by Heather E.
Member since:
August 26, 2009

Rest stops, they aren't just toilets anymore.

August 30, 2009 07:11 PM EDT
views: 64 | rating: 10/10 (7 votes) | comments: 37

I am amazed at the variety and amenities of many of the rest stops along the road these days. Many of them are cleaner than the restaurants and diners you can stop at on the road. Some of them are still plain, but some of them are magnificent. For instance there was one near Holt, Iowa that was full of details about the American Civil War. I learned more there than in history classes.One rest stop in Missouri housed a butterfly garden,

 

 

 

 

and another in that state had huge buffalo cut outs and an Indian, from steel, I think. Metal, anyway, with this great rusty natural color. Do you stop at rest areas when you travel? As you can see, these silhouettes were huge!!
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Comments: 37

Dawn G. Aug 30, 2009, 7:16pm EDT
Great pictures.
Heather E. Aug 30, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
I like to find fun when I travel. This was some of the fun.
Janet H. Aug 30, 2009, 7:45pm EDT
In at least one southern state, there are no bathrooms at the rest stops!
Heather E. Aug 30, 2009, 7:53pm EDT
Do they not have any visitor centers or anything like that with rest rooms? Oklahoma has some "Parking areas" that are just that, but they tell you so up front. It is a place to park and will accommodate big rigs.
Elizabeth S. Aug 30, 2009, 9:49pm EDT
Haven't travelled much in the last few years, but used to have to stop at some rest stops, mostly in Texas. They weren't bad.
Lady of Lake Merritt ... Aug 30, 2009, 10:10pm EDT
that's really interesting, i went to a rest stop in reno, nevada. where there was a diner and an area devoted to playing in the snow, pretty cool
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 12:51pm EDT
That does sound like fun. I love to travel, wish I could do more.
Steph-in-NE ..... Aug 31, 2009, 12:51am EDT
I love rest stops yet my folks used to tell me never to go into one alone and never to into one at nite,,,,
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 12:53pm EDT
When I was younger they were very much that way, not safe and scary. I pick and choose which ones I go to. Right now my favorites are in Missouri and Iowa and Minnesota, but that is because that is the route I travel to see the grandbabies.
Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Aug 31, 2009, 11:35am EDT


In many parts of the U.S., the rest stops are beginning to follow the emergent European model, which includes food courts and stores similar to an airport terminal or small shopping mall.
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Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 12:53pm EDT
Yes, I have seen some that are on that more grand scale, mostly back East.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Aug 31, 2009, 9:37pm EDT
Larry and I have stopped at some pretty cool rest stops.
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 12:54pm EDT
I am waiting to be eligible for more vacation, so I can go find some more.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Sep 7, 2009, 1:15pm EDT
There some really cool Truck stops you should check also ...showers, game rooms, movies to watch, barbers, dentists you would be surprised what they have.
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 1:40pm EDT
I went out on the truck for a month with my first hubby. It was cool. The truck stops are like little cities in and of themselves.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Sep 7, 2009, 1:53pm EDT
I know we really miss it ... since Larry does not drive a truck anymore.
I think Angel our mini doxie misses it more than we do.:D
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 4:29pm EDT
Well, My first hubby died. He worked for a really good company that was supportive while he was ill.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Sep 7, 2009, 7:59pm EDT
Sorry about your hubby....
My first hubby passed away on Christmas 2003
I told Larry he can not die since I do not think I can handle it again...
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 9:20pm EDT
I know, I try to take better care of Bob, but no matter what kind of care I had taken, I would have lost my Larry.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Sep 7, 2009, 9:22pm EDT
Yeah I am handling Larry a little different... I want him around for a long time:D
Gwen K Sep 7, 2009, 11:15am EDT
how cool! i haven't been on a vacation in years, so i didn't know... 10
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 12:55pm EDT
Most of my vacation anymore is to see family, because of funerals or births. I am finally in a job where I will earn some vacation days and be able to take them. Our money situation is loosening up, as well. I know what it is like to not get to vacation.
Karen R. Sep 7, 2009, 2:01pm EDT
We usually stop at truck stops or somewhere like McDonalds for our rest stops. I remember rest stops from years ago where they were dirty and smelly. Now there are enough truck stops that we can usually always find one when we need a place to stop.
Angel sent from God Secret Sisters Sep 7, 2009, 7:59pm EDT
Karen
I agree there were some really smelly ones...
Heather E. Sep 7, 2009, 9:21pm EDT
There are some smelly ones still. That is why I focus on these really great ones instead.
When we went up to Mackinaw City this summer, we stopped at 2 really cool rest stops. The first one had a Roadside Workers memorial, for people who lost their lives while working on the roads. It also had a HUGE shop of brochures for the entire state, broken up by area, so you could look at the specific area you were traveling to. It had tons of vending machines, too. Outside, there was a large replica of a lighthouse, as well.

The other one we stopped at had a hike up to an over look. You could see for miles, and it was great getting to stretch our legs.
Heather E. Sep 13, 2009, 9:00pm EDT
There are about four pictures in my strip that are of a memorial to people who lost their lives building the interstate, and the rest area where those memorial stones are.It is in Kansas. I know I have better pictures somewhere. It is the cool one that you can go on top of the roof and look down from as well. In Iowa we went on a nature hike out in the back of a rest area.
Nurse Nancy S. Sep 30, 2009, 10:35am EDT
When I was a Travel Nurse, my husband and I did a lot of traveling. I agree, there are some really nice and CLEAN rest stops out there.
Kathy D. Oct 15, 2009, 9:27pm EDT
This is pretty cool!
DIANE D. Nov 7, 2009, 9:15am EST
WoW! How cool~
Elizabeth R. Nov 10, 2009, 2:41am EST
This is kewl, Heather. I pass a rest stop every time I visit my son. It's only a 20 minute drive so I don't stop there. LOL!
Elizabeth R. Nov 10, 2009, 2:42am EST
Forgot . . . HH
Abby N. Nov 18, 2009, 11:03pm EST
Makes taking a break more enjoyable!
Kimber L. Nov 19, 2009, 10:46am EST
Cool essay!
*LORA* M. Nov 20, 2009, 9:43pm EST
very true here
.* Sandi * Nov 30, 2009, 6:02pm EST
you have nice stops there, not so in NY lol
hh
Laura C. Nov 30, 2009, 6:04pm EST
many of the ones here in MI are starting to have vending machines and comfy seats in a lobby like setting....it's nice....some are starting to look SO much cleaner too

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