Taking it Slower in Illinois For 8 More New Counties

You may have noticed that my trips have been becoming few and far between. That's what happens when you have a four-year-old and a one-year-old. Life gets busy, and taking long solo trips goes on the back burner. With that said, I still get a chance every here and there to sneak out.

When I plan a trip, there's a lot more preparation before it. There is the natural rhythm of life and the regular things we do as a family. Victoria and I like to get a date night every here and there. We have found a great babysitter, so it makes it easier to get away for some us time.

On the Friday before the trip, we went to the Tipsy Cow in Sun Prairie. I see Yuengling is finally available. I got one to wash down my salmon grilled cheese sandwich.

Yuengling Traditional Lager bottle on a dark wooden bar table with water glasses in the background.

Salmon grilled cheese sandwich on multigrain bread served with tater tots, pickles, and dipping sauces in checkered paper-lined baskets.

Since Littler Dude was born, we have made sure to give Little Dude individual quality time. We wanted to make sure that he didn't feel left out with the new baby. Over a year later, we continue to do this. If the weather cooperates, we will go to a park.

Unfortunately, we've been having a lot of heat waves. We went to the West Towne Mall to beat the heat.

Small child in a red shirt exploring the play area slide near JCPenney at an indoor shopping mall.

For a treat, we'll go to a store and get some candy. I always let him choose.

Package of Hello Kitty branded Eiwa Tropical Mango Flavor Marshmallows with mango jelly filling.

That will be our dessert. The main course is at the food court. He usually gets pizza. The nice thing about a food court is I can get something else. This time, I got Steak Escape.

Loaded sub sandwich with steak, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and melted cheese alongside a cup of fresh-cut fries.

On Sunday morning, I started planning where I would go. For this trip, I planned to choose a starting county and then take it slow from there. This would be my first time away in a while. I wanted to collect counties, but also wanted to relax.

Normally, I would go dark to dark. I would optimize the route. I would exhaust myself trying to get as many counties as I could. This time, I was going to take the opposite approach. I would take things as they come.

It looked like it was going to be hot regardless of where I would go. My initial thought was to go to South Dakota. The drive on I-90 avoids major population centers. The drive itself would be smooth and less chaotic with traffic.

For the weather, the heat itself is manageable. The Focus has a pretty good air conditioner. My secondary concern was storms. When I looked at the future radar for South Dakota, I got a bad gut feeling.

iPhone screenshot of First Alert 15 Weather radar app showing storms across the upper Midwest centered on Belleville, Wisconsin at 6:08 AM.

I trusted my gut. I would go to Illinois instead. After church, I came home and packed.

Spread of road trip snacks on a table including a case of Pringles, gallon water jugs, Louisville Jerky, Laffy Taffy, New Primal turkey sticks, chicken sticks, and Liquid IV Energy packets.

I then took Little Dude to his swim lessons. The final thing for dad duty was doing a Target pickup.

Target Drive Up Space 3 sign in a crowded parking lot under overcast skies.

While I would avoid future storms in South Dakota, I still encountered rain on my way south.

Driving through heavy rain on a rural two-lane highway with a Route 92 sign visible ahead.

Thankfully, by the time I hit the Abraham Lincoln Bridge on I-39, the rain had cleared up.

Crossing a large green steel arch bridge over a wide river on a multi-lane highway under cloudy skies.

Eventually, it got hot.

Car dashboard trip computer showing 188,997 total miles, 90 degrees outside temperature, 50 MPH cruise, and 35.2 MPG on the current trip.

At least the skies were now blue.

Driving south on US Highway 51 through flat open farmland under partly cloudy summer skies.

When I saw a 715 area code number, I had to do a double-take. That's the area code of the top portion of Wisconsin. It made sense since Menards is based out of Eau Claire. They don't need a separate Illinois number to sell lots.

Menards Village Market roadside sign advertising outlots for sale along a tree-lined rural highway.

It was getting to be around supper time. I saw I had about 2.5 hours to my first county courthouse.

iPhone screenshot of Google Maps navigation on I-72 West approaching the US-51 South interchange, showing 47 mph with 2 hours 33 minutes and 147 miles remaining.

I found a McDonald's along the way for supper. McDonald's meal spread on a tray with two cheeseburgers, fries, Chicken McNuggets, ketchup cup, and a Hi-C Orange drink with receipt visible.

To me, McDonald's is an 'ole reliable. The food isn't stellar, but the experience is consistent. That includes having wifi. This is especially important for booking a hotel along the way. Cell phone reception is often spotty.

iPhone screenshot of Choice Hotels booking page showing a King Bed room in Vandalia, Illinois at 65 dollars per night member rate with 3 rooms left.

Normally, I'll sleep in my car. Between the heat and wanting to relax, a hotel was a much better option. I would get there around 7:30 PM.

iPhone screenshot of Google Maps directions from current location to Quality Inn and Suites Vandalia showing 32 minutes and 29 miles via US-51.

I hit the road and got to the hotel.

Rural two-lane highway stretching straight ahead through cornfields with a Skyline Market billboard on the right.

Budget motel exterior with stone-pillared porte-cochere entrance and a lone pickup truck at dusk.

As you can see, it was nothing special. The outside was stuck in the 70s.

Two-story motel courtyard with fenced outdoor pool area, patio furniture, and landscaped flower beds at golden hour.

The inside was a bit more modern.

Budget motel room with king bed, green accent wall, dark headboard, patterned bedspread, and open vanity area with granite countertop.

Regardless, it was somewhere I could get a good night's sleep. I set my stuff down and got comfortable.

Reusable Metro shopping bag stuffed with road trip snacks and toiletries next to a black travel bag on the motel room floor.

Victoria found it interesting that my snacks took up more room than my other stuff. Normally, people pack more clothes and other stuff than snacks. For me, I don't need much. My clothes, laptop, and everything else fit in a small duffle bag. This will get me by for a few days. The snacks take up whatever volume they do.

One thing I always bring is a portable fan. In a car, it's a game changer, moving the dead air while you try to sleep. In a hotel, it's good for white noise.

Small black Holmes personal fan plugged in on the motel nightstand next to a lamp, phone charger cable, and water bottle.

I started to think about the drive the next day. It looks like it would take about three hours. This would be totally doable at a relaxed pace.

iPhone screenshot of Google Maps multi-stop route through Perry County, Jackson County, Randolph County, and Monroe County Circuit Clerks showing a 3 hour 10 minute total trip near the St. Louis metro area.

I then went to bed and got some sleep. I planned to sleep in a bit, but naturally woke up around 7:30 AM. It was already 77F out.

iPhone screenshot of Apple Weather app showing 77 degrees and mostly sunny in Vandalia with a Heat Advisory through Friday July 3rd, high of 92 degrees.

I walked past the pool to the breakfast room.

Motel pool and patio area in morning sunlight with fenced deck, blue umbrella, covered pavilion, and manicured lawn.

The breakfast room was the deadest I've ever seen a hotel breakfast. There were a couple of people in there, but nobody said a word. There was no TV on. The air conditioning appeared to be broken, so it was hot and stuffy. It was a bit creepy, to be honest.

I made a bagel and took it back to my room.

Cream cheese bagel on a paper plate on the motel room desk next to a desk lamp, notepad, and ice bucket.

After eating, I took a shower. I realized I forgot to pack deodorant. That would be a fatal flaw in this heat. I knew Casey's would sell a travel-sized one, so I searched for Casey's.

iPhone screenshot of Google Maps gas station search near Vandalia showing Phillips 66 and Casey's both at 3.89 per gallon regular.

I then checked out and got in my car. It was already 86F. I went to take a drink and realized I forgot my water bottle! This is the first time I've forgotten something like this. Luckily, I was still in the hotel parking lot. I was able to get a key and grab it. I can see where it blended in, and I overlooked it.

Car dashboard trip computer showing 189,109 total miles, 86 degrees outside, 312.6 miles on the trip at 37.0 MPG with 168 miles of range remaining.

Motel room interior from the dresser side showing water bottle, flat-screen TV, desk area, and open bathroom vanity in the background.

I drove to a Casey's and got gas. Then I was able to get some deodorant. Life would have been pretty stinky by the end of the day if I didn't.

Hand holding a travel-size Degree Advanced Cool Rush deodorant next to a Clorox Disinfecting Wipes To Go Pack on a denim-covered lap in the car.

I hit the road and got on Illinois 127. It's funny because one of my last county collecting trips in Illinois, I followed this road for a lot of the drive.

Driving south on Illinois Route 127 through flat cornfield country with a Ford pickup passing in the opposite lane and a bridge weight limit sign ahead.

I was soon at my first courthouse, Perry County.

Red brick county courthouse with classical pediment, round window, military service flags, veterans memorial stones, and rose bushes on the front lawn.

I pulled up Google Maps and then punched in the Jackson County Courthouse. iPhone screenshot of Google Maps navigation heading toward N Main St with a left turn ahead, 28 minutes and 24 miles remaining on the route at W Jackson St.

I headed out and made my way there.

Straight two-lane highway stretching through flat Illinois farmland with white barn structures and power lines under blue sky.

Jackson County Courthouse in Murphysboro, Illinois, a neoclassical limestone building with a Company H 27th Illinois Infantry historical marker and a Murphysboro Apple Festival 75th anniversary sign on the lawn.

If you see a porta potty nearby, don't pass it up. It's an easy in-and-out bathroom stop. This one was across the road from the courthouse.

Small-town downtown scene with a blue portable toilet on the sidewalk, a painted portrait mural on a building wall, taproom signage, and historic brick storefronts across the parking lot.

After my short porta potty pitstop, I got back on the road. It was a very scenic drive to Randolph County.

Winding two-lane highway cutting through hilly wooded terrain with a rock pile on the roadside embankment and metal guardrail.

Randolph County Court House, a modern brutalist-style concrete and brick building with a green metal roof, patriotic bunting along the railing, and county seal on the facade.

My next county was Monroe County.

Rural highway with a blue rest area and picnic sign indicating half a mile ahead, rolling green hills and scattered trees under summer sky.

Monroe County Courthouse, a modern three-story red brick building with large glass windows, decorative street lamps, and carved stone nameplate across the top.

I had completed the four counties I had planned the night before. Monroe County had a nice courthouse square, so I did some exploring. I found a payphone that didn't work but was more of an ornament.

Vintage glass-panel phone booth with blue accents and a round phone symbol on top, standing on a small-town street corner with historic brick buildings and a bowling alley sign in the background.

I saw I could plug my phone in if I needed to.

Electrical utility box on a pole in downtown Waterloo, Illinois reading Electricity Provided By City Of Waterloo with a church steeple and brick storefronts visible along the street.

Most importantly, I found a BBQ place for lunch!

Shorty's Smokehouse storefront with black-painted facade, gold Pulled Pork lettering in the window, rustic wood signage, and gooseneck light fixtures on a historic downtown block.

Despite being near St. Louis, they told me their specialty was brisket. I also saw they had pork rinds. You don't see that too often at a BBQ joint.

Smoked brisket and pork rinds served on red-and-white checkered paper in a metal tray with a large lemonade at Shorty's Smokehouse.

The brisket was hit-or-miss on the fork test. Some parts were nice and tender. Other parts were a little dry. It did have a nice subtle smoke taste. The pork rinds were great! They were super crunchy and fresh-tasting.

In addition, their sauces were really good, especially their original sauce. It had a nice balance between sweet, tangy, and smoky. Nothing was overpowering and definitely not rot-your-teeth sweet.

Shorty's Smokehouse sauce bottles including Spicy BBQ, Ginger, and Bourbon varieties flanking a napkin dispenser with the Daily Specials menu card against an exposed brick wall.

After lunch, I got in the car and looked for some more counties to visit.

iPhone screenshot of mob-rule.com showing the southern half of an Illinois county map with visited counties highlighted in cyan.

These counties would be perfect to visit. I would be heading north and towards home. It was now over 90F.

Car dashboard trip computer showing 189,281 total miles, 91 degrees outside, 170.6 miles on the trip at 42.7 MPG with 351 miles of range.

It's always interesting seeing Belleville in other states. I was obviously a ways from Belleville, Wisconsin. Instead, Belleville, Illinois was close by.

Highway interchange with overhead signs for Route 3 North to East St. Louis and Route 158 East to Belleville, Illinois.

I drove past it and then made it to Madison County.

Madison County Courthouse, a grand white limestone neoclassical building with Corinthian pilasters, American and Illinois state flags flying out front.

By the time I got back to the car, it was 95F. Good thing I got that deodorant!

Car dashboard trip computer showing 189,326 total miles, 95 degrees outside, 215.7 miles on the trip at 42.8 MPG with 313 miles of range heading northwest.

I enjoyed the air conditioning as I drove to Jersey County.

Driving north on Illinois Route 255 passing a food services exit sign and highway overpass through green wooded corridor.

Jersey County Courthouse, an ornate Richardsonian Romanesque stone building with a tall clock tower, copper-patina turrets, and a veterans memorial with American and Illinois flags on the lawn.

On the way to Calhoun County, I got stuck in a traffic jam. One lane was closed on a bridge crossing the Illinois River.

Following a Ram pickup across a narrow single-lane green steel truss bridge with a Stop Here On Red sign for alternating traffic.

I waited a while and then got to the courthouse.

Marvin W. Richter Calhoun County Government Center, a two-story yellow brick building with arched entrance, stone foundation, American flag, and manicured lawn.

Unfortunately, to get to my final courthouse, I had to cross the river again. That resulted in another long wait.

Stopped behind a black GMC Sierra Denali at an intersection in a small Illinois town with signs for Kampsville, Jerseyville, Grafton, Illinois Route 16 East, and Illinois Route 100 South with detour warnings.

I was happy when the line started moving. It was finally open roads to Greene County.

Two-lane rural highway running straight through Illinois River valley bottomland with a metal barn, power lines, dense tree line on the right, and bluffs in the distance.

Romanesque sandstone courthouse dated 1891 with red tile roof, clock tower, arched entryway with stone columns, and a statue atop the central gable on a town square lawn.

This would be my final county. I filled in my map and also checked the weather. Looking at the radar, I'm glad I chose to come to Illinois instead of South Dakota!

iPhone screenshot of First Alert 15 Weather radar app centered on Carrollton, Illinois at 3:57 PM showing scattered storm cells across the upper Midwest and Ohio Valley.

iPhone screenshot of mob-rule.com showing the full Illinois county map for impulsivetrvlguy with nearly every county highlighted in cyan as visited.

I found a gas station and topped off before heading towards home.

Driving on Interstate 72 and US Route 36 through flat central Illinois with wind turbines visible on the left horizon under wispy clouds.

One thing I hate is when they close buildings at rest stops. I had to go to the bathroom. The rest stop appeared to be open except the bathroom. I really wish they would have put some porta potties there.

Highway rest area with a brick building, metal roof, Building Closed sign, blue emergency call box, walkways, and a small park with monuments visible behind.

I ended up finding a nearby Casey's to stop at. It was around supper time, so I also bought something to eat while I drove.

Casey's General Store Italian Provolone Wrap in a clear clamshell container held on lap in the car.

I then tried to figure out where to stop for the night. I wasn't going to push myself to be home late. I would get another good night's rest. I swear Wyndham's reservation system has become complete spam.

Instead of just completing the booking, it spammed me with a bunch of offers.

I booked the Super 8 in Peru, Illinois.

Super 8 motel exterior, a three-story stucco building with the yellow-and-red sign, covered entrance portico, and vehicles in the parking lot under partly cloudy skies.

I've stayed here before with my buddies when we went bowfishing on the Illinois River. The hotel is very bare bones, but it's cheap overall. It looks like I got assigned an accessible room.

Super 8 motel room with a king bed covered in a brown-and-green circle-pattern bedspread, cityscape wall mural headboard, upholstered chair, desk, open closet rack, and a through-wall AC unit.

I noticed that the air conditioner was off.

This made me a bit nervous. One of the times my buddies and I stayed there, the air conditioning didn't work. On top of that, it was a holiday weekend so the maintenance wasn't there. The hotel was also booked, so they couldn't give us another room.

We found that you could easily pop the air conditioning unit out of the wall. We did that and, when they weren't looking, did the same thing with the one in the breakfast room. The one-for-one swap solved our problem.

Fortunately, I didn't have to do it this time. The AC fired right up and started cooling the room immediately.

Close-up of the same Seasons wall AC unit powered on and set to 65 degrees in Cool mode with the green LED display lit.

Another thing that made me nervous was that there was no parking barrier. The cybersecurity professor alarm bells went off in me. I did an instant risk assessment. Someone could accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and put a car right in my room.

View through a motel window screen at sunrise showing a cracked parking lot with a school bus parked in the background.

Thankfully, the person who eventually parked there knew the difference between pedals.

Black Lexus sedan parked directly outside the motel room window at sunset with a school bus visible behind it.

There was still plenty of light trying to make its way in when I went to bed.

Dark motel room at night with blackout curtains drawn, light leaking around the edges, and the green glow of the AC unit indicator visible.

Remember the gut feeling I had about South Dakota. It was dead on accurate for the storms. They got such intense winds that it bent windmills!

iPhone screenshot of a Facebook post from Meteorologist Max Velocity showing wind turbines destroyed by 130 plus MPH winds in South Dakota, with mangled turbine blades scattered across a green field.

Furthermore, the route I was planning was going to be north of the line of counties I already did. That would have put me right where the storm took place.

iPhone screenshot of mob-rule.com showing a South Dakota county map with a handful of visited counties highlighted in cyan, mostly clustered along the southern border and central-west area.

While I missed the bad storms, the extreme heat was still in full force.

iPhone screenshot of Apple Weather app showing 82 degrees and sunny in Peru, Illinois with an Extreme Heat Warning through Friday July 3rd, high of 94 degrees.

iPhone screenshot of Apple Weather app showing 81 degrees and cloudy in Belleville, Illinois with an Extreme Heat Warning through Wednesday July 1st, high of 91 degrees.

I went to get breakfast. I ended up leaving empty-handed because they really didn't have anything. This was one of the most pathetic breakfasts I've seen at a hotel claiming a free breakfast.

Budget motel continental breakfast station with a pastry and fruit display case holding an apple and baked goods, next to a Golden Waffle maker on a granite counter with mosaic tile backsplash.

I grabbed two little cans of Pringles instead.

Two grab-and-go Pringles cans on the motel room dresser, Cheddar Cheese and Original flavors.

In the meantime, I got spammed again to use their online checkout.

iPhone screenshot of SMS text messages from Super 8 by Wyndham Peru Starved Rock State Park, including a welcome message thanking for Wyndham Rewards Platinum membership and a checkout reminder.

It was a moot point since the front desk was literally across the hallway from my room. Additionally, I had to walk that direction anyway to get to my car.

Motel lobby hallway looking into a small sitting area with a green upholstered chair, tile flooring, window AC unit, and carpeted corridor.

I checked out the old-fashioned way and then hit the road. It had me take the two-lane highways back.

Driving north on Illinois Route 251 through flat cornfield country with power lines and overcast sky.

I always find this arch in Dixon to be cool. It is right next to their courthouse.

Downtown Dixon, Illinois with the iconic white memorial arch spanning the main street, traffic lights at 3rd Street, and historic buildings on both sides.

From there, it was a straight shot up Illinois 26 into Wisconsin.

Driving north on Illinois Route 26 through open farmland with corn on both sides, a farm with silos and barns ahead, and partly cloudy skies.

Welcome to Wisconsin sign at the Green County state line on a rural highway with rolling green hills and a red barn with silo visible on the left.

I stopped at yet another Casey's in Monticello to fuel up and get lunch.

Pepperoni pizza slices in plastic bags and a Stonefire Jalapeno and Cheddar Thick Stick on the car seat next to a gallon jug of Festival water.

I then drove through New Glarus and was back home in Belleville, just in time for Maya to warmly greet me.

White and brown dog sniffing around the living room floor between gray couches, with a baby gate, play mat, exercise ball, and robot vacuum visible in the background.

This trip was yet another evolution of my travel. I have always been able to mold travel with the changing stages of life. It was nice taking this trip a bit slower. I came back well-rested instead of exhausted. For the next bit, this might be my style of travel. While it's not as productive in getting counties, it's way more productive in relaxing.

Taking it Slower in Illinois For 8 More New Counties

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