Here on AARoads, we know we're all about the roads. But what about the stops, the rest areas, and most importantly, tourist traps :bigass: ?! What are some famous ones, i.e. Wall Drug (only 1724.3 miles for me to go!) and South of the Border?
New Buffalo, Michigan Welcome Center. Has the distinction of being the first such welcome center in the US. It was originally on US-12, and moved to I-94 when the freeway opened.
Mainly from my childhood, but I loved stopping at a Wisconsin rest somewhere along I-39/90/94 a long time ago and playing on their awesome playground.
Otherwise, I'm content with any of the IL tollway rest stops where I sit and watch traffic speed on by while eating my sandwich :biggrin:
Years ago in Southfields, NY between Tuxedo and Harriman, along NY 17 there was a famous place that travelers between New York City and The Catskills used to stop at before the NY Thruway was built along with the present day Future I-86 Freeway (Quickway).
Unfortunately, even though it survived the Thruway bypassing it, it closed back in the early 2000's and now the building (according to some websites) just stands there abandoned and condemned by those in charge of building inspections in the area.
It supposedly marked the halfway point between the city and mountains, however if it was calculated by NY 17 only using it to pass through Middletown and Monticello and entering the Catskills from that end, I could not see that being true. However, if it was that many before the Thruway used NY 17, from NJ via the Lincoln Tunnel, then NY 32 to there or switching over to US 9W at Newburgh, that would be more sensible. Though, I would have thought that US 9 or US 9W from New York City would be the route to take if following the Hudson River highways that most took to Albany and Montreal would have been the way to go pre thruway.
On I-80, the two most notable roadside stops are Iowa 80 in Walcott, IA and Little America in WY.
Iowa 80 is, according to the signs, the World's Largest Truckstop, although somehow it manages to seem less than impressive in person. Nevertheless, I always stop on my coast-to-coast drives.
Little America is like South of the Border or JR Cigar in NC in the way the company has carpet-bombed the roadside with its billboards. For hundreds of miles: "75¢ Cones!" (They were 50¢ until a few years ago.)
South of the Border on the NC/SC border is probably the most popular/well known one on I-95 in the South.
I want to say the Florida Welcome Center as soon as you cross over from Georgia on I-95 is also really popular. I know they usually have free orange and grapefruit juice for the visitors and it's quite tasty.
I don't know which of them is the most well known, but the rest stops/service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike have to be pretty famous seeing as the road is an American icon.
The Chesapeake House and the Maryland House in Maryland both were packed when I went down there, so I'm not sure if they are famous or not. Their facilities are some of the most ultra-modern I've seen from a rest area though.
Speaking of the New Jersey Turnpike, the Vince Lombardi Service Area sticks out in my mind. Don't have any data that it's the most visited out of the bunch, but it's definitely a place where out-of-towners decompress after braving the Cross-Bronx.
Quote from: Zeffy on August 06, 2015, 06:16:22 AM
The Chesapeake House and the Maryland House in Maryland both were packed when I went down there, so I'm not sure if they are famous or not. Their facilities are some of the most ultra-modern I've seen from a rest area though.
Famous - not really. Convenient - Extremely. Along with the Delaware Service Plaza, many people probably stop in at least one of them.
I dunno. Chesapeake House -- just going by my anecdotal experience -- would count as "famous" for those that travel the Megalopolis between Boston and DC at least somewhat frequently (even if only once a year or so).
Quebec used to have "Le Madrid", on A-20 halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. It had a restaurant, a convenience store, a motel and conference rooms, plus monster trucks and giant dinosaur figures all over its lawn. Oh, and a resident singer selling CDs out of his minivan (Normand L'Amour). Beautifully kitsch and tasteless all around. Not as awful as South of the Border on I-95; just weird.
It was closed and demolished in 2011, then replaced by a much more modern and bland "Madrid 2.0" selling overpriced gas.
Wikipedia article (in French, with pictures) (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Madrid)
More pics (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Le_Madrid)
The rest stops on the Everett Turnpike (I-93) in Hooksett NH are noteworthy because they also have State Liquor Stores as well, which have recently been rebranded as the NH Wine and Liquor Centers.
Gateway Travel Plaza, Breezewood, Pennsylvania. I look forward to stopping there every time I drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It's the largest private travel center I know of. It features cool photos and descriptions of its history and growth since the dawn of the Turnpike, as well as displays of badges from when it was a regular stop for military convoys.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 06, 2015, 03:34:52 AM
Years ago in Southfields, NY between Tuxedo and Harriman, along NY 17 there was a famous place that travelers between New York City and The Catskills used to stop at before the NY Thruway was built along with the present day Future I-86 Freeway (Quickway).
Unfortunately, even though it survived the Thruway bypassing it, it closed back in the early 2000's and now the building (according to some websites) just stands there abandoned and condemned by those in charge of building inspections in the area.
It supposedly marked the halfway point between the city and mountains, however if it was calculated by NY 17 only using it to pass through Middletown and Monticello and entering the Catskills from that end, I could not see that being true. However, if it was that many before the Thruway used NY 17, from NJ via the Lincoln Tunnel, then NY 32 to there or switching over to US 9W at Newburgh, that would be more sensible. Though, I would have thought that US 9 or US 9W from New York City would be the route to take if following the Hudson River highways that most took to Albany and Montreal would have been the way to go pre thruway.
Red Apple Rest. Been decaying for a dozen years or more. They say people used to rub elbows with celebrities returning from gigs in the Catskills there late at night. This is also when that road was lined with motor-court motels, presumably because getting out of the city then crawling up Route 17 through the traffic lights of those days meant it was time to stop for the night somewhere. There is still a declining collection of these in Ramsey, New Jersey, and elsewhere.
Quote from: Rothman on August 06, 2015, 08:17:43 AM
Speaking of the New Jersey Turnpike, the Vince Lombardi Service Area sticks out in my mind. Don't have any data that it's the most visited out of the bunch, but it's definitely a place where out-of-towners decompress after braving the Cross-Bronx.
It is the most "famous" to me for various reasons, including the one you mention. I confess to having had a nap or two at dawn there after a late night in the city, safer than most nearby alternatives. Vince Lombardi is also sort of infamous in local lore as a meeting place for ne'er-do-wells, but I haven't heard anything serious out of there in recent years.
Oh yeah, it's also one of a dozen places Jimmy Hoffa is buried.
For me it was the Des Plaines Oasis on the Northwest-oops sorry- Jane Adams Tollway. After I got my license and started driving to the River Road CTA station from Schaumburg I would stop there at the McDonald's for breakfast and coffee most mornings. There was something about watching the traffic crawl under the place that I just marvelled at as a 17 year old.
+1 to Rothman for mentioning the Vince Lombardi service plaza on the NJ Turnpike as well, I had been there a few times in the 90's.
The Fla Welcome Center on I-75 was always on my dad's must stop list during our Christmas vacation trips from Chicago to Miami growing up. My dad would make an over exaggerated point of taking in a deep breath of the warm(er) Florida air, and all coats were ordered off to be stuck in the trunk for the remainder of the trip. The free orange juice was an added bonus! I don't believe I have ever been to the one on I-95 as all of my trips to FL from NC have been with me driving, and stopping somewhere where I can't get gas for the car is usually not on my itinerary (much to my wife's bladder's chagrin).
Quote from: slorydn1 on August 07, 2015, 03:16:35 AM
The Fla Welcome Center on I-75 was always on my dad's must stop list during our Christmas vacation trips from Chicago to Miami growing up. My dad would make an over exaggerated point of taking in a deep breath of the warm(er) Florida air, and all coats were ordered off to be stuck in the trunk for the remainder of the trip. The free orange juice was an added bonus! I don't believe I have ever been to the one on I-95 as all of my trips to FL from NC have been with me driving, and stopping somewhere where I can't get gas for the car is usually not on my itinerary (much to my wife's bladder's chagrin).
And a car wash to get rid of all the road salt. (Soon to be replaced with sea salt spray, if you were staying near the ocean.)
Quote from: GaryV on August 07, 2015, 06:28:18 AM
Quote from: slorydn1 on August 07, 2015, 03:16:35 AM
The Fla Welcome Center on I-75 was always on my dad's must stop list during our Christmas vacation trips from Chicago to Miami growing up. My dad would make an over exaggerated point of taking in a deep breath of the warm(er) Florida air, and all coats were ordered off to be stuck in the trunk for the remainder of the trip. The free orange juice was an added bonus! I don't believe I have ever been to the one on I-95 as all of my trips to FL from NC have been with me driving, and stopping somewhere where I can't get gas for the car is usually not on my itinerary (much to my wife's bladder's chagrin).
And a car wash to get rid of all the road salt. (Soon to be replaced with sea salt spray, if you were staying near the ocean.)
Ah yes, I had forgotten about that! Yep our final destination was always Sunny Isles, right on the ocean.
The Vinita Service Area on I-44 (Will Rogers Turnpike) seemed quite popular as its arched roof and built like the Illinois Oasis' are draws your attention. Over the years many different restaurant tennents have been inside, but the atmosphere seems the same. That is watching the cars and trucks pass under you while you dine is quite impressive. It has to be famous because in the area its one of a kind and in a great location between Joplin and Tulsa.
The South Dakota rest areas with giant teepees were pretty cool I thought.
On I-95 in Virginia, there is the large collection of truck stops in Carmel Church or Ruther Glen in Caroline County, all clustered around the Va. 207 (Exit 104, Rogers Clark Boulevard) interchange (https://www.google.com/maps/search/carmel+church+va/@37.9372449,-77.4689901,15z).
The next truck services headed north on I-95 are in Jessup, Howard County, Maryland (https://www.google.com/maps/place/7401+Assateague+Dr,+Jessup,+MD+20794/@39.1663857,-76.7827684,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89b7e0e0f5f492b1:0xaa1685ee1d77ad31) south of Baltimore, which is about 117 miles distant from Virginia Exit 104.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 07, 2015, 04:44:54 PM
On I-95 in Virginia, there is the large collection of truck stops in Carmel Church or Ruther Glen in Caroline County, all clustered around the Va. 207 (Exit 104, Rogers Clark Boulevard) interchange (https://www.google.com/maps/search/carmel+church+va/@37.9372449,-77.4689901,15z).
The next truck services headed north on I-95 are in Jessup, Howard County, Maryland (https://www.google.com/maps/place/7401+Assateague+Dr,+Jessup,+MD+20794/@39.1663857,-76.7827684,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89b7e0e0f5f492b1:0xaa1685ee1d77ad31) south of Baltimore, which is about 117 miles distant from Virginia Exit 104.
Eh, you can do a truck stop in Richmond. The next major city is Alexandria and Washington DC.
In California --
The late Nut Tree in Vacaville
Casa de Fruta in Hollister
Gowan's Oak Tree near Philo, the least changed of the three. But the highway it's on is minor, though pretty.
Collier Rest Area on I-5 mile 786. A pretty stop, on the riverbank, shaded by trees. No food or souvenirs but a pretty place to stop and stretch. Also if you're heading south and the weather over the Siskiyous was a challenge, by the Collier Rest Area the worst is usually over. And on the other hand, if you're heading north, stretch and get refreshed before you hit the summit.
Collier Tunnel Rest Area -- on US 199. (Collier gets around, doesn't he?) Another pretty spot with a view of the tunnel portal, trees, and canyon. Again, nothing to buy, just stretch, picnic if you brought food, bathroom and water.
Quote from: noelbotevera on August 07, 2015, 06:39:37 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 07, 2015, 04:44:54 PM
On I-95 in Virginia, there is the large collection of truck stops in Carmel Church or Ruther Glen in Caroline County, all clustered around the Va. 207 (Exit 104, Rogers Clark Boulevard) interchange (https://www.google.com/maps/search/carmel+church+va/@37.9372449,-77.4689901,15z).
The next truck services headed north on I-95 are in Jessup, Howard County, Maryland (https://www.google.com/maps/place/7401+Assateague+Dr,+Jessup,+MD+20794/@39.1663857,-76.7827684,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x89b7e0e0f5f492b1:0xaa1685ee1d77ad31) south of Baltimore, which is about 117 miles distant from Virginia Exit 104.
Eh, you can do a truck stop in Richmond. The next major city is Alexandria and Washington DC.
Note that I wrote
truck services. There are
none on I-95 between Virginia Exit 104 and Maryland Exit 41. There are a
few places where a truck can probably purchase Diesel fuel, but not that many of those either.
There are
no truck services in Alexandria and
no truck services in the District of Columbia.
The Alabama welcome center on I-65 south has a Saturn 1B Rocket on its grounds.
Surprised nobody has mentioned yet the king of the tourist trap,.... er attractions yet:
Wall Drug -- I-90 -- Wall, SD.
Quote from: thenetwork on August 08, 2015, 12:14:13 PM
Surprised nobody has mentioned yet the king of the tourist trap,.... er attractions yet:
Wall Drug -- I-90 -- Wall, SD.
You mean, besides the OP?
Around here we have an infamous (former) rest area on the Garden State Parkway near Forked River, where Robert Marshall had his wife killed in the mid 80s:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8059183,-74.228667,16z/data=!3m1!1e3?force=lite (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8059183,-74.228667,16z/data=!3m1!1e3?force=lite)
Story here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O._Marshall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O._Marshall)
Until the widening project in this area a couple of years ago, the rest area was more obvious with left accel/decel lanes (although if I recall correctly at least in more recent years, the left yellow was continuous across to discourage the use of the ramps) . Now it looks like any other median cross-over.
I'm surprised we got this far without mentioning South Of The Border along I-95 in South Carolina immediately south of the border with NC
Quote from: cl94 on August 09, 2015, 07:41:00 PM
I'm surprised we got this far without mentioning South Of The Border along I-95 in South Carolina immediately south of the border with NC
You mean other than the original post? As an added bonus, the original post capitalized it properly ("of the" should not be capitalized). Multiple other posters also mentioned it and got the capitalization right, too.
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 09, 2015, 10:10:15 PM
Quote from: cl94 on August 09, 2015, 07:41:00 PM
I'm surprised we got this far without mentioning South Of The Border along I-95 in South Carolina immediately south of the border with NC
You mean other than the original post? As an added bonus, the original post capitalized it properly ("of the" should not be capitalized). Multiple other posters also mentioned it and got the capitalization right, too.
:banghead: :pan: :banghead: :pan: :banghead: :pan:
Quote from: Zeffy on August 06, 2015, 06:16:22 AM
I don't know which of them is the most well known, but the rest stops/service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike have to be pretty famous seeing as the road is an American icon.
The Chesapeake House and the Maryland House in Maryland both were packed when I went down there, so I'm not sure if they are famous or not. Their facilities are some of the most ultra-modern I've seen from a rest area though.
I still like the original versions of the Maryland and Chesapeake Houses, and I like the Maryland House better than the Chesapeake House. Even before they replaced the two-story colonial revival version with the new one, it was packed, and apparently quite popular. My mother and I loved it. My father, not so much. I'm not sure how my siblings feel about it, or even if they give it any thought.
As far as the New Jersey Turnpike is concerned, I haven't got any idea which ones are more famous than others. The only one I know of that could possibly get any resemblance of fame is the Vince Lombardi Service Area, which converted into a weird Dead Milkmen instrumental:
http://www.allmusic.com/song/vince-lombardi-service-center-mt0030182214
I can't for the life of me remember where exactly it was located, but it was in South Carolina between Columbia and Myrtle Beach:
Jimmy Carter's -- NO Relation to THE Jimmy Carter nor do I know if this J.C was up and running before Georgia's J.C. ran for president.. It was a truck stop / restaurant / gift shop / fireworks dealer that happened to be in the middle of a large median on some US highway in SC near Marion. They had tons of billboards leading up to the place and was quite large.
It was here when a bunch of us from Ohio left one car and it's occupants to find their way back to Ohio after they wanted to eat there about a half hour after we stopped there (and everyone else grabbed some snacks and gas for the road). They pulled this crap all through our Myrtle Beach trip. So we said screw them and the other 3 carloads took off. Needless to say, we kind of weren't on speaking terms anymore...
Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 12, 2015, 08:35:51 PM
I still like the original versions of the Maryland and Chesapeake Houses, and I like the Maryland House better than the Chesapeake House. Even before they replaced the two-story colonial revival version with the new one, it was packed, and apparently quite popular. My mother and I loved it. My father, not so much. I'm not sure how my siblings feel about it, or even if they give it any thought.
Within the industry, Maryland House, by virtue of its location as the southernmost service plaza on I-95, was considered the busiest and most-profitable one in the United States.
Not sure that is still true (after it was closed for reconstruction and re-opened under new a new (AreasUSA) concession holder), but its geographic advantages have not changed.
A lot of people stop at the Charlton and Sturbridge service areas on the Mass Pike, but I don't think that makes them famous, it just makes them busy.
Quote from: spooky on August 13, 2015, 04:22:51 PM
A lot of people stop at the Charlton and Sturbridge service areas on the Mass Pike, but I don't think that makes them famous, it just makes them busy.
Minor correction - both the eastbound and westbound plazas east of I-84 are named the Charlton Plaza. During heavy traffic times, the roadway in the vicinity of the eastbound plaza is routinely the scene of backups (and often crashes). I suspect the roadway geometry at the plaza (crest of a hill) has much to do with that.
During my trips along the Pike, I used to stop at the westbound Charlton Plaza if I was traveling early enough to beat the breakfast deadline at McD's. However, I stopped going there after the third time in a row they gave me two Egg McMuffins when I ordered (and paid for) two sausage biscuits.
Three weeks in and nobody has mentioned the WV Turnpike's money pit, Scamarack.
Not surprised. More evidence that a padlock and a set of orange cones remain the solution.
If it was the only travel plaza there I suppose it would get more action. I still miss the Glass House, though I only remember it as a HoJo.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage2.findagrave.com%2Fphotos250%2Fphotos%2F2007%2F279%2FCEM46892198_119177321124.jpg&hash=1f43cca17833d7bec5e22d07732ef337d2967377)
This is at the side of the Maine Turnpike. Quite the "rest" area, no?
Okay seriously......
Would the Angola rest stop on the New York Thruway qualify? The pedestrian bridge is pretty cool.
Quote from: roadman on August 21, 2015, 06:52:08 PM
Quote from: spooky on August 13, 2015, 04:22:51 PM
A lot of people stop at the Charlton and Sturbridge service areas on the Mass Pike, but I don't think that makes them famous, it just makes them busy.
Minor correction - both the eastbound and westbound plazas east of I-84 are named the Charlton Plaza. During heavy traffic times, the roadway in the vicinity of the eastbound plaza is routinely the scene of backups (and often crashes). I suspect the roadway geometry at the plaza (crest of a hill) has much to do with that.
During my trips along the Pike, I used to stop at the westbound Charlton Plaza if I was traveling early enough to beat the breakfast deadline at McD's. However, I stopped going there after the third time in a row they gave me two Egg McMuffins when I ordered (and paid for) two sausage biscuits.
Did it used to be named the Sturbridge Plaza? I'm thinking 25 or more years ago.
Quote from: spooky on August 24, 2015, 08:48:39 AM
Quote from: roadman on August 21, 2015, 06:52:08 PM
Quote from: spooky on August 13, 2015, 04:22:51 PM
A lot of people stop at the Charlton and Sturbridge service areas on the Mass Pike, but I don't think that makes them famous, it just makes them busy.
Minor correction - both the eastbound and westbound plazas east of I-84 are named the Charlton Plaza. During heavy traffic times, the roadway in the vicinity of the eastbound plaza is routinely the scene of backups (and often crashes). I suspect the roadway geometry at the plaza (crest of a hill) has much to do with that.
During my trips along the Pike, I used to stop at the westbound Charlton Plaza if I was traveling early enough to beat the breakfast deadline at McD's. However, I stopped going there after the third time in a row they gave me two Egg McMuffins when I ordered (and paid for) two sausage biscuits.
Did it used to be named the Sturbridge Plaza? I'm thinking 25 or more years ago.
I have a Mass Turnpike map from the mid-1980s that references both the eastbound and westbound service plazas as Charlton. The updated 1992 Mass Turnpike map goes one step further and distinguishes between Charlton East and Charlton West.
Unlike the NJ Turnpike, the Mass Pike plaza names were not provided on highway signs until the 1996 sign update projects.
My city has the one of last Route 66 Orange Stands