My shop is located at 888 E Belvidere Rd #101, Grayslake, IL 60030. Grayslake is a far north suburb of Chicago, but it's equidistant from Chicago and Milwaukee. Getting into downtown of either city is about an hour on the weekends, depending on traffic. Downtown Chicago is more like 90 minutes on a typical weekday. Grayslake is a small suburb, surrounded by other small suburbs. They all blend together, so you have plenty of options for restaurants. The 'burbs aren't necessarily walkable like the big city is, though, so having a car is really the best way to go if you don't want to Uber around.
Airports: Chicago O'Hare(ORD) is the closest airport. My shop is about 40 minutes north of O'Hare, and it's an easy drive on the interstate. O'Hare is west of the city center, so you don't have to drive through the city to get to my shop. Traffic can be a little hairy getting out of the airport on a busy day, but it's usually not bad once you get onto the interstate.
Your other airport option is Milwaukee Mitchell (MKE), which is about 50 minutes north of my shop, on the south side of Milwaukee. MKE is much smaller so it's easier to navigate, and the traffic is not as busy, but O'Hare is no more difficult than any other major airport. FYI, there are toll stops on the interstate from either airport, and they do take credit cards. DO NOT fly into Chicago Midway (MDW) even if it's a great price. It's farther away and you'll regret it. Check with your rental car company's toll policy to avoid any extra charges.
My workshops include a small kiln repair tool kit. If you're flying to get here you will not be able to take your tool kit home with you on the plane if you only have a carry-on bag, but I will be happy to ship it to you after the workshop.
Renting a car at the airport is the easiest way to get around out here in the burbs, but if you really don't want to rent a car then I recommend Vic's Limo to get you from the airport to Grayslake: call (773) 930-8511 to book. It'll cost $85-$120 each way depending on number of people, time of day, etc, so car rental may be more affordable, but Vic and his team are great. Once you're in Grayslake you would need to use Uber or another ride service to get around. You can get into Chicago from Grayslake via the Metra train, and you can get around in Chicago and get back to O'Hare via the CTA.
Lodging: The closest hotel to my shop is 1.2 miles away, so walkable but not super close:
Comfort Inn
1775 E Belvidere Rd
Grayslake, IL 60030
Your other closest options are a little further away, about 3 miles:
Hampton Inn
2061 Shell Dr
Libertyville, IL 60048
Sonesta Suites
1100 N US Route 45
Libertyville, IL 60048
Chicago and Milwaukee are amazing cities and well worth visiting while you're here. Both cities have great museums and concert venues and cultural attractions, so stay a few days and enjoy the area! If you plan to visit any museums or other attractions I recommend buying your tickets online before you get here.
Please let me know if you have any other questions about attending a Kiln School workshop!
Airports: Chicago O'Hare(ORD) is the closest airport. My shop is about 40 minutes north of O'Hare, and it's an easy drive on the interstate. O'Hare is west of the city center, so you don't have to drive through the city to get to my shop. Traffic can be a little hairy getting out of the airport on a busy day, but it's usually not bad once you get onto the interstate.
Your other airport option is Milwaukee Mitchell (MKE), which is about 50 minutes north of my shop, on the south side of Milwaukee. MKE is much smaller so it's easier to navigate, and the traffic is not as busy, but O'Hare is no more difficult than any other major airport. FYI, there are toll stops on the interstate from either airport, and they do take credit cards. DO NOT fly into Chicago Midway (MDW) even if it's a great price. It's farther away and you'll regret it. Check with your rental car company's toll policy to avoid any extra charges.
My workshops include a small kiln repair tool kit. If you're flying to get here you will not be able to take your tool kit home with you on the plane if you only have a carry-on bag, but I will be happy to ship it to you after the workshop.
Renting a car at the airport is the easiest way to get around out here in the burbs, but if you really don't want to rent a car then I recommend Vic's Limo to get you from the airport to Grayslake: call (773) 930-8511 to book. It'll cost $85-$120 each way depending on number of people, time of day, etc, so car rental may be more affordable, but Vic and his team are great. Once you're in Grayslake you would need to use Uber or another ride service to get around. You can get into Chicago from Grayslake via the Metra train, and you can get around in Chicago and get back to O'Hare via the CTA.
Lodging: The closest hotel to my shop is 1.2 miles away, so walkable but not super close:
Comfort Inn
1775 E Belvidere Rd
Grayslake, IL 60030
Your other closest options are a little further away, about 3 miles:
Hampton Inn
2061 Shell Dr
Libertyville, IL 60048
Sonesta Suites
1100 N US Route 45
Libertyville, IL 60048
Chicago and Milwaukee are amazing cities and well worth visiting while you're here. Both cities have great museums and concert venues and cultural attractions, so stay a few days and enjoy the area! If you plan to visit any museums or other attractions I recommend buying your tickets online before you get here.
Please let me know if you have any other questions about attending a Kiln School workshop!