Breezewood

[hbelkins]

I actually like Breezewood. I think it's unique and gives you a break from the highway. I've shunpiked the PA Turnpike before and used US-30 never even realizing that I went right through Breezewood.

Bless your heart.

Ya know, it's popular to hate Breezewood, but there are many people, even among us, who use it. I'm not one, but I'm not gonna look down on someone who likes it. It's only there because it's used, after all.

I don't actively dislike it, other than for the traffic backups the setup causes during busy times. But I don't particularly have a fondness for it either. Twice, it's been a convenient place for me to stop and spend a couple of nights at reasonably-priced accommodations. It worked for me during the 2010 SEPA meet when I was on a lengthy road trip, and it worked year before last for the abandoned tunnel meet/tour.

[jeffandnicole]

I actually like Breezewood. I think it's unique and gives you a break from the highway. I've shunpiked the PA Turnpike before and used US-30 never even realizing that I went right through Breezewood.

Bless your heart.

Ya know, it's popular to hate Breezewood, but there are many people, even among us, who use it. I'm not one, but I'm not gonna look down on someone who likes it. It's only there because it's used, after all.

I don't actively dislike it, other than for the traffic backups the setup causes during busy times. But I don't particularly have a fondness for it either. Twice, it's been a convenient place for me to stop and spend a couple of nights at reasonably-priced accommodations. It worked for me during the 2010 SEPA meet when I was on a lengthy road trip, and it worked year before last for the abandoned tunnel meet/tour.

The only thing that drives me nuts are when some people want to talk a good game, but its realized they're not familiar with the area.  They appear to complain how the PA Turnpike has the Breezewood, even though that highway is never impacted.  Only if you need to use 70 will they encounter this issue.

[CanesFan27]

While researching on the recent feature on Breezewood, I came across information that led me to learning that my family  (maternal grandmother) has had long ties to Breezewood.  Though we aren't related to the Snyder/Bittner's that own the Gateway Plaza complex, I did learn that distant relatives once owned the now abandoned Penn Aire Motel.

A postscript on Breezewood, the Penn Aire, and how every road and even place does indeed tell a story.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/07/breezewood-postscript-family-ties.html

[Verlanka]

The only thing that drives me nuts are when some people want to talk a good game, but its realized they're not familiar with the area.  They appear to complain how the PA Turnpike has the Breezewood, even though that highway is never impacted.

They probably get off the Turnpike there, then immediately get back on again, forcing them to pay twice.

[Rothman]

I actually like Breezewood. I think it's unique and gives you a break from the highway. I've shunpiked the PA Turnpike before and used US-30 never even realizing that I went right through Breezewood.

Bless your heart.

Ya know, it's popular to hate Breezewood, but there are many people, even among us, who use it. I'm not one, but I'm not gonna look down on someone who likes it. It's only there because it's used, after all.

Bless your heart, too.

[jeffandnicole]

The only thing that drives me nuts are when some people want to talk a good game, but its realized they're not familiar with the area.  They appear to complain how the PA Turnpike has the Breezewood, even though that highway is never impacted.

They probably get off the Turnpike there, then immediately get back on again, forcing them to pay twice.

How would that be different from any other interchange?

[Ned Weasel]

I actually like Breezewood. I think it's unique and gives you a break from the highway. I've shunpiked the PA Turnpike before and used US-30 never even realizing that I went right through Breezewood.

Bless your heart.

Ya know, it's popular to hate Breezewood, but there are many people, even among us, who use it. I'm not one, but I'm not gonna look down on someone who likes it. It's only there because it's used, after all.

Bless your heart, too.

For some of us, it's fun to just enjoy the existence of an oddity in the system.  Yes, traffic would flow better with a direct freeway connection.  And it's also fun to theorize about concepts for how to improve it.  But in the grand scheme of things, it's the epitome of "first-world problems."

For the record, I loved stopping at the Taco Bell there on road trips, because Taco Bell is my favorite "anywhere" fast food, and because it was fun just to stop for a bit and see Breezewood.  I'm sure some people would frown on liking Taco Bell, too, so whatever.  But now that location's gone, from what I hear.  I would love, however, to someday have the chance to stay at the Days Inn (formerly Best Western) because it's a mid-century gem!

[hbelkins]

I actually like Breezewood. I think it's unique and gives you a break from the highway. I've shunpiked the PA Turnpike before and used US-30 never even realizing that I went right through Breezewood.

Bless your heart.

Ya know, it's popular to hate Breezewood, but there are many people, even among us, who use it. I'm not one, but I'm not gonna look down on someone who likes it. It's only there because it's used, after all.

Bless your heart, too.

For some of us, it's fun to just enjoy the existence of an oddity in the system.  Yes, traffic would flow better with a direct freeway connection.  And it's also fun to theorize about concepts for how to improve it.  But in the grand scheme of things, it's the epitome of "first-world problems."

For the record, I loved stopping at the Taco Bell there on road trips, because Taco Bell is my favorite "anywhere" fast food, and because it was fun just to stop for a bit and see Breezewood.  I'm sure some people would frown on liking Taco Bell, too, so whatever.  But now that location's gone, from what I hear.  I would love, however, to someday have the chance to stay at the Days Inn (formerly Best Western) because it's a mid-century gem!

That's where I stayed when I attended the abandoned turnpike meet year before last. The room was clean and comfortable. And the facility is right next door to Sheetz, which made walking over to get my evening sustenance both nights a -- wait for it -- breeze.

[jakeroot]

For some of us, it's fun to just enjoy the existence of an oddity in the system.  Yes, traffic would flow better with a direct freeway connection.  And it's also fun to theorize about concepts for how to improve it.  But in the grand scheme of things, it's the epitome of "first-world problems."

This is exactly why I like freeway stubs. They'd be better off either eliminated or finished, but they represent an unusual situation where goals did not align with reality, or where money ran out, or whatever.

They're cool. Breezewood sucks, but it's cool.