Coming to Chicago-advice on travel from Waukegan

[kwolf68]

Ok cool. Wife nixed Quonset because the son wants deep dish. I'll eat that tomorrow night. 

[mueron2000]

23 minutes ago, kwolf68 said:

Ok cool. Wife nixed Quonset because the son wants deep dish. I'll eat that tomorrow night. 

There is a giordanos in gurnee which is close by. They have the stuffed pizza which is probably what you are thinking about. There aren't any malnatis really close by. One is in 3rd lake/gurnee but I think it is takeout only. Where are you from?

[kwolf68]

Just now, mueron2000 said:

There is a giordanos in gurnee which is close by. They have the stuffed pizza which is probably what you are thinking about. There aren't any malnatis really close by. One is in 3rd lake/gurnee but I think it is takeout only. Where are you from?

 

Yea the Malnatis are take out. I am coming from Pittsburgh. 

[ScootsMcGoots]

1 hour ago, mueron2000 said:

Looks like the metra from north chicago is an hour and 23 minutes. Then 3/4 mile walk to red line. Then el to park. No idea how long that would be. Maybe an extra half hour?

The red line to the park is about 10 minutes. You are pretty accurate on the other numbers though.

[ScootsMcGoots]

1 hour ago, kwolf68 said:

Will keep Big Eds in mind. How long will the train commute be? I almost rather drive, but I don't know. Last time I was in Chicago it was plane, cab, hotel, games, etc.

Is Friday drive bad because of work flow traffic? Fridays tend to be busy in the big cities. 

 

If you go on Friday, it will take you 2 hours to get to the park driving. Saturday, depending on construction, little over an hour. 

[footlongcomiskeydog]

Take the train. Chicago traffic on Fridays in the Summer is ridiculous. Plus you can drink on the hour long Metra train ride. Just hop an uber to the stadium once you get downtown. 

[kwolf68]

Just now, footlongcomiskeydog said:

Take the train. Chicago traffic on Fridays in the Summer is ridiculous. Plus you can drink on the hour long Metra train ride. Just hop an uber to the stadium once you get downtown. 

 

I think we're just doing the city on Saturday....

[kwolf68]

Ok-these are the tickets. If anyone is near that area, I probably won't be hard to miss. My goofy wife may wear a Pittsburgh Pirates shirt or something. Yea, to a Sox/Indians game. But she's making her "Pittsburgh stand" I guess. I'll be wearing an early 80s style White Sox shirt and Sox hat. Wish the team was better, but it's still baseball, it's still the Sox, and it'd be nice to beat an ace pitcher (though I am just hoping for 4 or 5 hits at this point). Even if they lose, I'd love for it to be a good, competitive game. And CALLUP Eloy!!

 

[InTheDriversSeat]

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There is a giordanos in gurnee which is close by. They have the stuffed pizza which is probably what you are thinking about. There aren't any malnatis really close by. One is in 3rd lake/gurnee but I think it is takeout only. Where are you from?

 

There’s also a Lou Malnati’s in Lake Forest (takeout only) on Waukegan Road (Illinois 43) which is probably a little closer to North Chicago / Great Lakes than the Gurnee store.

 

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Is Friday drive bad because of work flow traffic? Fridays tend to be busy in the big cities

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If you go on Friday, it will take you 2 hours to get to the park driving. Saturday, depending on construction, little over an hour.

 

 

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Take the train. Chicago traffic on Fridays in the Summer is ridiculous. Plus you can drink on the hour long Metra train ride. Just hop an uber to the stadium once you get downtown. 

 

 

 

Traffic from the north suburbs into the city on Saturday is just as hideous as Fridays are.  My experience is that traffic going southbound on the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94) backs up around Skokie, starting around 3 or 4:00 PM on Saturdays all the way to “the junction” where the Edens Expressway runs into the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90).  Where the 2 expressways meet on the northside of Chicago, traffic on the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90 & 94) is a little better (but still very full with vehicles) until getting to downtown.

Traffic gets backed up on the Edens Spur (Interstate 94), the portion that connects the Tri-State Tollway to the Edens Expressway, due to recently started new construction.  This was a problem even prior to the construction because 2 lanes merge into 1 lane in the Deerfield / Northbrook area traveling east on the Spur just prior to connecting with the Edens Expressway.  The way to avoid this from the north surburbs is to take U.S. 41 going south instead of the Tri-State Tollway. 

More backups traveling south when you get close to downtown due to the never ending reconstruction of the Jane Byrne Interchange, where 3 expressways meet.  The Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90 & 94) has express lanes which are reversable depending on the time of day.  If you decide to get on the express lanes on the way to the ballpark, remember to get off the express lanes (if they are open southbound) and onto the local lanes around Division Street, or else you will be forced onto Ohio Street feeder ramp in the River North area, which is not the direction to Guaranteed Rate Field on the southside.  But if you are going to Navy Pier before the game, Ohio Street would be the best way to get to the pier.

Probably a better idea to take Metra and CTA on either day.  Plus you will save the $20 parking cost at the ballpark.  But if you are intending to go other places before the game, driving might work out better.
 

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WOW. Ticket prices way higher than in Pittsburgh. 

 

 

 

I don’t think ticket prices are higher at Guaranteed Rate Field than most other major league ballparks.  Concessions are a different story.  To save money on ticket costs, you can buy Upper Deck tickets, and just move to down to any open seats in the Lower Deck if the attendance is under 20,000.  I heard the policy is if attendance is greater than 20,000, you will be stuck in the Upper Deck deck for the entire game if you have an Upper Deck ticket.

On Saturday, Jim Thome Bobbleheads will be handed out to the first 20,000 fans entering the ballpark.  You may want to arrive a couple hours early to make certain to receive the bobbles.  Plus, lines entering the ballpark are much longer than the past due to increased security at the gates mandated by MLB.  Don’t forget Saturday night games start at 6:10 PM, which is 1 hour earlier than weeknight games.

Your daughter that doesn’t like baseball may still enjoy the game anyways.  The Sox do a good job entertaining visitors who are not fans. 

Edited August 10, 2018 by InTheDriversSeat
spelling error

[kwolf68]

This is sweet. I’m here, got 4 bobble heads, it’s a great night, the Sox beat these guys last night.

only bummer is older son deployed to his A school today so he can’t be here, but got the rest of the gang.

Oh yea I drive. I was down at the Navy Pier all day after O’Hara and just came here.

Now let’s give me a good show boys!!

 

 

[ScootsMcGoots]

5 hours ago, kwolf68 said:

This is sweet. I’m here, got 4 bobble heads, it’s a great night, the Sox beat these guys last night.

only bummer is older son deployed to his A school today so he can’t be here, but got the rest of the gang.

Oh yea I drive. I was down at the Navy Pier all day after O’Hara and just came here.

Now let’s give me a good show boys!!

 

 

Palka almost had that one...

[kwolf68]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I will admit we did bug out after 8, so as to beat traffic as we were getting up at 4:30. Since the yard was pretty full, I didn't want to battle traffic. Had to navigate some traffic, but I guess we got back to Waukegan within about an hour 15 to 30. We spent a good part of the morning at OHare with my son before he left, then we drove down to the Navy Pier area. holy cow. We got turned around, but accidentally found parking above a Whole Foods. Spent a lot of time down there. Damn a lot of people, but good food. Cubs fans everywhere, but it was cool seeing Sox fans and we'd chat about "2 years baby". We all know (we hope) what that means).

Food. Giordanos was great, but damn we had to wait a long time. 

For me. THE REAL win was Big Ed's. Someone on this fourm mentioned it, we went there Thursday night. OH. MY. GOD. Their pulled pork is insane and those friggin mashed potatoes. I wanted to go back there, but we had to hit some other places. 

I got back home from Waukegan to Pittsburgh in about 8 hours driving. As I mentioned we left before 5AM CST as I didn't want to fight going around the city. It was sweet seeing Sox Park one last time. 

Wife and I plan on going back at some point, but getting hotel in the city and just doing the "L" to various places, hit a game and just enjoy Chicago. This trip was more for the oldest son, so enjoying the city was a lower priority, though still had fun. There was amazing energy in the crowd Saturday night and I can only imagine just how electric it is during a pennant race. Hope we get one of those in "two more years".

Anyway, the advice from those in here is well appreciated. It made our trip so much easier and more fun. Would love to work it out next year or the year after where I could see the Sox and Bears. I have seen Blackhawks games in Chicago, seen White Sox games in Chicago (even saw the last 3 games ever in old Comiskey), but have never seen the Bears in Soldier field (I've seen them in Baltimore and Washington). That's something I gotta take care of.