End of the Highway Rest Stop?

[Trbayth]

http://www.tbo.com/news/old-fashioned-rest-stops-disappearing-in-florida-and-other-states-20170406/

Have to admit I prefer the truck-stop/travel plaza type than the no-frills rest stop.

 

[Chupaca]

Sad....

That is a shame but have noticed that there are very few left along the roads I have traveled. Have never been fond of getting off the freeway and going into town when on a long trip and looking for a break....:banghead:

 

[Bob Denman]

I have never stopped in a "Rest Stop" when I was tired...
As long as the bathrooms are not completely toxic, and I can get fuel for my vehicle: I'm happy! :thumbup:

 

[Navydad]

I think

McDonalds has replaced many rest stops. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting one and the restrooms are usually halfway clean. Here in our town of 20,000 we have four of them. Plus they stand to make a buck or two when you decide that you really do need a drink or snack. Here in Ohio the freeways still have decent rest stops, but the ones on the secondary highways are getting few and far between.

 

[easysuper]

Its a shame to see them go, we stop and take breaks at rest areas all the time to stretch our legs or use the picnic table or let the dog out of her trailer. I like them far better than a crowded McDonald's parking lot where everyone is in a rush. We still have plenty of them out here in Oregon but are seeing some of them disappear. And we we are not riding the Spyders but pulling our 40' fifth-wheel they are a godsend.

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Its a shame to see them go, we stop and take breaks at rest areas all the time to stretch our legs or use the picnic table or let the dog out of her trailer. I like them far better than a crowded McDonald's parking lot where everyone is in a rush. We still have plenty of them out here in Oregon but are seeing some of them disappear. And we we are not riding the Spyders but pulling our 40' fifth-wheel they are a godsend.

:agree:

I use the rest areas on the interstates when I just need to stretch my legs, use the toilet, but don't need gas. They're quick to enter and exit, as opposed to the exits with lots of commercial presence. No sharp turns, stop lights, figuring out how to get across the traffic in the area. When my parents did lots of RV-ing they'd use the dump station at the rest stops, especially just before they got home and would park the RV for a while.

Kansas has closed several in this area, but not all of them.

 

[ARtraveler]

A sign of the times for sure. We still have quite a few in Alaska. Used to remember the ones in WI though. They had a sign WC (for water closets). You could smell some of them about a half mile away. We usually avoided those. :roflblack::roflblack:

 

[Bob Denman]

You could smell some of them about a half mile away. We usually avoided those. :roflblack::roflblack:

:shocked: Those were the ones that were approaching "critical mass"... nojoke
You could have been the one to push it over the top! :yikes:

 

[Peteoz]

Wow......we have basic rest stops about every 30 miles or so on the major highways out here. They are just toilets, tables and parking but with all the "don't trust your tired self" campaigns to prevent accidents by "sleep walkers" out here, I can't see them shutting anytime soon.

Surely the States that are closing them would have to be worried about litigation if someone has an accident because they were over tired but there was nowhere to pull over and rest?

Pete

 

[Orange Spyder Man]

another sign of our government disregard of its taxpayers.. wonder how long it will take for all governments to quit investing in its people..

osm

 

[HayRog]

Been seeing more of them closed in CA also - too bad.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

In Texas they have Picnic Areas along almost every road but there aren't bathrooms. I know I'd be needing a bathroom after a few picnic stops. :roflblack: California has closed a lot of their Rest Areas but they still have the signs that say how many miles it is to the next one. You see one of the signs and plan to stop in X miles only to find it closed. :banghead:

 

[Peteoz]

In Texas they have Picnic Areas along almost every road but there aren't bathrooms. I know I'd be needing a bathroom after a few picnic stops. :roflblack: California has closed a lot of their Rest Areas but they still have the signs that say how many miles it is to the next one. You see one of the signs and plan to stop in X miles only to find it closed. :banghead:

How far is it between rest areas on average, Ann?

Pete

 

[Ex Winger]

It is sad to see them rest stops being shut down.I like the idea of having a safe place with out a lot of traffic to stop and stretch.
Bill

 

[PrairieSpyder]

Wow......we have basic rest stops about every 30 miles or so on the major highways out here. They are just toilets, tables and parking but with all the "don't trust your tired self" campaigns to prevent accidents by "sleep walkers" out here, I can't see them shutting anytime soon.

Surely the States that are closing them would have to be worried about litigation if someone has an accident because they were over tired but there was nowhere to pull over and rest?

Pete

I don't remember how far apart they were, but I remember in BC and Yukon there were frequent rest stops. No flush toilets, but generally clean and not too smelly. Also bear-proof trash cans! I was surprised there were so many places to pull off.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

How far is it between rest areas on average, Ann?

Pete

It all depends on where you are could be anywhere from 30 to 60+ miles apart. The TX picnic areas seem to be every 20 miles.

 

[quasi]

first one I've seen in many years is over on rt 7 in ohio north of Marietta. looked to be taken well care of.

 

[PapaHotel]

I liked the fact that the rest stop was only7 30 seconds off of the highway without stop signs or other traffic.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Surely the States that are closing them would have to be worried about litigation if someone has an accident because they were over tired but there was nowhere to pull over and rest?

I don't think that's a likely situation. There aren't very many areas on the US Interstate highway where service stations, etc., are more than 10 to 20 miles apart, except in the wide open spaces of the plains states and the west. In those areas I think we can rest assured rest areas will be around for a long time. Secondary roads have never had many rest areas on them. The furthest distance that I recall seeing between exits with services is on the order of 100+ miles. Generally speaking, if you're looking at over 50 or 60 miles to the next gas there is a sign indicating such before you're very far past the last one.

 

[WilderThomas]

Rest Areas

That is a shame but have noticed that there are very few left along the roads I have traveled. Have never been fond of getting off the freeway and going into town when on a long trip and looking for a break....:banghead:

My wife and I drove, from Wilder, Idaho into Nevada enroute to Hemet, California. Along the stretch of highway we traveled, there were rest areas, but the "facilities" consisted of the older two holers. No actual commode which took us by surprise here in the 21st century.