Halien Party - Chicago, Labor Day weekend, 8-31-13

[riley]

I had a friend fly into Midway - flight cancellations at O'Hare and she took a shuttle from Miday to O'Hare where I picked her up cost $23 one way. You could take public transportation, cheaper but takes a long time..

From the Chicago Department of Aviation:
The CTA is an economical mode of transportation between O'Hare International and Midway Airport but is also the more time consuming at close to two hours. The CTA Blue Line serves O'Hare (located at the lowest level of the Main Parking Garage, next to elevator center 4, and is accessible by pedestrian tunnels located in Terminals 1, 2, and 3), and the Orange Line serves Midway. Clark and Lake is the free downtown transfer stop between the two lines. For more information, please go to the CTA Website.

Coach USA offers hourly service between O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. for $23.00 for a one-way fare. Pickup at O'Hare at the Bus Shuttle Center and at Midway on the lower level. Allow at least 1 hour travel time between O'Hare International and Midway Airports. They may be reached at 1-800-236-2028 toll free or at 262-542-8861. For more information visit www.coachusa.com

[riley]

An Event Itinerary will be formulated as the time gets closer but it will at least be on Saturday August 31st...

Is that the day of Midnight's outdoor concert? What time would things likely get started? Folks could save some money by arriving on Saturday instead of Friday, but they need to get the timing right.

The main event would be early Saturday evening 8/31. Southwest only flies into Midway Airport. That's over an hour to Wheeling. Flights into Ohare are only 20 minutes away and I'm sure we could shuttle you from Ohare to a Wheeling area motel and a couple of those are around $60/nite or less, especially with a group rate. For out-of-towners with an airfare of less than $400 and some ridesharing to other events, I doubt if the weekend would cost more than $600 plus food and it could be an opportunity of a Halien lifetime.

I looked at Thurs to Tues, flight costs $300 which is doable, so I can save my free flight voucher for a more expensive trip (To see Haley at a future Tour stop ). Any recommendations for a hotel nearby in Wheeling?

I almost think I should do what I did last year for Lolla, stay in Chicago, and drive to Wheeling. Would that be closer to the activities you mention? Then drive for the Wheeling activities?

I might try to catch a game at Wrigley, they say, for a baseball fan that's a must see stop ballpark (and Fenway). Not sure about ticket availability...

Thnx for heading this up and the info

Tusk - much easier to stay close to Wheeling and cheaper than the city for hotels and food. Easy to get to Wrigley from the area - drive about 15 to 20 minutes to Rosemont or Cumberland station, take the blue line (elevated train - our subway in Chicago) to Addison and then walk across the street to the CTA bus - cost $5.00 round trip. I am a Cubs fan and do it all the time :-) And yes I agree, Wrigley is an experience (even though Sox fans disagree) hehehe.

[midnightblues]

I had a friend fly into Midway - flight cancellations at O'Hare and she took a shuttle from Miday to O'Hare where I picked her up cost $23 one way. You could take public transportation, cheaper but takes a long time..

From the Chicago Department of Aviation:
The CTA is an economical mode of transportation between O'Hare International and Midway Airport but is also the more time consuming at close to two hours. The CTA Blue Line serves O'Hare (located at the lowest level of the Main Parking Garage, next to elevator center 4, and is accessible by pedestrian tunnels located in Terminals 1, 2, and 3), and the Orange Line serves Midway. Clark and Lake is the free downtown transfer stop between the two lines. For more information, please go to the CTA Website.

Coach USA offers hourly service between O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. for $23.00 for a one-way fare. Pickup at O'Hare at the Bus Shuttle Center and at Midway on the lower level. Allow at least 1 hour travel time between O'Hare International and Midway Airports. They may be reached at 1-800-236-2028 toll free or at 262-542-8861. For more information visit www.coachusa.com

Sounds like a good idea, I still want fly Southwest to midway and from there shuttle to O'Hare and have someone pick me up. Thax for the info

[Tusk]

Thnx Riley, I checked differing dates, and the flights and Hotels were only $100 difference, give or take (around $800-$900 for the total package, near Wheeling) , so it might be worth it for me to stay a bit longer to catch some of these things as a 'side dish' to the main event:
"Mini Golf at Himm2's and Party with the Reinharts"

[Himm2]

Whenever I've had a group outing come to the Wheeling area I suggest this reasonably priced motel that was designed by my former bosses about 45 years ago. It has changed ownership many times. When it was a Best Western I got a group rate of $52 a night. http://www.fairbridgeinns.com/wheeling/illinois/hotel If you want a luxury hotel that is just a walk from my house you could stay at the Westin but that's about $150 a night. It is next to the Twin Peaks restaurant that Haley had her photo taken with the scantily clad waitresses. Wheeling is well known for it's restaurants. Miguel suggested the Crowne Plaza Northbrook many posts ago but that is around $120/nite. There are some other cheap motels like the Wishing Well Motel and the Olde Court Inn but I might be leery of those. There is a Super 8 nearby that is about $55 a night:
Super 8 Prospect Heights N Milwaukee Ave, Prospect Heights, IL |1-855-799-6862

[riley]

Thnx Riley, I checked differing dates, and the flights and Hotels were only $100 difference, give or take (around $800-$900 for the total package, near Wheeling) , so it might be worth it for me to stay a bit longer to catch some of these things as a 'side dish' to the main event:
"Mini Golf at Himm2's and Party with the Reinharts"

When I search I try not to bundle - I usually check many sites and then book seperately. I usually book air fare with the airlines directly after I research since they price match. I have had good luck with Expedia for hotels, but you really know where you are going to stay. Especially in the city location will cost you, they are way more expensive than the burbs, plus if you rent a car lookout for parking rates in Chicago, we have some of the most expensive in the country that can cost you $50 a night - only food for thought...

[Tusk]

if you rent a car lookout for parking rates in Chicago, we have some of the most expensive in the country that can cost you $50 a night - only food for thought...

I already had experience with that last year at @Lolla. The hotel where I stayed didn't have parking, their partner was a parking garage nearby that charges $35 a night . Also, my GPS was near nonfunctional within those big Skyscrapers, so I suggest keeping a map handy.

I barely made it back to drop off my rental car after visiting Himm2 in Wheeling, my GPS was going on the fritz with no signal... Did not want to pay $35 to keep a rental car over night (and pay one extra day for the car)

Welp off to go get my Felix Bobblehead (and hopefully a "seven game losing streak" breaking start from Felix )

Thnx again for the info

[NUG]

I'll arrive to O'Hare at 9:30 AM Saturday, and leave at 8:30 PM Monday. I'll probably go for the less expensive hotel Himm suggested in Wheeling. My husband thinks I'm a lunatic. I'll probably rent a car as well, so Swanny - you can share a ride with me if your arrival times are in the same time frame. This is very exciting!!! Did I say my hubby thinks I've lost it? I feel mildly guilty - that's just a few days after our 15 year anniversary. I'll have to plan a special overnight trip for us to make up for it!!

[Babbs234]

Lookee lookee here!! I go to work for a few hours and when I get home, I find our halien partee is becoming a reality!!!! I'm so excited!! And I feel very blessed that it is occurring in my home town!! I can't wait to meet everyone! Count me in!

Nug, glad your coming. Last year, when I went to Lollapalooza, my family thought I was nuts. Going downtown with 2 guys (Himm who i had met once) and Tusk, (who I had never met). Turns out, it was a wonderful day spent with 2 great guys. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Ya only live once. After hearing some of Tusk's stories, I feel these Haley moments are worth the effort made. Maybe next time, it will be in your "backyard". Could become a yearly thang, as Haley would say.

[midnightblues]

Do a Skype with Haley for those who cant go.