Why Chicagoland's Oasis is Disappearing | The Rise and Fall of The Illinois Tollway Oasis

Join us on a fascinating journey through the Chicagoland Oasis as we explore the history of rest stops in the region. Starting with an overview of Chicago's history as a transportation hub, we delve into the rest stops on the Erie Canal, the Galena and Chicago Union Railway, and the Illinois and Michigan Canals. We also examine the emergence of rest stops along the Chicago L and the rise of Chicago highways.
Moving on to the present, we explore the history of various rest stops along the Illinois State Tollway, including Belvedere Oasis, Dekalb Oasis, Lake Forest Oasis, and Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis. We also uncover the stories behind the lost Hinsdale Oasis, Des Plaines Oasis, and O'hare Oasis.
With informative timestamps provided throughout the video, you can easily navigate to the sections that interest you the most. Whether you're a history buff, a transportation enthusiast, or simply curious about the Chicagoland Oasis, this video offers a unique glimpse into the rich past and present of this important region.
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Scriptwriter - Ryan Socash
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Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

[@SubVet84]

The O’Hare oasis was my lifeline. For all of 2017, and the beginning of 2018, I was living out of my car. This was one of just a couple places I could safely park and sleep while having access to washrooms and food. The oasis helped me get through two Chicago winters alive.

[@teruelwaterworks2884]

🙏

[@lightfantastik]

Shit, why didn't I think of that when I briefly lived in my car in the Chicago area? I'd just park somewhere in the gold coast, thinking I'd be safe among the rich people (while it worked out, I was young and nieve and it was probably a silly idea). Hope you're in a better place now!

[@GTSN38]

Why didn't you just drive some place warmer ? ? Gas was cheap then too

[@lightfantastik]

@@GTSN38 me personally, I had a job in Chicago, but hadn't received my first paycheck yet. The place I moved to when I took the job didn't work out. If I had been suffering long-term homelessness, a warmer climate would definitely be on my mind, but it's not always that easy. Even when "gas is cheap". Like telling people to go live on the beach in Hawaii for free...well, yeah, people do it all the time, but first you gotta get to freaking Hawaii!

[@Trainboy1EJR]

@@GTSN38 Community, friends, health reasons, take your pick. If you have any health issues managed through Medicaid, you CANT leave.

[@Mattball82]

I grew up traveling a lot from Chicago thinking these were normal everywhere. I had no idea these were specific to our region. It brings me great sadness to hear and see them going away. Belvedere Oasis was synonymous with camping when I was a kid on our way to the Chain-O-Lakes. Now, watching this, im just realizing that Hinsdale and Ohare Oasis have been gone. A lot of memories from those places and where we were on our way to..

[@CamdenBloke]

I grew up in Chicagoland but I have road-tripped both to the East Coast (Washington d.c.) and to the West Coast (Sacramento) and I found most states have some kind of Oasis type thing that are similar. They don't cross over the tollway/interstate, they're off to the side, but I found it any individual State I could kind of get a feel for what the local Oases looked like - and also I'd see local fast food chains that I hadn't heard of set up at the individual Oasis

[@RustyLid]

Growing up in rural southern Wisconsin I also thought the Oasis were a normal part of big cities everywhere. Once I went to college out west I realized they didn't exit everywhere. Ironically they do exist where I live now, Thailand. They are more like an interstate "Rest Stop", but have KFC, Starbucks, etc for travelers on the tollway.

[@MrRiverGrove]

I arranged a meeting at the O'Hare oasis. I was shocked when I got there and it was gone. It was completely removed in a weeks time. Blew my mind it was gone.

[@gravityissues5210]

The thing that was unique about these was the seating over the road--and that's it. I'm a little flummoxed by the comments making it seem like a highway rest area is some kind of unique Illinois thing. Every state has them, and many are exactly like the newer ones mentioned in this video, with gas stations, food courts, rest rooms, and even sometimes other amenities, like picnic areas, arcades, and massage chairs. Sometimes they're more stripped down with just bathrooms and vending machines, but those are usually on free roads, where you can get off and on without a toll and thus can go find whatever food you want near an exit. Even then, I can think of a half-dozen comprehensive rest stops like these here in the Northeast that are on free roads.

[@scotthovland7380]

​@@gravityissues5210Being over the road is the point

[@woodencoasterfan]

I’m a truck driver myself and places like these service plazas offer us a place to park for the night, eat, and use the restrooms in areas of the country where truck parking is extremely limited. It is sad to see these places get removed without trying to figure out a way to replace those lost truck parking spots.

[@RiverRatWA57]

BwwwwHaHaHaHa.....finding someplace to park.......Good LUCK!!! I drove OTR refrigerated for 22yrs, those would be the LAST Place I would overnite!!!! I'd keep going to a safer area, $hitCago Ain't it!!!!!

[@RiverRatWA57]

@@ericr1 I will WholeHeartedly agree with you on that, if I'm running the Pike and am just after a parking spot for ten hours, Indiana is where I'm aiming for, their truck only parking areas works for me.

[@mjfreespirit]

@@ericr1 True about Ohio. Showers are free

[@Jin420]

@ericr.8344 really?? I know TONS of OTR drivers (and I've tagged along) but none of them had any issues at any of the Illinois oasis (along I-294, 90 & 88). Rest stops along 55, 80, etc... definitely weren't any issues. Along I-294 -- the only ones that still have the over the highway oasis are South Holland & Lake Forest Oasis. Hinsdale & Ohare oasis are gas & parking only, as it stands. I-88 still has the Dekalb Oasis with ample parking. If you're looking for parking on I-80- there are rest stops (generally about 60 miles apart) & tons of loves. Ohio --- I'll agree that their turnpike are great.. not only that they provide free showers. (Well, they did the last time we drove through) But there are more truck stops (i.e. Loves & Pilot) to provide parking. And many of the industrial areas will allow people to park for the night. Walmart -- if you can get authorization then you can park in their lot for the night. It really depends on where you go... unfortunately, the city of Chicago is so packed that it makes it difficult for truckers. Hell, it's hard to find parking for regular cars. (I am a Chicagoland Area resident) Best of luck. Stay safe ❤️

[@jz3572]

​@Jin see, we're talking about the *tollway* stop, not all stops in general. I think you knew this already though. They are not well designed at all and are often abused by unscrupulous drivers who will block you in and try to fight you when you ask them to move. It has happened to me every single time I have to park at one on 294. It's safer to park the truck at the now underused cash booths anymore

[@tonywalker2334]

That time a Oasis saved my life. Winter of 1997 got off work in Elk Grove Village at 4am to drive way back to the far South Side of Chicago. I leave and drive about 20 mins and my 1987 Caprice ran hot !!!!! Why it was 5 degrees outside and I believe the radiator froze up. Car died on 294 I get out and ran as fast as I could to the Oasis about a mile or so otherwise I would have Definitely Froze to death. Remember this was wayyyy before cell phone became a common thing. I slept there till 10am when my beloved grandfather came and got me.

[@ChillWill-q5x]

I've been stranded outside in Chicago during winter time, it's no joke.

[@jamesm4992]

I proposed to my wife at the Hinsdale Oasis late one night 25 years ago. It was a consistent stop while we were dating due to me living on the south side of Chicago and her going to NIU in Dekalb. We would stop for a bite to eat and watch the cars go by. Great memory, of course, and sad that it was torn down late last year. But that's time for you.

[@Frank00]

Very cool

[@LuigiRandazzo21]

They knocked down Hinsdale oasis. You're kids won't understand how you proposed over the highway

[@carlsaganlives6086]

Casanova/ Jack Benny syndrome. Passionate, yet sensibly frugal.

[@JCW-n8e]

Go Huskies!

[@jamesm4992]

@carlsagan lives Lol, yeah we were in a much lower tax bracket back then 🤣

[@zachfakename3747]

Traveling back from Six Flags on I-94 and visiting the Oasis’ along the way were always a treat

[@cedric13]

Ya, for us it was a place to gather for different groups to meet up and then drive up to Six Flags in a big convoy so we could all park in pretty much the same place and enter together. Before cell phones, it was hard to communicate between groups other then meet by the double decker carousel at 10:30 or something like that.

[@pt6792]

@@cedric13 thank you Cedric

[@MrRory]

I often stop at the various oases. Once at the Lake Forest Oasis, I was walking out of the restroom and a man was urgently walking into the restroom. He exclaimed loudly, “THANK GOD FOR THE OASIS!”

[@Religious_man]

lol

[@scoobydoo8498]

😆

[@robertzacharias6815]

Yup, been there!

[@bigapplebucky]

Not as a kid, but that would be me 60 years later.

[@pacificostudios]

By putting one big building shared in both directions, it as possible to offer a much wider range of choices for travelers. The overhead Oasis was a smart and practical design. The only problem was, as we are finding, is that road-widening requires a total reconstruction, and that isn't happening.

[@charlesb7019]

I grew up in Wisconsin and have stopped at these so many times! I sincerely hope they won’t all be destroyed.

[@jonathanbott87]

They will likely keep oasis locations in place for many of the sites, even if the bridges are removed. Oasis stops offer the convenience of stopping without paying on/off toll fees but also generate leasing revenue for the tollway.

[@Hvillehermit]

I was also raised in Wisconsin during the 1950s. I loved going through Chicagoland to see the Oasis. I loved watching the cars drive beneath, particularly at night.

[@Arbbal]

@@jonathanbott87 That's exactly why they will get rid of them. Think how much toll money they are leaving on the table by not forcing you to exit and reenter the interstate. Illinois corruption at its finest.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Lake Forest, belvedere, DeKalb although that's not an over the highway and the Lincoln Oasis down by the ghetto they're keeping all of those. These other ones started with the desplaines and then moved over to Hinsdale then O'Hare we're simply removed because they needed the room to expand the interstate for wider Lanes.

[@Jaydatrucke]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist south holland isn’t the ghetto

[@rogerpenske2411]

The Hinsdale Oasis was right by my house. I used to live in Oak Brook in a subdivision called York Woods, which was at 31st St. and 294. I remembered it being a Jack Harvey, and a Howard Johnsons. It was so cool standing out there above the highway looking at cars coming underneath you

[@pauljensen5699]

I liked them as a way to get something to eat on the way to work. Going from La Grange to Riverdale, it was a nice place to stop and get a quick bite.

[@Tunafish262]

Rip the Hinsdale oasis 😢. It was perfect when you were going to Sox games and u forgot to pee before you left home

[@jilledmondson6894]

I LOVED the various oasis'. I drove daily the Tri-State 294 from the south suburbs to O'Hare for work. I would stop at either the Hinsdale or O'Hare locations for breakfast and Hinsdale for a nap on the way home. The Dekalb oasis is really nice. i really miss them.

[@mikehughes4969]

Growing up in Chicago, I've been through every oasis at one time or another. The one that stands out to me is Des Plaines. I didn't work for McDonald's for very long, but I quickly discovered that if a manager was transferred to the Des Plaines Oasis, it was corporate McDonald's version of a gulag in Siberia.

[@gregoryleo4640]

I believe the Des Plaines Oasis was located to McDonalds training center named Hamburger U.

[@crystalbrame7886]

😭🤣😂☠️

[@Lurch685]

Same. I remember that McDonald’s well.

[@Eabatu]

The McDonalds training school was very near that Oasis.

[@man_on_wheelz]

I’m 35 and I’ve been a Chicagoan all my life. My mother has only been a driver since I was 5 and was afraid to take expressways for a few years after that. So when she finally did get acquainted with the highways, she avoided toll roads like the plague because “Why pay to drive on the expressway when I can just get there without paying?” So naturally, I grew up with the same mentality and avoided toll roads at all costs. It wasn’t until I started my current job 12 years ago that they started sending me to far away places in the company car on the companies dime and I would have to take the quickest and most efficient route to get there that I started frequently taking toll roads. With this I discovered the Oasis. I absolutely loved these, because on long trips I can drop in for lunch or for a reliable, clean, and plentiful washroom break. And what he didn’t mention in the video is that they’re mostly mirrored inside! No matter which side you came in on, inbound or outbound, the same restaurants on this side are on that side and there are washrooms on both ends so you don’t have to walk a ways to get what you want from an Oasis for most of the restaurants. Some were only on one side, but you probably had more time to kill if you were going there anyway. So sad to see them disappearing like this, they were a real treat for my long work drives.

[@robertzacharias6815]

The Belvidere Oasis was synonymous with my welcome to Illinois sign as a frequent visitor from MN. Driving in during the 90s they were great with the massive McDonald’s on the horizon like an “oasis” 😉for refreshments & a place to change fluids. It’s sad to see these being pulled. Just like everything else that’s going away.

[@timothyhennon1510]

I lived the first 45 years of my life in Northwest Indiana and the Chicago Southland. I'm sad to hear that the Hinsdale and O'Hare oases have both been demolished within the 2 years since I moved out of the area; I used them often when driving back and forth to O'Hare. From the time I was a kid and still to this day, I think that eating lunch while interstate traffic passes underneath you is a pretty cool sight.

[@Eabatu]

Only the bridge structure is gone, the gas station and parking areas are still there.

[@SavingAsh]

Hinsdale is still there, and i think they might be planning to rebuild the bridge. Construction yards on both sides with lots of machinery and materials sitting out

[@mileskosik472]

Every time I drive past the now torn down Hinsdale oasis, I give it a little salute. Not sure why, I just loved going to them when I was younger, I found them so neat.

[@sarahritter3891]

I love and do miss these...I live and grew up here in northern Illinois. Always stopped at these always...very sentimental 😢❤

[@johnnicpon5783]

The Lake Forest oasis is the one I have visited the most. Unfortunately most of the pictures you show are post reconstruction. The original oasis looked quite different inside. I remember they used to have Howard Johnson restaurants in them. They seem to be unique to the Chicagoland area. I hope the remaining ones stay around for a long time to come.

[@JoanDoe-pq5fu]

I pass the lake forest oasis every day on my commute, and I've lived in this area my whole life, but I've never been to a Howard Johnson's. Honestly, I thought it was a Canadian thing.

[@chooch1995]

It was originally a Fred Harvey restaurant before HoJo’s….

[@forwheelinallday]

Growing up in Highwood, I remember going to the Lake Forest oasis. I remember it being a HOJO's. Moved from Illinois in 1987. Glad to know it's still open.

[@irishsox1]

The Lake Forest oasis had a Wendy’s for most of the 1990’s until it was torn down & rebuilt with the current design.

[@juliemanarin4127]

I go to South Holland one

[@tperk]

Grew up visiting family in Chicagoland and stopped often at the Hinsdale, Des Plaines and O'Hare buildings. To be able to sit and eat while cars and trucks rushed beneath your feet was a childhood thrill. The other option was driving the Dan Ryan, the Skyway bridge and the run through downtown Gary to I-65, so seeing and stopping at the Oasis on the Tri-State made up for missing the skyline scenery somewhat.

[@psdaengr911]

Ironically the Skyway was a worse driving surface than the freeway alternative and more dangerous in fog, rain and snow.

[@roadmonkeytj]

I remember the Belvidere oasis before and after remodeling. We always stopped there. You used to be able to sneak out the employee gate then drive through town and take the back roads for a bit and get back on at the Riverside exit just outside of Rockford. That way you skipped paying the last two tolls. I never understood why we always did that until I was older and could drive myself and realized there were two tolls after the oasis lol.

[@Joshua-of9vq]

I always thought the Belvedere oasis was the only one.....

[@roadmonkeytj]

@@Joshua-of9vq it was just the novelty because it wasn't in the city and it felt like you'd been driving for awhile when you stopped there

[@janetsanford6923]

@@Joshua-of9vq me too, especially with living there (Belvidere)

[@janetsanford6923]

My sister worked there for about 3-4 years, starting in high school until her daughter was about 2 years old (she worked mainly the counter)

[@chooch1995]

If you’ve seen the movie The Blues Brothers, you’ve seen the old ( since demolished ) DesPlaines Oasis. Carrie Fisher’s character launched Jake & Elwood into orbit via a flame thrower / propane fueled phone booth rocket which came to rest on its side & spilled its coins out onto the pavement. The Oasis carried the Howard Johnson’s brand at that time ( 1979 ).

[@philmabarak5421]

Ahhh, classic! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpjKfqqhfNOVntk

[@lloydirland7006]

Wow, I grew up in Highland Park and going to the Lake Forest Oasis was something we would do just to go out to get a burger there. Loved that. You ought to do one on the Indiana Turnpike. When the Tollway and the Interstates came it changed our lives. Keep it up.

[@phonophilo]

The oasises were built for Fred Harvey restaurants. Fred Harvey began as a chain of restaurants in stations along steam railroads. Passenger trains would stop at these stations, and passengers would get off and have meals. On the tollways, the Harvey restaurants went out of business in the 1970s. The oasises were remodeled to remove the Fred Harvey restaurants and convert the spaces to have fast food restaurants.

[@nlpnt]

I've been thinking that electrification could lead to a return to sit-down roadside dining. If it takes half an hour to recharge 300 miles' range, you might as well go inside and eat a bit better.

[@kentfrederick8929]

Actually, Howard Johnson's took over after the decline of Fred Harvey. (Besides the Hinsdale Oasis, Fred Harvey operated The Spinning Wheel, later Shipwreck Kelly's in Hinsdale, both "white tablecloth" restaurants.) It was the decline of HoJo's that the Oases shifted from sit-down restaurants to fast food.

[@kentfrederick8929]

In England, they have facilities like the Oasis (gas, fast food, convenience stores, etc.) called "Services" located on dedicated on and off ramps from the Motorways (Britain's answer to the Interstate).

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

The Fred Harvey Company had long been a partner of the Santa Fe Railway.

[@chouseification]

@@kentfrederick8929 is right - I lived in the Chicago area in the early 80s and the Oases were all HoJos at that point - complete with bright orange roof accents, etc. so you knew it was a HoJos. At that point, there were sit-in restaurant areas and maybe a sandwich counter area as well plus some convenience store stuff - I forget if that was in the store or a vending machine in the lobby though. We normally just got gas, hit the restroom, took a really quick peek at the traffic below, then back to the car. I never ate at one. :P

[@stringlarson1247]

I grew up in Rockford and my memories are from when all(?) of the Oasis overpasses where run as a single Howard Johnson's. Around 1961, Jacques Pepin passed up an offer to be the head chef at the White House to spend a decade as Director of R&D for HoJo. They had an interesting and tasty menu. I loved the one next to O'Hare with all the trucking, air traffic, noise and 3 kinds of transportation fumes in the parking lot. As a 10y/o, that was romance. Inside the HoJo, it was quiet and the air was good. The service stations we're 24 hr. and had a couple of bays for doing minor repairs. I worked nights at Belvedere for a few summers. Kinda surreal on those muggy summer nights sitting in the middle of farm country filling cars, cleaning bugs, doing minor repairs. Of course, we'd have to go down to the field, spark one up and just make sure nothing was amiss with the corn.

[@markdias8440]

I’ve been to the one in South Holland multiple times. As a trucker it’s nice to have something different then a typical truck stop. I wish more areas had them.

[@juliemanarin4127]

I still stop there

[@robertlee6781]

I remember when they were building that one in 1967. It was designed to span the Tollway without a support in the median. Let’s say it didn’t quite work and sagged. A rework was in order.

[@drewrawlings4614]

I like Crepe Ave at South Holland Great crepes and a mix of balkan foods. Good stop on the way to or from Midway airport for me.

[@mattson80]

I’m from belvidere Illinois where one of these stops are. Always fun going there as a kid.

[@TJZTechShow]

I loved the oasis’s. Any road-trip leaving the city as a kid would always include visiting an oasis

[@pulpproductionsgeeks]

I was just at the Lake Forest Oasis less than two weeks ago, I was at the start of a road trip and forgot ice. Back in the 90's, we always stopped there on the way back from concerts in Chicago for Wendy's. I've known it all my life and I remember the others, but to me, it's always tied to my adventures in the city. I know there are more historically significant bridges in Chicago, but in my personal history, this one at least means something. Its unique. Its part of my history and what I think about when I think about Chicago because it was always a landmark. So much is gone. I miss things like the Magikist sign, but my Oasis remains.

[@aircooledhead]

Growing up in Chicago but having family in Gary, we stopped Southern oasis (what is the plural of oasis? 🤔) often. Now, as a truck driver, based in Rockford and going between the Gary area and Southern WI at least monthly, I stop at all of them over a few months. The Belvedere oasis is just a toll booth; no place to “rest”.

[@d0lph1n63]

I was also born and raise in the Chicagoland area and NEVER got to go inside even 1 of those Oasis even though I begged to on numerous occasions.

[@burbanpoison2494]

Oases.

[@carlsaganlives6086]

Oasi.

[@supertuber120]

Growing up my family would often leave Great America right when it closed so if you needed a quick snack or a last minute bathroom break you were out of luck cause they were kicking everybody out. So on our way back to the city it was nice to know the Lake Forest Oasis was there in case we needed to stop. It's sad to know that it might not be there much longer. It's a nice piece of nostalgia seeing it when I go back to Illinois to visit family.

[@SteelRiderCarl]

I love the Oasis! It's a very innovative design because no matter which way you're traveling, you can get off and stretch your legs and eat. And it's a very practical use of land because only one need be built.

[@cptbruno]

When I was a kid in the 60s in Milwaukee, my parents would take us down to Chicago a couple of times a year. Pretty sure it was the Lake Forest Oasis that we would stop at. Always looked forward to it.

[@iannarita9816]

It's sad to see that so many of the Oases gone. I am a retired otr driver, and they were someplace to stop.

[@ninji522]

I'm from Wisconsin and any trip south, particularly Florida, requires a trip through Chicagoland. The last time I drove through, and it's been a few years, we stopped at one of these and I remember being jealous we didn't have them in Wisconsin. It was like the food court at a mall, with a gas station and convenience store, as opposed to just a vending machine and restroom that most rest stops are. I think these should be a national thing near every big city.

[@andykillsu]

Should be, but been illegal to build since the 70s

[@YouTubesucksdonkeyballs]

As a Scandinavian I was always facinated with these structures that you’ll also find in Finland - kind of a cool experince; you feel more like a traveler when dining on top of road, kinda like sitting in the front of a ferry

[@Minister596]

I remember stopping at the DesPlains oasis with my parents and later with friends throughout the 80's and 90's. It was always a highlight of the trip for me. I was fortunate enough to stop by the site as it was still being demolished. As sad as I was to see it go, I was happy to have been able to go up to the building entrance (or rather, where it used to be) and grab one of the orange colored bricks that was used in the pattern on the walkway in front of the entrance. The walkway was half torn up right through the pattern so the bricks were loose. I still have that brick today. It is still intact, you can still see the chiseling around the edge though the color has faded a little. I'm currently using it as a door stop.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Trains are certainly incredible. Taking a train through a country is how you truly discover its soul. My family has regularly used trains. I still have my own private train that was passed down from my grandpa and father (it was actually on this train that my father died from a heart attack). It's the train I've used to get to summits in Beijing, Hanoi, and Vladivostok. And my grandpa's longest journey was in 1984 (ten years before he passed) when he did a huge trip by train via China to the Soviet Union, Poland, GDR, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, and then back to the DPRK through the USSR again. Life is a train that stops at no stations; you either jump abroad or stand on the platform and watch as it passes.

[@AwesometownUSA]

I love you and your trains, dear leader

[@africkinamerican]

OMG, I never would have suspected you were such a profound philosopher, Mr. Un.

[@donmarek7001]

If Pinochet were still around, I bet he would take you on a helicopter ride.

[@Knightmessenger]

Widening roads has repeatedly been shown not to reduce traffic congestion. If Illinois wants to fix traffic they should expand the El or put a rail line between the freeway like the Dan Ryan portion of 94. Destroying such a unique rest stop for something that will increase taxpayer liability and maintenance/repair costs is a terrible tradeoff.

[@txquartz]

The expansions are done because the toll authority needs to justify their continued existence and does not want to risk people asking why the tolls are continuing after rolling over the bonds several times. In addition very little of the path enters Chicago itself, so the CTA would not be interested in expanding service. The suburban bus system though is getting dedicated lanes with the expansion.

[@Dulcimertunes]

That’s Illinois!

[@jimbro5223]

I have a few connections to these service plazas myself. I worked for Amoco Oil for many years and one of my former bosses had been the manager of the Hinsdale Oasis before being assigned to manage my department. This happened mostly due to the contract that Amoco had with the toll road had expire and the toll road decided to bring in another oil company to sell fuel there. I also live just 5 minutes walking time from the Lincoln Oasis and visit it quite often. I also cross I-80 there while on walks for the exercise as I then don't have to back track over the same road bridge. Some students who attend the nearby high school also cross I-80 there as it's a shorter walk then if they used the road bridge further west and then can pick up a Big Mack or a coffee at Star Bucks.

[@fantasycamp4000]

In 1968 my family drove from Wisconsin to Washington DC. I remember the Oasis system fondly. I know we stopped at at least 1 on the way and back. Illinois was not the only turnpike on the way.

[@davidjordan2336]

I was a child in Italy in the 60's and 70's, and they have something quite similar on their Autostrada's. Called autogrill's, they are restaurants/cafe's/convenience stores built above the roadway. I always liked stopping at them.

[@houseonwillowbrook]

I have such great childhood memories at the oasis near O'Hare airport. seeing them all go away is so sad

[@mbryson2899]

I enjoyed the way you said Des Plaines, it took me way back. 👍 I grew up in Cicero. As a kid my parents zoomed on by the oases; as a teen I stopped pretty much every time. In the early 80s a quartet of us were bound for Wisconsin. My friend and his girlfriend (who was driving) bickered then full-on argued about teenage nonsense. We stopped at the Belvidere Oasis (do they still build Mopars in Belvidere?). She and her girlfriend ditched us there. In around 15 minutes I finagled a ride with an older couple frim Minnesota who were bound for a family event in Wrigleyville. They gave us a ride, we guided them to their destination. They wouldn't even take gas money. We took buses downtown and caught the El home from there. You weren't supposed to hitchhike anywhere at the time, let alone at an oasis, but we did anyway.

[@lemonsarelemonade4439]

Sounds like in taking a metra again from Harvard to Downtown again when he said it.

[@brianasbury8315]

When I was a longhaul truck driver I went through Chicago frequently, and it was nice to stop at the oasis along the toll road to park and take a break (as well as grab some food at Panera or an Auntie Anne's pretzel) I don't go to Chicago anymore, but it is unfortunate those oasis are closing.

[@davenasty5085]

The loss of the Desplaines Oasis still hurts anytime I pass, so many times that place Saved My Life!

[@chrischristoferson1191]

Such good memories of these oasis’s. My dad used to take us there for McD’s and play video games. RIP Pops.

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

I have some amazing childhood memories from sitting above them and making trucks honk their horns

[@danopticon]

Man, those rest stops were great for people-watching; you’d see slices of humanity from all across the Midwest - young and old, of various income levels, often whole families … but mostly from rural or exurban areas: places we urbanites were fascinated by, but a lot less acquainted with. Those folks have an interesting manner and fashion sense all their own. Back in college, on frequent out-of-state road trips or just shuttling around Illinois, whenever we were near one of those overpass rest stops, we HAD to go in - and despite being local my friends and I would always pick up some weird cheap souvenirs from the shops near the eateries. And the food was unique too, but pretty good - this was a decade before Starbucks or Cinnabon, we mostly found upscale-aspiring diner food served on trays to be carried out to the food-court-style seating - and the views out over the highway, of the cars zooming below, and of the panorama stretching out to the horizon, was incomparable! I had no idea these were vanishing, and it’s a blow: so much of old, weird, and unique Americana is being discarded, by some great homogenizing corporate force determined to obliterate whatever’s quirky or homespun about the world.

[@TheJustin99]

I live in Elgin and pass through the Belvedere Oasis pretty frequently. It’s always busy, especially with trucks. Hope it stays for awhile

[@HisShadowX]

So I used to work as a contractor for the tollway and yeah the oasis even as a commuter is a huge safety blanket. Cool thing about almost all but two oasis is you can buy a plate transponder so you don’t have to worry about mounting or getting your transponder stolen in your window. Hinsdale oasis never was full service but it was always clean and a great place to stop when in need

[@andrewmedanich2844]

Ate at the Belvidere Oasis about 2 months ago miss when there were more of them like when I was a kid. At least the remaining wont go down so easily as Illinois definitely isn't growing like it used to and is in fact losing population.

[@brendablaine1145]

My favorite rest stop was the Lake Forest Oasis.

[@iiBishop]

RIP Des Plaines, Ohare and Hinsdale Oasis

[@jobaecker9752]

As someone who drove down to Chicago a few times a year from Minneapolis, the Oases were always a welcome sight after hours on the road. Not only were they an interesting and rare breed of rest stop, they signaled that we had arrived at the gates of Chicagoland.

[@Ken15643]

I agree when you say they are very practical. In the age of the automobile you would think this idea would have been more widespread throughout the country.

[@williamegler8771]

Always stopped at the Belvidere Oasis on our way to visit our grandparents in Winnetka.

[@kenfagerdotcom]

The Oasis landmarks were great. There's nothing better than driving to Gary, Indiana to take great urbex photos and grabbing a gyro at the Belvidere Oasis on the way home.

[@Backroad_Junkie]

And stop at the bathroom, lol. They were known, convenient bathroom locations.

[@africkinamerican]

Or do you mean the Lincoln Oasis? The one by the quarry?

[@chuckshipley9917]

My friend worked on the 2005 revamp of the various Oasis. McHugh was the General contractor.

[@kosjeyr]

Being born in 1990... I miss them. The O'Hare Oasis on I90 is being turned into an exit for one of the new spur routes around the airport.

[@denpat42]

Thanks for the walk down history. I lived in Loves Park, Il and in 1959 my date (future husband) and I went to dinner before our prom at the Belvedere Oasis. Seems crazy now but back in the day it seemed like quite a night out. Thanks again!!!!

[@wacojones8062]

I live in Libertyville and can remember the opening of the Lake Forest oasis. We went there for special meals. As a messenger, before radio and cell phones were common, they were a major factor in calling in to report deliveries and get new work. I used the side road entrance at Lake Forest quit often.

[@karenroberts1938]

Growing up, the Oasis was our first stop on vacation. Leave home around dawn, and stop at an Oasis for breakfast. Quite a treat as we did not dine out often at all.

[@DeKalbVideoProds]

I'm a DeKalb area resident and I seem to recall that when McDonald's took over the DeKalb oasis, it was their very first limited access roadway store and Ray Kroc kept a close eye on it.

[@matthewshannon6946]

I worked at the Lake Forest Oasis for a couple of years when it was Amoco. First was Howard Johnsons and then a Wendy's. Had a lot of interesting experiences while I was there!!

[@bobfreedlund2796]

I still often stop at the Belvidere Oasis on the way into Chicago O'Hare to get some gas, but rarely fill it up all the way as there are cheaper options around. The food's also a little more expensive you can especially notice the difference at the McDonalds there) so it makes sense to stop elsewhere or complete the rest of the 40 minute drive home from there. I have been to the Dekalb Oasis more often recently to actually stop, but as mentioned in the video, it isn't built over the interstate, so it doesn't have the same appeal. It is well-maintained and useful, though.

[@elizabethquitanilla604]

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and every summer we would stop at the rest stops Oasis on our way to our cabin in minocqua Wisconsin.Happy memories.

[@MrSuperkingtom]

When I was a girl, the Oases were a place to take the family for an activity, as well as for travelers. I know ours was not the only family that visited an Oasis. There were Harvey House restaurants. My parents required us to "dress up" in order to go. For the girls, that meant Sunday dresses and shoes. We had to use our very best manners. Very often we only had ice cream or a dessert. My father was there to watch the cars go by. This was in the early 1960s.

[@markspitzok3064]

Me too...our family use to visit the oasis in the 60's to eat, and it was a big deal. The oasis on I-294 by Irving park Rd was out favorite... the O'Hara Oasis

[@004Black]

I’ve only been to a couple of the oasis’s along the route between Detroit and Chicago. This was an interesting bit of history, thanks.

[@NealCMH]

My family traveled from Indiana to Northern Wisconsin during the 1960's. I can remember spending time at the Oasises along the Northwest Tollway. I also remember that the Illinois Tollway was unique in that toll was paid every once in a while rather than when you left it. It was $0.35 per toll booth back then. You would throw the change into a hopper.

[@Backroad_Junkie]

Yeah, it was a real pain, and slowed traffic unnecessarily until they got an RFID system working. On the other hand, ticket systems in other states always worried me. They knew what time I entered the system, they knew what time I exited the system, and they knew the mileage between those two points. I couldn't drive 55, and they had the proof, lol...

[@2fathomsdeeper]

@@Backroad_Junkie And now they don't accept cash at all!

[@jeffkoldoff1155]

I grew up in Chicago, and as a kid I always liked when we stopped at the Oasis's; in my travels back home from Atlanta where I've lived the last 30 some years, I have stopped at several of them and find it sad to see them go, such a part of the Chicago area landscape

[@brianglade848]

My sociology professor at Moraine Valley 30 years ago told us throughout the 70s, the restrooms at the oasis"s were called "tea rooms", where guys would be in a stall, one standing in a shopping bag so it looked as if one person was in there.... true story

[@robertreagan2181]

Had many friends that worked at the Belvidere Oasis in the 70's. Many a night when everything in town was closed we would head out to the Oasis. Never thought of it as unique but more of just another place to eat and get gas.

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

Where I'm from, we don't have tollways, so when I visited Chicago for the first time about 20 years ago, I really thought the Oases were cool. I grew up during the height of mall culture and these fit right in with that. Unfortunately, these seem to be held in about the same esteem as malls today though. We'll be sorry if we lose these important parts of our culture.

[@gregoryleo4640]

Every state travel east from Chicago to the east coast of the USA has tollways.

[@mftiritilli]

I'm an Illinoisan, and I have such fond memories of all the Oasis.

[@brianglade848]

Yes,isn't it strange, as we get older, we miss these things, I now take my daughter to eat at Lake Forest Oasis

[@TinyLordCthulhu]

I live in Belvidere so I just automatically thought Oasis was the norm on the highways. Who knew such few exist and just in Illinois also it's much older than I thought it would be, excellent video.

[@keithclifton392]

Thanks for sharing this fascinating history. I miss the Hinsdale Oasis!

[@bford71]

I grew up in Rockford and have fond memories of the McDonalds that used to be at the Belvedere Oasis. It was such a novelty to eat burgers over the highway and watch cars.

[@fomfom9779]

Thank you for this video. Brings back long forgotten memories. I was raised in SE WI. One year my grade school class went on a field trip to Chicago. We visited what were then known as the Prudential Building, and the Chicago Natural History Museum. We traveled in a former Greyhound bus. I remember stopping at one of the Oasis facilities to eat, and use the rest rooms. I remember being so impressed with sitting at a table eating and looking out at the toll road and vehicles below.

[@InflatableConan]

Growing up in Chicago I always loved it when we stopped at one of these on our way to Six Flags or Wisconsin Dells. I had no idea they are removing some. It always felt very Americana to me. They should be protected as designated landmarks.

[@davidgibb6983]

While in High School I worked at both the O'Hare and Des Plains oasis. Players from Chicago Bears would meet up at the East bound lane of the Des Plains oasis and take the service ramp into O'Hare field for away games. Was 1st name bases with most the players on the 1985/86 team, even threw football around with Payton and McMahon. Good times working at the oasis!

[@smarkl54bbin]

I remember the oasises so well they eere unique to the Cicago area. I was about 9 yrs. old when we moved to the Chicago area ftom Utah. The first time my parents took into Chicago on the tollway I remember seeing them as we would drive through to pay toll the stood over the roadway. Seeing a restraunt over the tollway astonished me. It was an icon.. They were great when you had to use the restroom.

[@IznbranahlGoose]

Having grown up in the area I never realized these were 'strange' or 'unusual' highway features. I never cared for the pre-rennovated ones not just because they 'looked run down' but only had one food option. -- I really enjoy the modern ones which are so much larger and have multiple food options. I try to stop at them every time I travel in the area.

[@carlsaganlives6086]

Yeah, Fred Harvey was a school cafeteria wannabe, only went there to look out the window & take a leak.

[@obsidiansea]

You preferred the renovated ones with more food options over the run-down ones with only one food option? Really?! Lol.

[@Mallaien]

I grew up around there, I have been to the O'hare, Lake Forest, hinsdale Oasis, and the one that was by the Indiana border.

[@realShadowKat]

Also to note is that the DesPlaines and O'Hare Oases were demoed for the Elgin O'Hare Western Access (EOWA)project... and future named Interstate 494 I think? That provides access around the south and west sides of Ohare for traffic relief that currently uses 294 to access 90. You can see the ramps at 13:24

[@patpeters6331]

The Western Elgin O'hare is the 390. 🙂

[@gregoryleo4640]

Also demolished to accommodate new lanes which would not fit underneath the existing Oasis.

[@staceyd2076]

Thanks for the shout out to the DeKalb Oasis. The Starbucks didn’t reopen after Covid 😔 The outdoor/patio area where you can watch the cars go by on 88 is a unique experience.

[@wendell6468]

i like stopping at the Lake Forest Oasis for food, rest and rest room breaks. i like watching the traffic flow under it. great place to chill when im not in a hurry. ☺

[@pattyolson3842]

I live in the near west Chicago suburbs and stop at the Lake Forest Oasis almost every time my son & I return from a trip to Great America. It's not as nice as it used to be, but it is a tradition and the food is much much more reasonable than in Great America. Frequently, the KFC and Panda Express are low or out of food by 7:45-8:15pm.

[@ericn3519]

Fun Fact: The Belvidere Oasis is the only place I've spent $3.64 for a single mcchicken off the $1 dollar menu.

[@feleciaclemons5074]

😮😮😮😂😂😂😂

[@johnvrabec9747]

We've been gone for 23 years, didn't know they tore down the Hinsdale Oasis. Came in handy one night when my car was going goofy on the way to work and was able to pull into it and make a call to get a ride. My Uncle used to take me and my brother there for a burger and fries and watch the cars roll underneath us when we were little kids. They served a great purpose.

[@embracethesuck1041]

We used to LOVE these as kids. It was sad to see them go.

[@nathanrosenthal9879]

I did as well. We used to stop at the Lake Forest Oasis when we drove from the Milwaukee area to the Chicago area to visit family.

[@pauljs75]

The Lake Forest Oasis is a much needed rest stop on the way home. Since there are days where traffic backs up and there's no way to make the full trip without having to use those (mostly well kept) public restrooms. And having a restaurant where you can grab something on the way out was definitely nice too. I thought the design was also clever despite the cost for unusual infrastructure, because it makes pretty good use of that space. You get restrooms, restaurants, and gas stations for traffic going in either direction.

[@ManiaMusicChannel]

Something new I learned, didn't know about this tradition in this part of the country

[@Drmcclung]

I really like Chicago and it's a shame I don't get to go there much or drive to Rockford from ORD. I don't know how the HELL y'all do that kind of winter every year, but what an amazing city. I've passed the Belvidere Oasis a few times!

[@donc6781]

This winter was a piece of cake

[@Drmcclung]

@@donc6781 Ya *this* year was lol. Last time I went in winter, January of 2014, it was the worst Midwest in 30 years is what all my relatives up there told me (my first winter there too boot). The huge snow drifts were really neat, but I couldn't handle the 8 degree days and -26 nights 😂

[@GonzalezSix67]

I’m a truck driver too, it was cool parking it for a couple minutes and coming in to grab a quick bite. I was usually stopping at the O’hare oasis. I still stop, but it’s only a 7/11 now.

[@charlesandrews2360]

We used to ride our bicycles up to the Hinsdale Oasis in the late 60's. One kid would walk in and nonchalantly drop two quarters in the cigarette machine and pull that handle as hard as possible grab the cigarettes and then run like the devil. The good old days

[@KooLaidStudios]

I miss Chicago.. such a good vibe it has

[@spiritof1977]

Growing up in Kenosha WI and going to Chicago or to see my extended family in Indiana I always loved stopping at the Oasis! it's sad to see them go

[@TreadTheDonutDuck]

I had absolutely no idea this was an Illinois-exclusive thing, I thought oasis’ were just a common highway thing. I’m not a huge fan of using cars as transportation, but I will admit that oasis’ were really nice and relaxing to be in.

[@jonathanbott87]

It's common on tollways, though not usually as a bridge, because it allows drivers to not pay on/off toll fees when they stop. I90 in Indiana and New York are lined with oasis locations.

[@friendlee3441]

I remember the few visits I had at the oasis. It was a unique place. The last time I visited was at the Belvidere location on the way to Minneapolis. There’s something about watching traffic while taking a break on a long trek.

[@Dee.C]

There is one in Vinita , Oklahoma . My children loved when we would visit family and take the route through there . They loved watching the big rigs drive under them .