Interstate Rest Area Guide

[Jerry Winchester]

Anyone know of an online source to determine where the rest areas are on the Interstate highway system?

I have Googled it, but just get disjointed state by state data and it is not very well organized.

[Darl-Wilson]

Jerry, DieselBoss has it all. This website (http://www.dieselboss.com/service.htm)has about everything needed for cross-country travel for truckers (and POGers) You have RA locations for all 50 states plus fuel prices for all the major sellers, and much, much, more. Try it and let me know if I am full of Tacos!! OK, so it doesn't have Interstate BBQ joints.

Darl

[Jon Wehrenberg]

A word of caution....over the course of many miles recently we were surprised by rest areas that were closed.

Some were obviously being upgraded or rebuilt. I can understand how that would necessitate a closure, even though there was no prior warning. On several occasions we passed a rest area expecting to stop at the next one down the road. We assumed because there was a sign that indiacted the next rest area was in XX miles there would be one.

On more than one occasion the anticipated rest area was closed, but until we got to the sign one mile from the rest area there was no clue. Several of those that were closed had no apparent reason for the closure.

OK was especially guilty, and we have noted TN does not have many rest areas and some of those are closed. SC is the state with the most closures especially along I 26.

[Jerry Winchester]

Well I have been grinding along on this trip plan and it looks like the best option for the first night out is to hit a rest area in the middle of Mississippi.

Darl's link provided one at exit 106 on I-59, but the trip planning software doesn't show it, so it may be new. I know we have three or four new rest areas coming online on both I-45 and I-10 in Texas, so Jon's point about the old ones being closed is right. They closed the old ones way before they got the new ones built. Go figure.

I think I was most impressed with the Florida rest areas. Lots of parking and security guards and they seemed pretty close. Guess those old folks have to stop often to pee.

[Danss]

Jerry, if you are coming on I-10 and` I-12 to Slidell, La then north on I-59, go about 8 miles further on I-10 toward the Ms. Gul Coast and their is a great rest area with security.and free tours of the space facility. Dan

[rmboies]

[QUOTE=Jerry Winchester;29815]Well I have been grinding along on this trip plan and it looks like the best option for the first night out is to hit a rest area in the middle of Mississippi. Darl's link provided one at exit 106 on I-59, but the trip planning software doesn't show it, so it may be new. I know we have three or four new rest areas coming online on both I-45 and I-10 in Texas, so Jon's point about the old ones being closed is right. They closed the old ones way before they got the new ones built. Go figure.

Jerry, think like a woman for a minute and call the State Highway Patrol or Highway department and ask which ones are open :D I know, I know, I need to head on over to the ladies forum.....Do you have the new edition of "The Next Exit"? It shows several rest areas along I-59 but not one of them has restroom facilities. They have parking lanes and trash cans though! Exits 106,109, 56, 13, 8. The last one is a welcome center with dumpsite available exit 3.
Debi

[Jerry Winchester]

Well since I am traveling with my own personal taco grinder, I typically just need a place to stop. When Rae and I were headed to Sevierville, we got out east of Memphis and every rest area or parking area was full. We finally got the last spot (unlevel with the Hummer hanging out) out somewhere west of Nashville. Now I don't think 59 is travelled that hard, but I don't want to get past Meridian and end up in a WalMart.

I'm bunking next to the King of Bling on Friday night, so if anyone is in the Bristol area, I hear he lives on a hog waller that used to be a lake and he cooks a mean possum. I can hardly wait.

[truk4u]

Hey Turd Boy,

Stop at camping world and buy the book called "The Next Exit". It'a great source for you to perform the various maintenance issues you will be having since your best work is done on the road.:p

[tdelorme]

JDUB you are such a wimp. Who was it, your great grandfather who made the Oklahoma Land Rush?? Did you ever ask him about rest areas along the way?? Man up and head out. And whats this deal of needing a rest area in the middle of Mississippi? Lets see, Houston to mid Mississippi, what 300 miles? That's an easy day for most of the folks in my nursing home, but then they wouldn't be stopping every ten miles for tacos & BBQ so I guess I understand.

You all go have a fun safe trip and we'll pray for plenty of open rest areas.

[Jerry Winchester]

Go ahead Mel, kick me while you can. But as I still have kids in school and that is their last day and they don't get our until 4:15, I will be hitting the road about the time you hit Luby's for the Senior Citizens Special with all the other old timers.

Then when you're off to bed by 8:45, I will be blazing across Coonass Country inroute to Mississippi exit 106 which I should reach about 1am or roughly about your third time to get up to pee.

Drink lots of water so you have something to do when you wake up........;)

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Your chances of finding a spot in a rest area at 1:00AM are close to nil.

You might as well plan on pulling off the highway and parking on the ramp.

[adamdegraff]

I have found this site to be very helpful:

http://www.rvthereyet.cc/

More than just rest stops, but lots of good, easy to access info.

~Adam

[BrianE]

JDUB, Seems to me that fancy GPS of yours probably lists most of the RAs, recent closures, mtc, etc excepted.

[Jerry Winchester]

Yes it does list them, but it mostly does it as you are driving somewhere and want to know the next exit. From that point you get the rest areas, but it is in the bus and I am at the house, so for practical planning purposes, it is of very little use until you are under way.

[tdelorme]

Go ahead Mel, kick me while you can. But as I still have kids in school and that is their last day and they don't get our until 4:15, I will be hitting the road about the time you hit Luby's for the Senior Citizens Special with all the other old timers.

Then when you're off to bed by 8:45, I will be blazing across Coonass Country inroute to Mississippi exit 106 which I should reach about 1am or roughly about your third time to get up to pee.

Drink lots of water so you have something to do when you wake up........;)

Kids out of school at 4:15. Your on the road by 5PM. But, this is Friday evening, it's Metro Houston and you'll clear stop and go traffic at what, 8PM?

We'll be out of Luby's by the time you hit the road, and for your information, on Friday nights I forgo the SS Special and get the full meal deal. I'll be in bed by 8:30 not 8:45 cause Saturday morning I'll be up before daylight getting ready to spend a productive day mowing the back pasture.

So you can plan ahead, the 1AM pit stop is usually my second not third. But, it's good to see you getting up to speed on being an old fart cause you and MANGO will both be joining the club real soon.

Now, Jerry, I want to suggest that you double check your travel plans. Since I know Rae and the girls don't want to be woken up at 1AM Sat. morning by you having a little fit, you need to know the following. There is NO exit 106 in Mississippi on Interstate 59. Hello Wally World. Exit 152 at Meridian, up on the hill south side of the hwy. Sleep tight.

[Jerry Winchester]

State Hwy Type Exit Direction Area Other Information Phone

Ms I-10 Ra 10 Eb Parking Area
Ms I-59 Ra 106 Nb Parking Area
Ms I-59 Ra 109 Sb Parking Area
Ms I-55 Ra 117 Nb
Ms I-55 Ra 120 Nb Parking Area
Ms I-59 Ra 13 Sb
Ms I-55 Ra 163 Nb
Ms I-20 Ra 164 Wb
Ms I-59 Ra 164 Wb
Ms I-55 Ra 173 Sb

[Alan__]

Looks like you are missing "other information" and "phone". Does that help?

[Will Garner]

Hey JDUB,

I think the answer to your question is in one of your earlier posts. Why not go to the bus and use your GPS to plan the trip? It should be programmable if it is a really gee whiz GPS system.

Contacting the various State DOT websites might be useful also. They should have a listing of construction projects on the interstate including rest areas. We have a 511 system in NC where you are supposed to get current information, including on rest areas. Some of our rest areas have been closed due to illicit activities - California Supreme Court just legalized those activities in California. I think the Mayor of San Francisco was qouted as having said, "As goes California, so goes the rest of the USA." Sends shivers up my spine!

I was planning on stopping at the Meridian MS rest area on my trip to San Diego which starts on Friday. Unfortunately, the wife has rerouted me to use I-40 all the way into AZ then drop down to I-10 and pick up I-8 to CA.

Happy Trails to you - until we meet again (love that song). I wonder if ol' Roy ever had problems finding an open rest area!

[Ray Davis]

Will,

Make sure to give a hollar when you get in the area.


Ray

[Jerry Winchester]

Will,

Keep your eye peeled for us on 40 as we have a small stretch of it to drive on Friday afternoon.

As for using the GPS, I don't think driving to the airport and sitting in the coach in the hanger will win me any points here at the house or make the plan any better. Thanks to this post, I have three resources to use for rest area / exit info, so I will leave the GPS for more spontanious exit situations.

Alan,

You must be a lawyer or accountant since your answer was technically correct but served no useful purpose.

If it was tongue in cheek then "Bite Me".

But that is one nice Marathon you are riding around in..........

[Loc]

Winchester,

Two pages of posts about rest areas. Things must be slow in Cooter-land. Just "man-up" and stay in the Wal-Mart for a couple of hours. I know the Deuce will get some funky Wally-world film on it, but it will wash off. If you go to www.wal-mart.com and click on the store finder link at the bottom of the home page it will allow you to find stores in the general area of where you think you end up. It will even draw you a map with instructions. There are locations in Hattiesburg, Laurel and Meridian (all a stones throw or half mile from I-59). If you are making really good time you can consider the Flying J in Bessemer, Alabama which is about 20 miles west of Birmingham.

Thanks in advance for the "bite me" comment.

Loc

[Loc]

For those of you wondering (maybe one person), flame snuffer techno-boy just called with a verbal "bite-me". Evidently he is advanced enough to implement immediate notification of posts on the internet, but needs remedial bus parking classes.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

He is clearly challenged because his entire experience with the coach appears to have been tailgating.

Unlike the rest of us who know about things like rest areas and Wal-Marts he has wasted several pages of space on the forum trying to find free places to park.

As an alternate he could actually consider those things they call campgrounds, but he may be afraid to do that because in his limited experience he knows buses in campgrounds get decorated with blow up dolls and plastic shields.

[Alan__]

He also is a bit "parking challenged" and doesn't need another hole in the bus plus repaint. The guys at North TX RV Repair said to say thanks for his business when I was there lately.

They said something like bite me I think.

[tdelorme]

You all quit picking on JDUB. He is in for enough grief when he tries exit #106 on I59 in MS. and finds out the only exit 106 is in Alabama.
Jerry, if you do fall back on a Walmart, the safest place to park is right next to the loading dock. Lots of security cameras and you don't won't all of us worrying to much.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'd rather eat bees than park alone in a Wal-Mart.

All the locals think Randy Travis is in the bus and all night long cars are driving by 10 feet from a newly repaired back end. You never know when they are going to get some beer courage and knock on the door for an autograph. At least in a rest area or an on ramp it is unlikely folks will be circling the coach hoping to catch a glimpse of a star.

[truk4u]

But Jon, he is a star! Where else can you win 50% of the POG academy award for dumb asses, whilst spending 30K and threatening the repair shop with bodily harm if they spill the beans.:p There's no secrets in the POG community and the classified information always gets leaked.:D

Loc, what's up with the flame snuffer always wanting you to bite him?:rolleyes:

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Oh yeah....the Wide Turn Award. Gee I should have thought about that when I said folks would be circling within 10 feet of his newly repaired back end.

Does Marathon offer the optional gonad chiller? I think without it a driver gets crotch rash.

We need to quit picking on JDUB. He might start picking on us. I wonder if he has had any window blow outs? You know....from a build up of gases.

[MangoMike]

Picking on a guy while he's motoring down the road unable to defend himself will surely anger the Wide Turn Award gods. You may be the next recipient.

[garyde]

It's only a matter of time before 'JDUB' comes out of the 'BBQ joint' and decides to 'check in' and discovers everyones 'talkin trash', but before he can respond, the 'call of the anaconda' diverts his attention to 'Royal throne'.

Now, if you google any of those words, I believe Jerrys picture will come up, or at least , a link.

[tdelorme]

Picking on a guy while he's motoring down the road unable to defend himself will surely anger the Wide Turn Award gods. You may be the next recipient.

And motoring down the road he is !! JDUB is on his way !!

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i174/tdelorme1/runningtruck.gif

[Jerry Winchester]

I feel multiple "Bite Me's" coming on. Well for all the trash talking by the POG Numbnut Crew, I am comfortably parked at the fairgrounds in Hattesburg, MS with all the cod coolers humming along on 50 amp power for the outragous price of $15 per day.

Gary pays more than that in taxes every hour in California and Mel spends that much at the senior citizens buffet every day.

[rfoster]

We recently had the pleasure of a visit from Jerry and Rae Winchester, Their two pretty girls and dog Skippy. As a result of the previous rumors of Taco Tours we played it safe (no Tacos) and fed everyone on world famous Ridgewood Pork Sliced Loin BBQ. I think even JDUB was impressed. He ate a couple of pounds.

Micki up and early this am sent them off with hot pork sausage, bacon, pancakes and peach juice. I believe they were good and full when they left but I know they will be hungry by the time they hit Mangos tonight.

We certainly enjoyed having them stop for a brief visit and wish them safe travels. Yall come back real soon, ya hear.
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sorry for the poor lite on the next photos, my camera battery too weak to flash:
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Maybe Dale or someone who knows how can lighten it up
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