots of people wandering around there with luggage so you won’t be alone! Also, there is an option on google maps to get directions to where you are going via public transit. You can even input what time you’d like to do it. That will be a great tool for helping you.

If you end up going to a White Sox game, that’s free for active duty military also, as long as the game isn’t against the Cubs. Your boyfriend just has to show his military ID at the ticket booth.  There are directions for how to get there using public transportation on their website.  There is not a direct way from Great Lakes to the field, so you would have to do some transfers.  There are some good apps out there for smartphones that will help you get around Chicago! Navy Pier is fun, and depending on when your boyfriend’s liberty expires, you may be able to catch the fireworks at Navy Pier, which take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays through labor day weekend. It will very likely only take you a couple of hours to see/do all the things there, as much of what goes on at Navy Pier is for kids. It is currently under construction but everything is open during the construction.

I will give you some of our favorite restaurant suggestions, but will also tell you that of all the places we’ve tried here, we have only been disappointed in a couple, so definitely don’t be afraid to just try what you see! Yelp is great for reviews. Starting from the north- in Lake Bluff, The Silo has great deep dish pizza. They offer 50% off your bill for military in uniform on the first Monday of the month, so maybe it would be a good place for you to go on labor day. :) In Lake Forest, Ferentino’s also has great pizza, but good sandwiches as well. In Highwood, you will find a ton of great restaurants steps away from the Metra Stop. That is where the Chicago North Shore’s “restaurant row” is and you can find almost any kind of food here! Bridie McKenna’s has great burgers and Irish food (my grandmother who is from Ireland really enjoyed it there), Taphouse Grill has great American food, Alex’s Washington Gardens has the BEST Italian food I have tasted in America (and it’s almost as good as the food in Italy!) but be sure to make reservations if you eat there, Froggy’s has great French food, and if you’re looking for a cheap meal (as food is expensive here) go to the Mean Wiener. They have the biggest hot dogs I have ever seen, brats, burgers, and Mexican food that is all delicious and also the cheapest food we have found here! In Highland Park, Abigail’s has gourmet American food and Tamale’s has great Mexican food. Tamale’s nearly always has a wait but you can call ahead. We haven’t eaten in any of the other suburbs yet (still eating our way through those haha) but once you are in Chicago, it is like a food lover’s paradise! If you want a special occasion type place, Lawry’s is outstanding for Prime Rib. Wildfire is great for steaks. Hot Doug’s is a fun place to go for a variety of gourmet hot dogs (and it is closing in October, so it’s worth going now while you still can!)

Okay- I have given you way more information than you probably needed- but now you have some options haha (and as you can see, you will have PLENTY of options for places to eat!).  Hopefully that helps some! I hope you and your boyfriend will have a blast visiting each other and enjoying Chicago! It’s a really fun place to be :)

[nicolel818]

Wow!! I You made me hungry!! appreciate so much you taking the time to type out all of that information for me. It's all awesome!! I am feeling a bit more at ease about planning this trip. Can I just take both of you in my suitcase just in case anything comes up? :) I cant wait to share all of this with him!!