Maybe you knew this little trivia question or not, but Dixon lays claim as being the hometown of our 40th US President. So, whether you are working on fulfilling your presidential IQ or not, should you do find yourself here in north central Illinois and looking for some out-of-the-way accommodations then this little blue box retailer parking lot may be the perfect layover for you and your camping plans. You’ll discover the parking lot here to be more of the over-sized varieties of Walmart paved pastures, located due north of I88, which is one of the major highways coursing through Illinois.
Upon arrival, we were immediately overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place, which by all accounts was more than half empty, which suited us perfectly fine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some decent in- and out-traffic streaming from this place, but its more of a trickle than a torrent. The best part about being here? You’re in the middle of absolutely nowhere and so solitude and noise-cancelling bliss is going to easily be on hand as well as a very good dose of ease and comfort from a security standpoint. Additionally, while the lot is massive, it is also very well taken care of, incredibly flat and EZ to maneuver around in order to find an isolated spot away from all the other traffic that comes here for the big blue box retailer or some of the ancillary businesses you’ll find this store encircled by.
Should you decide to park at this oversized discount retail parking haven, I would recommend parking as far on the southern perimeter as possible, where these parking spots will put you as far away from the Walmart retail entrance as possible and where the surrounding traffic isn’t too heavy to cause much of any noise. Plus, being on the southern periphery minimizes the traffic impact coming in for those other stores and gas stations that dot the northern and western edges, the former of which serves as the primary entrance to this retail complex. In general, there’s pretty great lighting at night along with an incredibly safe and secure vibe, because, well, again, you’re clear out in the middle of nowhere. So as Depeche Mode once put it, 'Enjoy The Silence.'
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is in your onboard mini-fridge or you just want to try out some local fare, then nearby you’ll have access to restaurants like Lil’ Smoked Bar & Grill for disco fries, Las Palmas for chimichangas or Shamrock Pub for typical Midwestern glorified bar grub, but this spot does serve up some mean fried chicken as well as smoked prime rib; (2) Should you want to get your coffee on, nearby there’s only a Starbucks, McDonald’s, but for really GREAT coffee, drive a bit further north and cross the Rock River to discover ‘caffeinated magic’ at Coffee Crush; and (3) Should you need to load up on anything, of course, you can do that here at this Walmart, but if you’re looking for anything else within a 3 mile radius, there’s an Aldi just due south of here, and further afield you can find a Hometown Pantry, Walgreen’s, Arthur’s Garden Deli, Oliver’s Corner Market to keep you fully stocked up during your travels; and (4) If you really want to grab a slice of presidential history, only a quarter mile away from where you are parked is the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan, so enjoy that!
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: 5
Quality: 4
Peace & Quiet: 5
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
