My experience with rest areas, for the past several years anyway, has been limited to the crowded, filthy monstrosities that populate the NJ Turnpike. During the past few years, when I made monthly trips down to the Delaware/Maryland border area to visit my late father (he was living with my sister during his declining years), these establishments were a necessary evil. By the time I reached the lower portion of the Turnpike, nature was calling...urgently...and I'd pull in. I found them distasteful-- crowded, with filthy bathrooms, and horribly overpriced "junk food" chains.
Yesterday, Thanksgiving, I had been invited up by my brother (half brother technically, but we're no longer strangers, as we were when we first met as middle aged adults; we're truly family now, and half brothers and sisters are just regular brothers and sisters) to spend the day. Usually, my birth mother would do the driving, as she can navigate the back roads on the NY/CT border with remarkable precision. Unfortunately, she was working, and I was making the trip solo. The last time I made the trip solo, I became hopelessly lost once I left the main highway and tried to navigate the back roads.
I decided to bypass her route this time, and take 684 North to 84 East...which I am familiar with, having often traveled in my younger years from Beacon, NY, to Danbury, and up towards Litchfield, and Salisbury beyond...to Rt 7 South. Make a right onto Bennetts Farm Rd., and I'm almost there. Unfortunately, I again became hopelessly lost once I turned off onto Bennetts Farm Rd. (I did get to my brother's place eventually), but that's probably the subject for another long-winded review on another day.
As I traveled up 684 North, nature once again called (as it does increasingly as I meander my way into my so-called "Golden Years"), and I pulled in to this particular rest stop (which they also promote as a safe place to respond to texts on your phone). Given the day, it was pretty crowded with vehicles, but didn't seem as hectic and hellish as my memories of the NJ Turnpike rest stops (as an aside, if there is an afterlife, Clara Barton and Walt Whitman are probably thinking, "What a way to honor my achievements in life, by naming a festering, congested travesty of a rest stop in NJ after me! Thanks loads!"). There's a grassy area with benches, where I guess you can have a "picnic," if you so desire.
I guess if you need to catch a few ZZZZs in your car, you can, although I'm not sure what the laws are, or how closely they monitor you (thankfully, I've never been in a situation where I need to catch a few ZZZZs in my car. Not yet, anyway).
The men's room seemed relatively clean. There are stalls, and urinals (not to provide the reader with TMI, but I answered nature's call at the urinal). Water and soap provided, and a hot air blower to dry the hands. Nothing extravagant, but it provides the service it's supposed to.
Outside the structure housing bathroom facilities for men and women were 2 vending machines providing snacks and beverages. I wanted a bottle of water. I found it mildly confusing (then again, I find GPS confusing and usually have to rely on a print out of GoogleMaps, which...take my word for it...is not infallible). I couldn't find any prices listed and took a chance, feeding 2 dollar bills into the machine. Jackpot! I got my bottle of water with no change coming (2 dollars seems really excessive for a relatively small bottle of water, but it is what it is, I guess...). They even have a slot where you can use your credit card, but utilizing a credit card for vending machine candy and water seems ridiculous to me.
You have to use care when backing out of your spot, as vehicles zip through here with disturbing speed and recklessness (then again, I guess that's true anywhere). This seems to be a pretty spare facility, but I found it immensely preferable to the NJ variety. You're not going to be able to get a Starbucks mega-coffee, or a Roy Rogers burger and plastic-wrapped cookie for $15 dollars, but if you need some sugar, need to micturate or just stretch your legs, or answer that "urgent" text message...this is a more than adequate place to do so. read more