The Home Depot — Peru

Just south of I-80 along Old Highway 51, this Peru Home Depot offers a surprisingly practical overnight option for anyone rolling through the Illinois Valley in search of quick, uncomplicated pavement. Surrounded by a dense cluster of chain restaurants, big-box stores and highway access ramps, this lot is big, bright and usually calm after dark. While not glamorous (and certainly not pretending to be) this parking pavement is wide, open with a layout that makes it easy to slip in, find a peaceful corner and catch some much-needed rest before your next stretch of interstate miles. The western and northern edges are the sweet spots: far from store traffic, quieter than the rest of the property and offering enough distance from the main entrance to feel tucked away, even in a retail corridor.

HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Exceptionally easy access from I-80 with just a couple quick turns and you’re parked; (2) Well-lit lot with a strong feeling of safety thanks to surrounding development and steady visibility; (3) Plenty of room to maneuver larger rigs, especially on the west and north perimeter; (4) Walkable options for fast food, coffee and quick meals, including Steak & Shake and Red Lobster; (5) Short drive to standout local eats like Rip’s Tavern in Ladd and Lou’s LaGrotto for cave-booth pizza; (6) Near some of Illinois’ best outdoor destinations, including Starved Rock and Matthiessen SP's that are both close by; and (7) Not overly busy at night, with traffic thinning considerably after the store closes.

LOWLIGHTS: (1) Lot is just OK in condition with cracks and patches throughout; (2) Light highway noise from nearby roads persists into the evening; (3) Zero charm: this is a basic retail parking pad, full stop; (4) Foot traffic around the front of the store can feel hectic during peak retail hours; (5) Better true-camping options exist nearby if you’re looking for nature instead of pavement. 

Happy Overnighting!

If you find yourself heading east-west on I80 and passing through Lasalle/ Peru looking for a piece of pavement to call home for the night and can’t seem to find a proper RV park, then the very well-lit Home Depot just due south on Old Highway 51 might just work for you. This paved paradise is fairly massive and surrounded by a number of retail and entertainment options that also make this place somewhat attractive.

As far as parking here goes, you’ll want to stay as far west and ideally north as you can in the lot, which will keep you away from the main traffic at the front of the store as well as all of the other traffic buzzing around this place. Because you’re not too far away from a few busy highways, you really shouldn’t worry too much about security. The lot itself is just in OK condition, but there’s ample space here as well as the place not being overly busy(at least by urban standards).

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few:(1) Looking for some local, nearby restaurants? Well, just beyond the Home Depot parking lot, within walking distance, there’s a Steak& Shake, some Mexican joint called Jalapeño’s that I can’t really recommend as well as a Red Lobster. Further south of here there’s Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Culver’s to the south. But if you want a memorable meal, I would recommend getting back I80 and heading west to the little town of Ladd, where there’s legendary Rip’s chicken. And if you are in the mood for a great pizza, check out the good folks at iconic Lou’s Lagrotto, where you can eat your slice in a cave booth(don’t ask, just do);(2) Should you be looking for a slice of nature, head on over to either Starved Rock or Matthiessen SPs– either one will offer great hiking, rappelling and the former offering up direct access to the Illinois River; and(3) If you are considering other options for parking your RV overnight and actually want a decent spot, then rather than this pit stop bummer, I would recommend looking at nearby campground outposts such as Lasalle/ Peru KOA, Starved Rock Family Campground or Nature’s Way RV Park– all of which will surely charge you for spending the night, but offer up a supremely blissful alternative to this retail parking lot.

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience(EZ on- and off-access), safety& security, quality(of facilities), peace& quiet and amenities(either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:

Convenience: 4 

Safety & Security: 4 

Quality: 3 

Peace & Quiet: 3 

Amenities: 3 

Overall, I scored this location a 3. 

Happy Overnighting!