What did you do after PIR with your Sailor?

[Bill Fishman]

I'm attending PIR on May 10th and wondering what to do for the afternoon and evening? Any suggestions from people who have been there?

Also do the recruits always leave Saturday?

Thanks, Bill

[Bill Fishman]

That sounds good, PIR is this Friday 5/10

[NavyDads Admin, Tim]

Trevor wanted to go to Coach Ditka's Steak house in Chicago for a steak and baked potato. We did just that and man was it by far one of the best steaks that I have ever had in my life. After 8 long weeks of him not being around I would have been satisfied with going to McDonald's and getting a $1.00 hamburger and going back to the hotel to spend time with him, but he had the better idea. We didn't get to spend much time with him as his wife and daughter were with us but we did get our time together as a family.

[Daniel Cederborg]

Eating and going to the Gurnee Mall to get boxer underwear and a new cell phone seemed to be very popular for our son and plenty of recruits.  Not everyone leaves immediately the next day although apparently most do.  Our son got put on a medical hold at the THU, and since we had not booked a return flight until Sunday night, we were able to spend all afternoon & evening on Friday, all day on Saturday and Sunday morning with him.  He liked getting "normal" burgers and red meat (his medical hold was due to slight anemia which several recruits seem to develop in bootcamp -- not enough red meat!), but what he really liked was breakfast on Saturday moring at Dennys because they had real syrup, not sugar free like in boot camp.

[NavyDads Co-Admin, Gary]

Immediately after PIR we hit these two places then we just hung around our hotel and did more catching up hehe...

http://www.yelp.com/biz/giordanos-pizzeria-gurnee
http://www.yelp.com/biz/white-castle-gurnee

Our son left for A School that Friday night and we met up with him at O'Hare. Your sailor will have this information when he is leaving...

[Bill Fishman]

Thanks Greg, a relaxing visit sounds good.

Any other input on things to do would be appreciated as well.

[Greg Griffin]

Bill we went to Cracker Barrell at my sailors request about 4 miles from Boot Camp. Then to a bowling alley nearby, very nice and relaxing and bowled a couple games. had to have him back at 7 pm so we decided not to tour chicago and spend the day in a car in traffic. We went back to hotel and just visited and listened to his experience. Then took him back to Boot camp. It really felt like we used our time wisely. My sons a school is in Meridian Miss. so we went back to hotel, got a couple hours sleep and met him at O'hare at Midnight and spent 5 hours with him until 5 am sat morn then had to say goodbye and he had to board his flight. If his a school is not in chicago, id bet this is how it will work because there were 100's of graduating sailors at the airport that night. If he stays in chicago its my understanding he will have liberty most of the weekend. Hope this helps