Excursions

Greetings, WeeM-Goers.

As we have done for the last few years, we’re planning a few off-site events for the Thursday of HalloweeM.

The list of planned excursions will be posted below. This is a work in progress so check back to see if there's a new excursion offered that would be of interest to you. Sign-up information will be available no later than early August. If any excursion for which you signed up is full, you will be wait-listed and notified should there be a cancellation. If you need to cancel, please e‑mail the Excursions Chair  so that a person on the waitlist can go in your place.

List of Excursions for Thursday, October 26th

TBA

Description

You know the stories—Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, The Illustrated Man (and so much more)—now explore theirauthor. HalloweeM attendees are invited to join us for a visit to the new Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in Waukegan. We will be met by the museum director, who will take us on a tour of the new and still evolving museum. We will then be joined by Ty Rohrer, Cultural Arts Manager for the Waukegan Park District, who will conduct his full Bradbury walking tour of “Green Town,” as Bradbury named Waukegan in books he set there. The longest stretch in the tour is roughly half a mile, but most sites downtown are 2 or 3 blocks apart. So not a killer hike, but you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes. Something of a bonus for those who love history: the Carnegie Library where Bradbury fell in love with literature (and which is on the tour) is the only Carnegie Library that is more than two stories high.

Location

13 N. Genesee St. in Waukegan
(~32 miles northeast of the Westin)

Time

1 PM

Duration

~3 hours—though might last longer if you stay to shop and/or to wander the extensive grounds after the tour.

Cost

$15/person

Website

http://raybradburyexperiencemuseum.org/

Max. Number of Participants

30

Restrictions

Wear comfortable walking shoes.

HalloweeM 45 Excursion: Ray Bradbury Museum & Walking Tour

Transportation To/From Excursions

For the excursions, we will be using shared transportation. When you register, please indicate if you are willing to give anyone a ride to/from the hotel, need a ride to/from the hotel, or will be getting there of your own accord. If you have any mobility issues, please let us know when you register, and we’ll check with the venue to see if they can accommodate you¹. If you need a ride and have mobility issues that restrict your use of common transit options, also let us know when you register; we will do our best to check if anyone driving to the excursion can accommodate you, but it is highly unlikely.

¹CAM is not responsible for transporting or supplying equipment for members who have mobility issues.

Also note that the start time for the excursion is not the time we will leave the hotel—it’s when the event starts at the location. So if you need a ride, keep an eye out for the confirmation e-mail just before WeeM that will let you know when drivers and riders will gather at the hotel. (This does not apply, of course, if you’re meeting us there.)

Kids on Excursions

While some excursions are open to all ages, we do not offer babysitting on Excursions. As a general rule, parents must accompany anyone under the age of 16. Some excursions have specific age restrictions that are noted under the Restrictions heading, and those restrictions supersede the general rule. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy or regarding specific circumstances, please contact us before signing up.

Eligibility, Payments, and Wait-List Priority

You must register for WeeM in order to be eligible to go on any of the excursions. Since the number of people for each excursions is limited, it is best you pay as soon as possible. Although you can pay by check, if your check is not received within 7 days of registering for an excursion, a later registrant who has paid may be given priority when the excursion has reached capacity.

Cancellation Policy

If we have to cancel an excursion for any reason, any money collected will be refunded. Regarding individual cancellations, unfortunately, if we’re collecting fees, it means the excursion requires us to make payments in advance to book the space. We may not be able to get refunds from the vendor and so refunds cannot be guaranteed. However, if your circumstances or travel plans change after you've booked an excursion, please let us know. If we can sell your spot to someone else, we will try to do so and will issue a refund accordingly.

Dining Options

For those of you arriving on Thursday, whether you pick one of our tours or not, I thought you might like to know a bit about your dining options nearby. (There are thousands of other options, but these are all within a few minutes of the hotel — just in case you are going on an excursion.)

Things to Do Nearby

If these excursion don’t appeal to or work for you and you have a car, or know someone who does, then here are a few suggestions of great places to visit that are not too far from the hotel (30-40 minutes):