If you find yourself buzzing up and down one of the busiest thoroughfares in Illinois along the I39 through the center of ‘The Prairie State’ and looking for a quiet little corner of this barren corn-field patch of land to call home for the night, then this non-descript Walmart located about 3 miles west of I80 might just be a decent place to layover. Here in Rochelle (a.k.a. ‘Hub City’), which is a little known tiny Midwestern town with less than a population of 10K souls is less a city than it is more of a ghost town, but all the same, maybe the fact that it is so small and quiet makes this place all the more alluring.
As for this particular Walmart Supercenter, it’s located on the northeast side of Rochelle and is completely surrounded by newly fabricated extra-terrestrial suburban sprawl, the sort of which is typically defined by more non-descript restaurants of national chains, vacant strip malls and in these parts, used car parking lots that are selling 1 of 3 pick-up trucks that you can buy here in the countryside that is populated by either drilled beans or rows of sweet corn.
Should you pull into this vacant slab of concrete and be on the look-out for a place to drop anchor for the night, my suggestion would be to keep the southern-most fringes of this open lot, although if you keep heading north once you enter the Walmart premises and go past the store, you will come across a dead-end street that is actually perfect for parking parallel to. Over here, there’s a single street light casting decent visibility, while putting you far enough from the busy road that you came in on so as to deliver perfectly quiet solitude.
If you are looking to stock up on groceries, and like me, don’t really shop at Walmart, there is a PJ Fresh Marketplace back at the Pilot Travel Center, albeit meager and definitely overpriced. Given this, I would recommend driving towards Rochelle to the nearby Aldi’s where the quality is better and the selection wider, Walgreen’s where you can get your scripts filled or Dollar Tree where you can get a deal on just about anything. But the best tip? Let me lay this on you – if you are searching for some killer cuts of steak or perhaps a super thick pork chop cut just perfectly then head due east towards Creston to SIMPLY THE BEST BUTCHER I have ever been to(and I’ve been to quite a number) to Headon’s Fine Meats, which you will be blown away by … plus, they also have some really great booze to choose from as well as a very decent deli.
Hungry? Well, if sitting down and grabbing some grub is on the menu, then head on over to Moose Knuckle Bar & Grill, which is also over in Creston, where they serve up some pretty delish Midwestern comfort food and will eagerly pour you some nice libations to wash it all down with. Beyond this, you’ll have to head towards Rochelle where you’ll find: Hub City Express, Iron Skillet, Wendy’s Subway, Dan’s Big Slice of Pizza, McDonald’s and Culver’s to name but a few. But if you want something truly memorable, then book yourself a seat at The Rabbit’s Foot Bar& Grill, where you will enjoy some very decent pub food, good elixirs as well as some real Midwestern hospitality.
Should you be looking for a slice of nature then Just head due west to Dixon, that’s right, the home of Ronald Reagan, where you can follow the Rock River up north towards Oregon. This bit of land is chalk full of amazing hiking, simply fantastic canoeing / kayaking as well as some decent rappelling as it’s over in these parts that the flat land of Illinois actually shows some promise by showing off the many dells, valleys and steep cliffs that exist in this little-known patch. Nearby, you would be remiss not to check out the 10 story statue of Blackhawk over at Lorado Taft, which has some phenomenal hiking as well.
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: 4
Peace & Quiet: 5
Amenities: 2
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
