I went a bit south of St. Louis in 2017. It worked out nicely!
...and I went out for a bike ride afterwards in the hills near Babler Park. Left St. Louis around 8pm, and ran into a traffic jam on I-55 shortly afterward. Not sure if that was all folks heading back to Chicago or what.



I'm thinking of southeast Illinois this time, partly to avoid crowds. I'll also be taking the back roads to avoid the crazy traffic on the interstates this time!!
However, April is not known for clear skies, so my expectations are lower this time.

Steve in Peoria (i.e. central Illinois)