PIR December 17th - Whos going and what info do you have to share?

My wife and I are attending my sons PIR on the 17th.  Due to his being in a Push Division, he is graduating early than we had originally planned.  So scheduling only allows us to travel up the day before and leave immediately afterwards to return to Kentucky for other commitments.  He is a Grad and Go I believe as I only have his first letter and an early phone call as definite information.  All other knowledge of his status has come from his mother who can be unreliable to say the least.  So I'm trying to obtain as much info as possible to be prepared.  In such a quick trip I hope to spend our time together wisely.

We recently attended a Naval wedding of an Officer friend of mine on base in Tampa.  Everyone should be prepared for the security checkpoint and have all of your information accessible and complete.  If you do this is usually a very quick and simple process.

I did read a post previously which mentioned taking a shuttle or cab to the base gate could save a great deal of time and difficulty as opposed to attempting to park on base.  Something everyone should consider however is what leave your son or daughter may receive.  It may be more feasible to drive should they be able to leave the base of a period of time.

We will be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Forest Mettawa.  From reviews I've read it seems like a sensible hotel.  It is only a few miles from base and very reasonable priced.  I have read many other posts which mention other good hotels.   Rates seem to range from $69 to well over $200 depending upon your budget.  Since we're only staying a single night, the lower price range stay should be sufficient.  Be sure to check the reviews on the many travel websites.  Many hotels in the area seem to have an abundance of bad reviews and may make your stay unpleasant.

Just to sidetrack from the discussion a bit, I'm also proud to say that my daughter, and my sons older sister, will be leaving in January for Army Basic in South Carolina.  So I'm now the proud father of two soldiers and couldn't be happier for them and their futures!

I would like to hear from others who may be attending and may have other suggestions, comments or concerns.  It seems this site is very well kept and there are many people on here more than happy to help you.

Looking forward to our trip to the Great White North to see my sons PIR and hope everyone has a wonderful experience on theirs.