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There is a typographical
There is a typographical error in preceding comments. It should read I-90 in regards to westernmost Service Area directly acessing the controlled-access highway. Interstate 90 is free west of the Illinois-Wisconsin Boirder, although most of it is toll east of this point.
There needs to be tourist information at the Skeeter Mountain westbound Rest Area near Grayville, IL on I-64. There is a rest area on the westbound US 50 Expressway east of Lawrenceville, IL, but it has no tourist information. That section was an early alignment of I-64, but it was later moved southward to better service Mount Vernon, IL and Evansville, IN.
Illinois has some rest areas on non-Interstate Highways. Most are along the Great River Road : the observation tower east of Galena on US 20 and Illinois 84, one north of Dallas City with priomitive toilet facuilities and a path to an overlook at top of hill, A Historical Marker at Wye Intersection of US 136 and Illinois 96 in Hamilton, a picnic area with primitive toilets north of Kampsville, ON IL 100, and one with Historical Marker near East Cape Giradeau.
There is a scenic overlook south of Quincy off I-172 on the former Illinois 57, about a mile off the Interstate. Goreville has its scenic turnout near Exit 40. That is just a parking area.
Many of the former two-lane highway rest areas, if they stil exist at all, are merely roadside parks with picnic tables. Few if any have drinking water. The toilets have been removed due to vandalism and illicit activities. Some have been sold off for building homes, and only the looped driveways are evidence that they were once rest areas. At one time, there were more roadside tables at most major highway intersections, particularly if they were the Wye type. There were once many tables along the former US 54 (now Ill 50)undivided four-lane north of Kankakee. Most are gone now.
One particularly scenic rest area is on Illinois 145 north of Dixon Springs State Park. This one has a relatively dense grove of trees.
The rest areas shown as a red triangle inscribed in a circle have primitive toilet facilities. Those with triangle alone have picnic tables only
There are a few former picnic areas along old U.S. 66. Some have short sections of the abandoned pavement, such as near Sherman and Lexington.
Where old U. S 66 was four-lane, most sections have reverted to two-lane and prairie vegetation has reclaimed the old pavement, to save maintenance costs.
A sign near the rest area east of Havana, IL said "We Accommodate." But the toilet building was burned by vandals twice, so there is none available, just picnic tables. It is a shame that patrons have been so irresponsible with public facilities that they and everybody else have paid for with their tax dollars.