This is an older rest area, but compared to others, it is more up-kept and clean. Maybe because…read moreit's dedicated and named, people take pride in it? I'm not sure. There is not a feeling of grunge like some of the others, it just felt very clean. Good selection of vending machines were available. There were also separate, handicap accessible family bathrooms off to the side along with the standard picnic gazebos and dog walk area.

When stopping at night (it was only 9pm), be aware that half of the restrooms are blocked off…read more Both of the family restrooms (which we needed to use) were locked. No security in sight. The half of the restrooms which were open were not well lit; it was pretty dark in there. Had my husband not have been with me, I would have never went in. Not a very safe place at night. I'd recommend waiting and stopping at an exit with a gas station. They do have quite a few snack machines from sodas, to snacks, to even ice cream. This rest area is probably just fine during the daytime, but be extremely careful after dark!

This is the cleanest rest stop near Orlando. It's the perfect place to stop if you're headed that…read moreway!

Not much has changed in four years. The bathrooms are still clean and well stocked. It's well…read morelandscaped, with areas to picnic & walk your pets. There are working vending machines and local information.

This is the ideal rest area on the FL Turnpike!…read more The older bldg. could not be renovated so they torn it down and built a new & improved one about 1 1/2 yrs. ago. Gone are the days of gas gouging on the Turnpike. The price here at the Shell is right on point and the pump area is as clean as can be. There's even an attendant cleaning the pumps and refilling the supplies on a regular basis. Of special note is that the air and water for your tires are FREE! Attached to the Shell is a Nathan's Famous Coney Island restaurant. The rest area itself is separate and is immaculate. There is always someone cleaning the rest rooms and flowers abound. The eating area is kid friending as there is not only smaller tables for the children to eat at, but there is a separate outside dining & play area. You'll find Wendy's, Dunkin and many other food selections.

Don't eat here late at night...you will only get bad food or no food. We stopped to have a late…read moredinner due to traffic. KFC was 'out of chicken'. We went to the Villa thing across the way and got food off of their buffet. It was by the pound pricing and for the cost, I would have rather just had a Snickers and a bottle of water. I know that it was late, but this was really pathetic for offerings. The forks at the stand were empty and a worker lady was just standing in the way. I nicely asked "May I have a fork...?" and she rudely handed me one, like she had to do some work or something and I interrupted her. Over all the restroom was clean, so I guess that's a good thing.

After touching down at MCO and in a rush to get to my next destination this service plaza was a…read morelifesaver - everyone knows the Turnpikes offers limited dining options. I stopped in during an extremely busy time of the day but still managed to find a parking space within a reasonable distance from the front entrance. The interior was chaotic, it's seems everyone in Florida decided to have lunch here at the same time - well to say the least it was busy and a bit in disarray. I decided to headed to the Wendy's counter where I was met by Natasha and a big smile she took my order then my money and kept me company while my sandwiches were being prepared. After a little more than a few minutes my bounty arrived hot and fresh - my double cheeseburger was still hot and so delicious, this may have been the best Wendy's sandwich I've ever had bar none, even taking into consideration I was famished this Turkey Lake Service Plaza Wendy's Burger was just what I needed - I think Dave Thomas is probably looking down smiling and his infamous daughter Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas-Morse is still breaking the bank. I'd stop here again....

Located at mile marker 263.7, the Turkey Lake Service Station is in Orlando. I usually make it as…read morefar as the Canoe Plaza before leaving the Turnpike for the theme parks or to visit my daughter in Winter Park. The Turkey Lake rest stop has both north and south bound entrances. It is named after nearby Turkey lake which contains Bill Frederick Park. Food options here include vending machines, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, Nathans, Nature's Table, Villa Pizza, and Wendy's. There is the typical Sunshine market where you can pick up your sundries. Of course there are restrooms which is why you likely stopped as well as a picnic area. You can stock up on your tourist brochures which every kid likes to do in anticipation of fun destinations on a road trip. There is also expensive gas to refuel your vehicle. Normally I prefer a turnpike rest area to the ones on I-95. The reason for my one star is they don't require masks even though there are recommendations to wear one on the door. How can you not require masks at a place that has people coming through from all parts of Florida? I would like to note that the workers inside are wearing masks. Every day the number of cases of Covid is rising in Florida as is the death rate. It was upsetting to see hardly anyone walking in with a mask. No thanks. I don't want to be standing next to other non mask wearing people in the tight confines of the bathroom. Shame on the transportation authorities for not requiring masks for people entering the building. The more open plans of the I-95 bathroom rest areas is a better bet right now. The only turkeys I saw here today were the selfish non mask wearing people. Let's get it together Florida because it is going to take all of us.

You know what? Keeping any rest area clean, tidy, stocked, mopped, manicured, safe, etc., is a…read morenon-stop thankless job. Not all people are (cough, cough)...tidy and/or clean, nor do they take care of their own messes, and this can make any rest stop employee's work more challenging than it should be. I seem to stop at this rest area a fair amount, and I'm always happy it is clean, has toilet paper, is well lit, I feel safe, etc., all of it is always good to go in my opinion. That is not the case with a lot of rest areas in my travels. But still, this is a thankless job and I if I ever see folks working here...I thank them for all they do. That said, I want to give a shout-out to them now...thank you for making this a pleasurable stop for all travelers. It is not easy having to tidy up after certain humans, and I, for one, am grateful we have folks who enjoy what they do in looking after us travelers and are there for us. If you are passing through, don't hesitate to stop. They not only have clean restrooms, but also ample parking, a picnic area, and a dog walking area. There are vending machines as well. There is ample parking for truckers too!

Clean rest area, large grass field good for dogs to run around, didn't see any vending machines…read morewhich was disappointing.

This rest area is well maintained with numerous restrooms, including a few single/individual…read morerestrooms with changing stations. In addition to the typical beverage and snack vending machines, this location also has an ice cream and gourmet coffee machine. With restrooms, outdoor seating/eating areas, and how easily accessible from the interstate this location is, it is definitely a good place to stop during a long trip!

Large clean bathrooms. Plenty of areas to walk dogs. Easy access on and off. Vending machines…read moreavailable.

Payne's Prairie Reserve Rest Area is on the northbound side of Interstate 75. It is a typical…read moreFlorida rest area with rest rooms, a place to walk your dog, a few pavilions and a few holders for the various hotel and real estate guides. There is plenty of parking for cars, but it looked like the truck parking for the tractor trailers was a bit tight. This rest area is just south of the Gainesville, Florida exits. All in all, I would definitely recommend this rest area. It was clean and a good place to stretch your legs.

It's a long drive from South Florida to Georgia, and due to the need for caffeinated drinks &…read morewater, rest stops are needed and welcomed! This is a large rest area just south of a Gainesville on I-75, with lots of parking for both cars and trucks. The location is very "southern" and pretty; big shady oak trees with lots of hanging Spanish moss. There are dozens of big covered picnic tables, not too close together, each one is like a little pavilion. Some are reserved for handicapped guests. The bathrooms were huge, with multiple entrances. (I assume this is so they can clean 1/2 at a time & still keep the other 1/2 open.). The facilities were clean, with plenty of soap and working air dryers. They also had baby changing tables and a family bathroom. There was a good assortment of vending machines, all pretty well stocked. There are paths that you can walk through; but unfortunately none of the paths took you into the Payne's Prairie Preserve. There was a chain link fence separating rest area from Mother Nature, but we walked up to the fence & could see multiple gators swimming in the water retention area beyond the fence and we saw one cute little alligator, about 3.5-4 feet long just chilling during the beautiful fall day. (He was separated by the fence, and there are many "No Trespassing" signs posted all around, along with warnings about venomous snakes.). I'm glad to know there are safe rest stops along I-75; and this is definitely a nice place to rest, eat, or walk around.

What a nice and convenient reststop for us on our way to Orlando. It's located at mile marker 229…read morein St. Cloud, about an hour before Orlando. They have a gas station, restrooms, a well-stocked market, several fast food places, like Wendy's and Dunkin and souvenir/clothing shops. Nathan's was selling their famous hot dogs! We were in a hurry and just visited the restroom and I bought a nice, cold Dasani! Nice area to walk your dogs and stretch your legs. It is well kept, clean and nicely planned out. The restrooms were pleasant smelling and clean also!! We were impressed!

We stopped here to use the bathrooms on a Turnpike trip. Parking was ample, and the bathrooms were…read morewell marked and clean. The bathrooms sinks have cool sink faucets that can dry your hands as well as wash them. In the main space, the side we were on was decorates with a whimsical ocean theme. We passed kid size tables and chairs- so cute! We attempted to take selfies at the manatee mural on the way out.

Overall, Payne's Prairie Rest Area North is just south of the Gainesville, Florida exits on the…read morenorthbound side of Interstate 75. It is decently maintained and has the usual amenities that you would associate with a rest area in Florida. I also liked that they had a sign here letting everyone know that Tom Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida. Hey, maybe they should name the rest area in his honor. While in Tennessee, I saw a few rest areas named after country singers. All in all, a decent enough rest area.

Busy parking lot! But no waiting and the bathrooms are clean…read more Plus...Tom Petty signs

The stay was... not what I have come to expect from the Hampton Inn brand. I will say that the…read morestaff was very courteous. The room however... I was assigned an ADA accessible room - not needed just what I was assigned and that was fine. When I entered, I noticed there was no shower curtain, I thought maybe that it on purpose although it would make quite a mess with the overhead shower and was probably a slip hazard. I figured I would have to use the handheld shower head and ask the next morning. It was late so I did not want to bother the staff. Water still went everywhere but I had extra towels available. The next day I asked the front desk if accessible rooms were supposed to have shower curtains and she said yes, I said Ok well mine does not. She asked for the room number but I explained I do not like people in the room when I am not there and would be back in a couple of hours. She still asked for my room, and I said again I will give it when I get back. When I returned... my room would not open. I had to try 4 times before it finally opened. The lock would turn green but the door would not budge. This happened the rest of the stay as well. I called down, and housekeeping was on my floor, so she came very quickly. I was told that this room should have a curtain and the housekeeping manager is supposed to check every room not sure how this was missed. This was a HUGE slipping hazard, especially if I actually needed the accessible room. I let the front desk know when I left that this was really disappointing and on top of this the "refrigerator" in the room did not cool anything. I had some ice packs with me that helped me keep the water cool the first night but by the second night they were no longer cooling either. The Hampton Inn rooms are usually quite spacious with a long desk and spacious bathroom. This was not it. tiny desk in the corner. The area, is easily accessible, there are tons of restaurants minutes from Marketplace at Altamonte Springs and the Altamonte Springs mall. There is a Cracker Barrel and Waffle House just behind and across the street from the hotel. There are also other hotels to choose from... All in all, I would probably find a different Hampton Inn property or a different hotel brand next time.. Do better.

We normally stay at the Hilton in Altamonte across 436 and its always been such a pleasant…read moreexperience and stay. We decided to stay here, Hampton Inn & Suites North. I won't lie, checkin was not friendly, but they turned it around. Things to know are the beautifully updated rooms. The hall carpet is older but ok. The bed is so very comfortable, the room is immaculate, pillows inviting. When we arrived tonight, the problem we had on our first night was beyond resolved. I do recommend this hotel and its staff. Stay with confidence