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.

My first drive through Illinois and I was running early for a meet-up... (forgot to take into…read moreaccount the timechange!) I needed a little rest and something to gnosh on... so, I stopped. I was delighted to discover that not only were the facilities clean and the vending machines well stocked, but they had some lovely picnic spots, a small playground (if you have kidlits), and a beautiful walking path through the woods! So, I was able to take a lovely little stroll, stretch my legs, get a little snack, and relax a bit before getting on the road. All in all, a nice little rest stop!

This was a very good stop, easy on and off the highways always a plus…read more The restrooms although dated were clean. Vending is inside. A weird factor is a rear foot bridge that goes to a broken down picnic table. Don't let the kids play back there. The biggest plus are the nice grounds, picnic tables and even a playground. I would stop here again.

I have a coffee habit that is pretty tame these days, but still a little bit stunning to…read morenon-Seattleites. This habit lead me to this rest stop. For a bathroom break? Yes. So both Randy S. and I hit the head as they say (they are indoors in a very clean and lovely building) and ventured out. Randy wanted some diet pop. He got it out of the vending machine. We were about to run. Then I saw it. A Cafforia (http://www.automaticproducts.com/HTML/products/cafforia_main.html). Oh, I love these hot coffee vending machines that make hot chocolate and so forth. The swimming pool I went to when I was a kid had one of these and I was absolutely fascinated by it. So, I definitely had to indulge. But then came the question... what should I have? So many choices? To be accurate, the Cafforia comes with a multitude of products you can get for yourself, 13 in all. Everything from Cafe Latte to Expresso (I love that they spell it with an X). So, I narrowed my choices to something milky and sweet, because one never knows about the coffee in these things and it's best to have a buffer between you and potential burnt bitterness... I was either going to get: 1) Cafe Mocha - seemed promising, if basic 2) Cafe Vanile - about the same 3) French Vanilla - with which I had a hard time understanding the potential differences from #2 4) English Toffee - this was Randy S.'s choice from the get Okay, so I labored and labored over the decision. Which one to get? It offered to put sugar in the Mocha and Vanile, which I thought was strange, but could point that they aren't too sweet. But on the other hand, I've seen people pour sugar into coffee like they are trying to make fill in a lake, so you never know. Still, the French Vanilla and English Toffee could be sickeningly sweet and then I'd be pissed. Then it hit me: Get all 4! Brilliant idea really. I think they were like a buck a pop, so it's just like buying a latte at Starbucks, so whatever. And, then I'll have a definitive answer... so F it, I bought them all. First out was the English Toffee, Randy S.'s front runner. It was good. Sweet, but not "too sweet" by any means. Actually very yummy. And the coffee wasn't half bad! Especially considering my expectations Next was the Cafe Mocha (which had been my choice), which also wasn't bad. It wasn't very chocolately though, and not very sweet--which I actually view as quite an accomplishment in America, so kudos Cafforia! Next, the Cafe Vanile. Kind of like the Mocha, not too sweet, not too much vanilla. Just kind of a latte with some sugar. Still, given it came out of a machine in Mill Shoals, IL, not half bad. Last was the French Vanilla. I love that they call it French Vanilla, because there's no way that France's vanilla would contain about 300% of the sugar content of ours, but so be it. It was good! Kind of similar to the English Toffee. So, which one to take with me? I had to go English Toffee. Come on. When you get 4 espresso drinks out of a Cafforia in Mill Shoals, IL, and one is English Toffee, you've got to take it. I did. I left the others behind, sadly. What could I do? If I took them I would have had a pulse rate only known to very frightened rats and there is only one cup-holder in the Lexus anyway, so... Anyway, great place... clean, awesome, great Cafforia!

This is a beautiful little rest stop off I-70, with a patch of forest and park that has clearly…read morebeen here for a long time. The trees have to be at least 40 years old, and they have grown in thick enough that the ground stays in shade pretty much all day. Even in the middle of summer it feels ten degrees cooler once you walk in under them. There is old-school playground equipment here, the kind most parks replaced years ago. I doubt it gets much use. Nice to see a little window of how things were back in time. Picnic benches are scattered through the trees, so you can eat something you brought along instead of sitting in the car. The whole area is well manicured and groomed. Somebody is clearly still taking care of the place, which you do not always see at a stop like this. It makes for a genuinely peaceful break on a longer drive. The bathrooms are indoors, so even with snow on the ground you can use the facilities without freezing. They were clean when I stopped. There are vending machines in the back too, which came in handy for a quick snack before getting back on the road. If you are driving through, this one is worth pulling off for instead of pushing on to the next exit.

Nice rest area. All you need for what you have to accomplish. For those needing more than a clean…read morebathroom and safety get a hotel.

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.

Great area. Bathrooms are clean. Dog area. No smakes, green grass ..........will be back for sureread more

Needed a break for me and the dog so it was a good on and off stop. The place was very clean and…read morehad vending machines the appeared to be well stocked. I noticed several workers all wearing neon green vest doing various thing on my in and out walk. Also nice facility for the dog and yes we baggie and trash it. A quick stretch and back on the road.

Great family friendly, pet friendly, clean rest stop. Lots of grass and trees with picnic tables…read moreand a jungle gym for kids.

My boyfriend and I stopped at this rest area while we were on one of our road trips. The outside…read morearea is beautiful with trees and easy parking. The building itself was not so great. The bathrooms were really gross. There was water everywhere on the ground and multiple toilets were either clogged or hadn't been cleaned. Luckily it was a quick stop for us.

Getting ready to drive into Saint Louis, this was a great spot for a last minute stop to stretch my…read morelegs, rest my arms and psych myself up for dealing with big city traffic (there's some construction on I-64 in East Saint Louis). I like that this rest area has a wide turn before pulling into the area where the cars are located which should help to slow down some of these crazy highway drivers. Good shade for a little last morning nap and then the restrooms which were clean. No RV sanitary dump here which would be ideal. [Review 579 of 2024 - 195 in Illinois - 21610 overall]

Review from a fellow trucker on FB: "On I-70 exit 68 north…read moreside of the highway in Brownstown IL ACT Association of Christian Truckers. Great place they provide: Free parking showers snacks laundry coffee 24/7 365. Hot meals served 6 am and 6 pm daily. Good old time hospitality and conversation. Everything is free to drivers. (donations are welcomed) This is an amazing service for us out here on the road. Please stop by an sit a spell. Be safe out there."

A very nice and clean rest area that is easy to access…read more While traveling, we decided to stop at the Coalfield Rest Area for a break and found it to be a very nice place to stop. It was easy to get off the interstate and equally easy to get back on when we were ready to continue our trip. The parking is laid out well, with the truck parking located closer to the interstate and farther away from the building, while the car parking is located much closer to the rest area building. This makes it easy to park and get inside without having to walk through the truck parking area. The building itself is a nice-looking red brick structure with a metal roof and several large concrete planters in front. Once inside, I was impressed with how clean and well maintained everything was. The building has terrazzo floors that give it a very nice appearance, along with some limited seating, vending machines, and the restrooms you would expect to find at a highway rest area. Everything we saw was clean and in good condition during our visit. There was plenty of parking available, and the separation between the cars and trucks made the entire area seem well organized. Overall, this was a very nice, clean, and functional rest area that provided exactly what we needed for a break during our travels. If you are traveling through the area and need a place to use the restroom, stretch your legs, or just take a short break from driving, I would definitely recommend the Coalfield Rest Area to my fellow travelers. Enjoy!

Nice, convenient rest stop. Vending machines were functional and stocked. I liked the computer…read morescreen with the weather radar on it - that's pretty handy. Bathrooms could have been cleaner, but overall it was decent.