Passing through Mt Vernon....safe? (Chicago, O'Fallon: hotels, live, restaurants)

[HeadacheDoc]

Hey all. I am moving to OMaha in July and Mt. Vernon seems to be the halfway point. Is it safe to stop overnight?

[Vlajos]

Isn't that in Virginia?

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Isn't that in Virginia?

Yes it is safe. Main exit is IL13 on stretch where I-57 and I-64 join together.
Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Drury Inn, COmfort Suites and many more hotel choices. Restaurants are typical chains like Cracker Barrel, Applebee's, Pasta Factory and many more. Best place to stop between Evansville and O'Fallon/Fairview Heights suburbs of St. Louis (Il. side)

[prairiestate]

Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! Safe? It would be safer to sleep in the middle of the interstate!

[MikeQBF]

Mt. Vernon is fine. The exit is IL15, BTW, on the small portion where I-64 and 57 are the same road.

Fairview Heights? No bloomin' way. The area around the mall (I-64 @ IL159) is notorious in the St. Louis region for car break-ins. If you are forced to skip Mt. Vernon and stop in St. Louis, along I-70 west of the Missouri River is your better bet.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by MikeQBF

Mt. Vernon is fine. The exit is IL15, BTW, on the small portion where I-64 and 57 are the same road.

Fairview Heights? No bloomin' way. The area around the mall (I-64 @ IL159) is notorious in the St. Louis region for car break-ins. If you are forced to skip Mt. Vernon and stop in St. Louis, along I-70 west of the Missouri River is your better bet.

Mike thanks for the correction, I'm needing the reading glasses more and more.
Prairie State, have you stayed overnight in Mt. Vernon or traveled there??!!
I have stayed there several times and have NEVER had any problems. It does not set off my "street smart" alarm that goes off when I see sketchiness in my surroundings. As always, stay away from the very low priced hotels.

[AJohnston_STL]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! Safe? It would be safer to sleep in the middle of the interstate!

You evidently have never been out of southern Illinois if you would consider Mt Vernon to be unsafe.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by AJohnston_STL

You evidently have never been out of southern Illinois if you would consider Mt Vernon to be unsafe.

Yeah, if by southern Illinois you mean the south side of Chicago where I've lived my whole life.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Yeah, if by southern Illinois you mean the south side of Chicago where I've lived my whole life.

So we need to get you a map of Illinois for your birthday so you won't confuse Mt. Vernon with the south side of Chicago?

[Getwords]

Yes. Mt. Vernon is a very small city of about 17,000 in the middle of nowhere. You can't get any safer.

Plus, two interstates intersect there - so there are plenty of hotels and restaurants near the interstate.

(I grew up there and all my family still lives there)


And Fairview Heights is just fine as well. Yes, you are getting closer to a major metropolitan area so its not Mt. Vernon- but it is very safe. The biggest problem you will have is the traffic. But after that I would go pretty far west of the city (St. Louis). Any decent hotel right in the city will be very expensive.