One of St. Louis' hidden gems. I say "hidden" because not many people are aware about this…read moreimportant part of St. Louis history, and the location. There are no roads nearby (just a bike trail) and there's no signs on the main roads that lead to it. Plus, it's literally by the Mississippi River. I say "gem" because, well, I can't think of any other word. But it's always fun to explore areas where a whole lot of people aren't aware of. For those that don't know, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area/Visitor's Center is located off of the Riverfront Trail. It's seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. You're very much surrounded by a levee wall with graffiti and then the river. You can access the Visitors Center as long as you're on the trail, and the closest road is 0.2 miles north of it (East Prairie Avenue). You have to drive through the industrial part of the city to get there, and there is a small parking lot. Another big thing to keep in mind is, access is limited throughout various parts of the year. From November to March, the Visitor's Center is not open. And during April to October, it is only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I wish it was five days a week, but then they have to pay those people. Lastly, it is open mostly during daylight hours (don't know exactly when...). If you are lucky to check it out during open hours, by all means do it! There is always an attendant on duty, and you can go inside and sometimes they will sell snacks and cold drinks for trail riders. Public restrooms are available, though they are Johnny toilets. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a museum, but there is lots of historical information on the walls inside, as well as two historical markers. The back deck is a great view of the Mississippi River, though there is not very much to see on the other side. One last thing: every year, there is a gathering at the Freedom Crossing, which is the Mary Meachum Celebration. Usually, it happens once a year in May. They have historical re-enactments and food/crafts/games. I still have yet to check it out!

The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area is located along the Mississippi River a few miles…read morenorth of Downtown St. Louis on the Riverfront Trail. You can get there by car, but for me, it's more fun to go by bike on the trail. This landmark is a work in progress and consists of murals painted on the levee wall, historic markers, informative signs, and a building which is sporadically open (usually on nice summer weekend days). The building is used for special events, displays and as a rest stop for trail users. A nice deck also overlooks the river on the back side. The area is also used annually for the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration which consists of a historic reenactment, storytelling, music and dance. The real reason to come here though, is to learn a bit about our ugly past. I've become fascinated with the story as I've tried to learn more about what happened, and I'll try to give a brief summary of what I've learned from my visits and read on the internet: This site recognizes the first documented Underground Railroad event in Missouri. In 1855 a group of slaves escaped and tried to cross the river from Missouri into Illinois for freedom. Mary Meachum, who was already a free Africa American woman, assisted and accompanied them in their attempt to escape. Mary was the wife of John Berry Meachum who had bought his own freedom, founded the first free black church in St. Louis, and bought other African Americans out of slavery while teaching them how to read and write. When he died, Mary carried on the movement. She was helping a woman named Ester, her two small children and at least two other people to cross into freedom at this very location. Unfortunately, a police officer was waiting on the Illinois side for them and Mary Meachum was arrested and thrown in jail. Ester was "owned" by Henry Shaw who was a very prominent St. Louisan and best known for founding the Missouri Botanical Garden and being a generous philanthropist. Since Shaw was such a well known business man, the local newspapers covered the story in detail and documented what would have otherwise been a forgotten historic event. Ester was returned to Shaw who in turn sold her to a plantation in Mississippi for $350 minus a $161.62 reward to the bounty hunter. Her children were not sold and probably remained behind. While the newspapers documented the story well, I'm still curious to know what happened to Mary Meachum and Ester and her two children.

One of the nicer rest areas that has age on it, but incredibly well maintained…read more The grounds are beautiful with lots of shelters. The restrooms spic and span. I saw staff on duty working. Vending is indoors. Don't miss this gem.

Heading eastbound on I-70 outside Saint Louis, the sign warned that this was the last rest area for…read more130 miles. That's a big gap but it's Illinois and they're spending their money on all sorts of stuff these days. That said, this was a really nice rest area with plenty of parking and some green space. I was able to sit and relax and unwind before starting the rest of my drive. There are vending machines and restrooms and no signs limiting how long you can stay. [Review 1276 of 2024 - 204 in Illinois - 22299 overall]

Probably the cleanest rest area I can ever recall visiting. We stopped here on our way from East…read moreCentral Illinois to Southern Indiana. Outside ADA button did not work for opening the door. Attendant was in the women's restroom cleaning away and the sinks, toilets and floor were VERY clean. 1/5 stars for the trickle (as mentioned in a previous review) of a stream that came from 2 of 3 sinks. Ugh! Be sure to have sanitizer handy for extra germ killing as the water pressure is horrible. Great vending machine options including hot coffee drinks. Change machine available also. Would be nice if this stop had a display with brochures from sites in the area. They only had a few free catalogs in the stands outside. Indoor ADA button did work. Nice pedestrian bridge outside going from the parking lot to some picnic tables. Overall very clean and tidy. Highly recommend stopping. Just don't expect to fully rinse your hands if you're using the women's facilities.

This is a nice rest stop. Lots of trees, picnic tables, and vending machines. The parking lot gets…read morecongested easily with semi parking directly behind regular vehicles. The facilities are clean with large maps and vending machines. Outdoors this is Squirrel heaven and the kids enjoyed watching their playful activities.

The second of two rest stops that we stopped on I-55, going from Chicagoland to Edwardsville,…read moreHomestead Rest Area consists of separate parking for trucks and cars. It has a large indoor building with clean bathrooms, and vending machines with coffee and snacks. There is a large grass field with playground for kids and a potty area for pets.

The visitor center here in Illinois Did not disappoint. We had a great stop in to use the restroom…read moreand was greeted kindly by John who was working the visitor center. He directed us the restroom and also let us know about anniversary or route 66. It will be a celebration of 100 years and state by state city by city will celebrations. He gave us pamphlets, brochures and spent time telling us all the history of route 66. Go online for information on what is ahead.

The I-70 Silver Lake Rest Area earns a solid 4-star rating for being clean, safe, and…read morereliable--exactly what you want on a long drive. The restrooms are consistently well-maintained, the area is well-lit at night, and there's plenty of space for both cars and trucks. It's a comfortable place to stretch, walk around, and reset before getting back on the road. While it doesn't offer full food options or the amenities of a larger service plaza, it delivers where it counts and stands out as an above-average highway rest stop.

An easy on and off rest area for both cars and trucks. I've passed it before, but I believe it's my…read morefirst time. The landscaping was a bit rough, but no trash. The building is nearby for convenience and offers vending. The men's room was clean, but dated. There were proper supplies. I would recommend. 3.5 seems fitting, but rounding down.

As truck stops go -- this one was disappointing. Granted, we were traveling eastbound on I-70 and…read moreit had been miles and a number of exits since we had seen an open gas station so this truck stop was a somewhat welcome site. At least it had gas and we were able to fuel up. However - the restrooms were dirty / there was no soap in the restrooms and the convenience store portion of the truck stop was small and not as well stocked as most -- definitely not as much variety. If you're eastbound on I-70 and you're low on gas, don't stop here unless you're really low. There are better choices in the next 5-10 miles of I-70 eastbound. This rest stop's "claim to fame" is that it's the 1st one in many miles but hold on if you can. There are more in a very short distance.

This place barely makes one star. I try to find something positive in my reviews but this one would…read morehave been a stretch. It's what the general public thinks of a "truck stop" but far from what the Pilot/Flying J really is. There was one clerk to handle retail and fuel sales and eight people standing in line so I can understand her less than courteous disposition. The trash cans at the fuel islands were over flowing as were the trash receptacles in the atrocious men's room. The retail area floors were dirty and the prepared food such as hot dogs and egg rolls hadn't been placed on the warmers, and sat in their frozen food packages on the counter. Again, this is far from what is found at many other Pilot/Flying J travel centers.

I love Love's Travel Stops. When traveling between Columbus, OH and Denver, Love's is my preferred…read morerefueling spot - both for gas and for personal refueling (restrooms, snacks and cold beverages). Love's are always clean and well stocked. Very consistent and reliable.

This was a decent stop. Yes, Illinois fuel costs more but if you have no choice you can at least…read morescan your Love's barcode and get 10 cents off per gallon. Inside the store, I found plenty of options for snacks and hot dogs. A hot dog with chili and onions and cheese can really hit the spot. And yes, I was burping it for hours! Worth it. Men's room was tidy enough and while it could use some service (a paper towel on the floor, water on the counter), I still hit the green button on the way out. [Review 1279 of 2024 - 206 in Illinois - 22302 overall]

ITS A GREAT PLACE THEY HAVE ALMOST ANYTHING like ice cream and oh the huge gift shop is amazing,…read moreany gift for anyone!!!!

This was a spectacle of a convenience store and I mean that in an endearing way. An incredible…read moreselection of snack foods and freshly prepared fast food selections, BBQ, desserts and Jerky by the pound! I tried out the smash burger and Brisket sandwich; both were solid and were on par with what you would pay for in a restaurant. The highlight for me was the jerky deli bar where you pay by the pound! The variety was impressive and I ended up buying a pound of Honey jalapeño and Jerk Garlic jerky, both were FANTASTIC!

This is a very nice rest stop. The bathrooms are very clean. They have a coloring paper and free…read morecrayons for the kids. The vending machines have variety. They also have ice cream!! The view from outside also very beautiful.

Typical small, no-frills rear stop along this highway. There is about 4 vending machines, weather…read morestation and a counter of Illinois brochures.