Effingham is located some 200 miles from Chicago, due south on I-57–just far enough away for the locals to speak with a soft twang. You’ll know you’re nearly there when you see the first phalanx of billboards since Chicago. Two interstates, 57 and 70, crisscross in Effingham, and 25,000 vehicles pass through each day.
Petro Stopping Center, I-57 and I-70 at W. Fayette (217-347-0480), is the Ritz of the truck stops–the newest with the most amenities, including a movie theater, UPS and Federal Express boxes, and a quiet room. It has everything but a motel. Its Iron Skillet restaurant has IQ peg games on every table, and it’s only $1.69 to fill a thermos with coffee. The breakfast buffet is $4.99, and dinner, which sometimes features fried okra, ranges from $3.99 to $11.99.
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At the other end of the lodging spectrum is the Effingham Motel, located near downtown at 702 E. Fayette (217-342-3991), which runs $25 per night or $95 a week for one person. Its 16 units are air-conditioned and feature free cable with HBO.
“There’s nothing to do at night, unless you like to go to the movies or drink a lot,” says Bobber waitress Margo McCarter. “That’s pretty much all there is to do.” She says she and her friends used to go dancing at Chaser’s (217-342-9877). “But now that’s turning country too.” We didn’t go there, but Thursdays feature local bands; Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are country nights; and Saturday is devoted to rock. The cover at most is $3.
It’s hard to pay full retail after paying $1 for boots that cost $100 at Sportmart. The outlet stores at the K-Square Manufacturer’s Outlet Center, 1100 Avenue of Mid-America (217-342-4343), which is a stone’s throw from the Ramada Inn, include L’eggs, London Fog, Collector’s Dream (Bradford Plates), and a County Seat. The Village Square Mall, south on Route 45 (217-347-0623), is anchored by a JCPenney and a Rural King, which has a nice selection of overalls and union suits for under $20. The indoor mall also has an airbrush T-shirt stand with very cool art (and artist on premises), a hobby shop, a cinema, a pipe shop, and an old-school Playland game room with Asteroids and Pac-Man.
We picked up a pack of 18 Wheelers Premium Trading Cards, which are a lot like baseball cards and feature color photos of big rigs that range from a 1953 U Mack with 2.7 million miles on it to a fully loaded 1990 Peterbilt 379. Details and the CB handles of the drivers are listed on the backs. They go for $1 at selected truck stops. Call 715-839-9102.
