We have identified the victim, er, hotel we will stay at this year for the ICE at Rosemont.

The Comfort Suites in Schiller, IL. With the help of Mike Walsh (Cana Fan), our local Rosemont area Connected Collector, we have a block of rooms set aside at this hotel. The hotel has set a nightly rate of $79 plus tax for up to 4 guests; to get this rate you need to call the hotel directly at (847) 233-9000, and ask for the group rate for "Harbour Lights Collectors Club". If you want to register thru the website, the best price is $80.60, the internet users price. UPDATE 1/15 - price via internet now up to $90/night.

This hotel seems to be a good one for us: there is transportation to/from O'Hare and they will transport to the Convention Center. All the rooms are suites, and a continental breakfast is provided. For those at the Hyatt a couple years ago, there should be hot water. The Hyatt's show prices are $128 per night plus $11 for parking. Other show hotels are also over $100/night.

We will be working on a gathering (mini-reunion) for whichever day the Chicago Regional is not. (Still no info on the regional.) As more develops, we will add information. Worked on a hotel early, so we could line up a nice hotel at a reasonable cost before all the rooms were taken. After all, you can always cancel later if need be.

If you plan on joining us at Rosemont, please send me an email ( dhannum@iquest.net ) so we can keep a list of who is coming. (This will also help build a distribution list to send email to as plans develop or change.) Of course, you can also sign in here to let everyone know who will be at the Second Annual Connected Collector Chicago Mini-Reunion.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 01-27-2002).]

Count on the 3 of us. My wife Karen, our son Andy, and myself. This should be alot a fun as in the past! Hope to see old and new faces again this year!

I want to talk to that shrewd bargainer who got that $.61 discount.

I want to use his/ her services next time I want to get me a bargain.
LOL

Dennis

Actually, Dennis, the discount started as $1.60, is now up to $11.60 (internet users price is now $90). Thats $23.20 for the 2 nights - enough to have a pizza and a couple beers. Gap will probably increase as rooms discounted in the normal channels dry up.

$79 a night in Chicago, in a year old suites hotel is a major good bargain! Hope you can come out and enjoy one of our discounted rooms with us. Tell the job you are doing OJT to be better able to help folks travelling to Chicago!

Dave

Dave,

I'll try that argument for the Atlantic City Show.

Very unlikely to be able to make it to Chicago in June. Stranger things have happened, though

Believe me , I know that $79 is a great price, as well as the volatility of prices for rooms, etc.

I can go onto my computer at work and if I looked up that hotel I might come up with a list of 70-80 different rates for those same rooms. On top of that, if I checked the next day they might all be different.

Dennis

Count us in. Kate and I have already made arraingements (at Embassy Suites, across from the convention center, before we found out about this lodging) so please keep us in the loop regarding upcoming events. Although we've been collecting for sometime we're new to the forum's and look forward to meeting new friends.

Dvae

Count the four of us in. I'll be coming with my wife and two youngest. Jenna and Justin are beginning to be interested in my obsession. Both have given me LLOM's for gifts. We'll check out area lights Friday before checking in. Hope to meet lots of wacko's there.

Dale

Great to hear you are going to Chicago Dale! We will finally get to meet in person! I'm really looking forward to this event. Bring on spring and summer! Winters are starting to get old! We still have a few more months of this!

I plan to go to Rosemont this year also.

Suzanne

Just talked to Fred and he's planning on joining us in Rosemont - staying at our group hotel.

He's traveling by Amtrak getting in Thursday and Leaving on Sunday. By train it's 3 days, 2 nights.

That is assuming Amtrak is still around in June, John!

Mike

Now, Mike, we have to be positive here - Fred WILL be coming by Amtrak (or its successor) and we will all enjoy seeing him in June. I just wonder if Amtrak is ready for Fred.......

Dave
[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 02-11-2002).]

I received word that the Harbour Lights 'family' will be staying at the same hotel as we Wackos.

The Grass family will be attending the show and staying at Comfort Suites also. Looking forward to a great time with a bunch of wackos!

chris g

Just a reminder to those who are putting it off. MAKE THOSE HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW! Although we have 20 rooms held, if those are filled up quickly, we can hold more at the same price. If we wait to long, and the hotel fills, then we lose. So if you've been putting it off, now the time to get it done!

Don't miss out on the fun. Hurry while supplies last. Limited time offer. (And any other catch phrase you can think of to get motivated!)

Mike

Hi there everyone, Larry and I have our reservations in and will be attending with our youngest daughter Joan. We are all very excited, we are planning an extended vacation after Rosemont up to Michigan to visit some lighthouses. Can't wait!!

This sounds like too much fun. Count me in also.

I was still able to get a reservation at the Comfort Suite, and will be traveling with Adrienne, my Harley and Harbour Lights soulmate.

I am looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can at my 1st Regional. I would appreciate any informaton or advice on what to expect at these events.

Regards,
Roger

Need to surface this thread to see how we are doing hotel wise. To help Mike and I determine how many rooms Connected Collectors have spoken for, I need to get a count. Some have emailed me and some have posted that they have rooms. If you have a room at the Comfort reserved for Friday or Saturday (or both) and are NOT listed below, please either respond or drop me a note. The number of rooms we have reserved will hopefully be a bargaining chip to use when we approach the hotel about giving us a room to gather in. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing lots of you at Rosemont!

Those that I know have rooms reserved:
Paul
Ken Reese
Kat
Chris G
Frank B
Tom & Joyce Abbott
Digger (2)
McBees
Mombo
Mary & Jeff
Kremers
Lawrences
Roger Stam
Suzanne ??

By the way, have you ordered your Wacko Name Badge yet??? Do you want to be the only Wacko at Rosemont without one???

Dave
[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 04-30-2002).]

Add my name, please.

Derith
Ruthie will be staying with me on Friday night.

If I only had a brain I would remember whether I have ordered the name badge or not...but since the brain is missing these days, if I haven't ordered one, this is my order form.....
Derith

[This message has been edited by Nana (edited 04-30-2002).]

I have a room reserved for both nights.
Jim
Johnson

We have a room reserved for Friday & Saturday...now if the airfares would go down just a little more....

Patty & Mike

Just made my reservations yesterday for arrival on Friday and departure on Sunday. Still working on airfare. So far it's cheaper going back to Baltimore!

Made my reservations today for Friday and Saturday nights. I am actually arriving at O'Hare on the 25th and also am staying that night at the same hotel. They gave me the same $79 rate (I had to ask for it, though.)

I'm coming in early in order to take the caravan tour of Door County lighthouses which will be arriving in Sturgeon Bay WI about dinnertime on the 26th and returning to Rosemont/Schiller in time for the WACKO Reunion on the evening of the 28th!

Got my airline ticket too - $228 RT from Phoenix non-stop.

See you all there!

I'm still debating on this. The nonstop plane is a whopping $326! If I took the slow plane it's like $258. Last year the nonstop was $221. If I could get the same hotel rate for Sunday night I could take the slow plane, stay an extra day, go see some stuff and still be $ ahead. But I'd have to go to the airport Monday am to check the baggage and then take public transportation to wherever. But the last flight back home on the slow plane leaves at 4pm so I'd have to start out early.

OK, I bit the bullet, stopped procrastinating, have a room for Fri. & Sat. My 14 year old daughter doesn't seem to want to be identified with a bunch of Wackos, I told her I'd get her a badge with "Wacko's Daughter" but no deal.
Bud

The hotel shuttle from O'Hare 'docks' at doorway 3 at the O'Hare Bus Terminal.

You should call the hotel upon arrival and then make your way to the Bus Terminal area.

(847) 233-9000

Hi!
I have made reservations for 2 nights. We have non-lighthouse friends, Ron and Jan, who are coming along with use and have reserved rooms under the special rate. They collect Precious Moments, Boyd's Bears and Swarovski Crystal, so we think they are wacko, just in another area of collecting! They told me they really didn't mind being associated with wackos as long as the wackos don't mind!
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
By the way, I have 2 kids, ages 14 and 12, who are coming along. Is the regional event something that they would want to attend, or would they have more fun hanging out with Ron and Jan, who I think are really pretty cool?

see ya later-
chris g

Welcome to your friends and family chris g.

You might want to check the Krause site. I seem to recall that children are not allowed on the show floor. www.Krause.com

Thanks John-
I checked it out- kids are allowed in the show, in fact, 1 child under 12 is admitted free with each paid adult admission.
Thanks for the heads up on this one- I would have hated to bring the kids all the way there only to have them stay in the hotel room. They really enjoyed the Navy Pier Show last year (especially when Ryan won the Eddystone at the seminar), so they are looking forward to coming!

chris g

My plans look like John's...except I am flying in from Atlanta arriving on the 25th, staying in the hotel Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. John, let's plan on dinner Tuesday night. Sue, stay Sunday night and I'll keep you company. Looking forward to the trip to Door County.
Derith

I am all set, airfares have come down, arriving early (for me) Friday, leaving Sunday pm.

Yeah ! Yeah! Yeah! Sue is coming to Chicago!!! It will be here before you know it Sue!
Derith

We have 25 or so rooms spoken for at this point. Are there any others out there who are coming and have yet to make a reservation? Now is the time to do so. And, please let me know if you do.

Mike is going to talk to the hotel about getting some meeting rooms to use for our gathering, and the more rooms we have reserved the more bargaining chips we have.

We will have a gathering on Friday evening, so please plan on being there. As we get a plan pulled together we will post the details.

Dave

Count two more of us (my wife Diana and I) in for the Regional (our first) and the Comfort Suites. Thanks for making the special group arrangements! Just called today and made the reservation at the Comfort Suites. How do we get Wacko name badges?

We are up to 30 rooms of wackos. Hope the hotel lets us stay Saturday......

We will be working out plans for the Friday evening Connected Collector / Wacko gathering sometime in the next couple of weeks. Last year a little over 50 of us went out for a pizza dinner in downtown Chicago. We are looking at the options for various gathering spots for Friday night. Once worked out, I will post details in a separate thread.

Kevin, Here is the link about the Wacko Name badge .

Dave

Toerings have reservations for Friday and Saturday night.

Great to hear you and the better half are coming, Jake! Andy is looking forward to seeing his "adopted" Grandma and Grandpa again! (LOL)

(20 minutes!!!!)
[This message has been edited by Randy Kremer (edited 05-21-2002).]

I just made reservations. I will attend Rosemont Fri, Sat, Sun. I will try to figure out how I can hook up with the Door County trip. With school ending soon, I should have a bit more free time. At this time internet time is rough for me. I don't have the time that I used to.

HI Jim- glad to hear that you are coming. It was nice to meet you at the Wind Point event last August. Be sure to wear your Rams jersey....

chris g