Road Trips and Road Stops

A few years back, we undertook the best vacation ever: road trip from Portsmouth, VA to Santa Fe, NM.

As we traveled through major cities and took many turns through small town America, we saw the good, the bad and the ugly, when it comes to architecture… both old and new.

However, one of the design highlights was encountering the wonderful Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) rest areas. These Safety Rest Areas are described as featuring “regional designs, modern restrooms, interpretive display exhibits of local features… cultural gateways to nearby communities.” And, indeed, each one we visited was not only clean and well-maintained, but very well designed to meet the needs of travelers.

 

They also had some interesting warning signs…

 

We did not come across any other such efforts anywhere else, though, a couple of months ago we were surprised by the new Grover Cleveland Service Area off the New Jersey Turnpike.

Here’s to hoping more transit authorities invest in not only safe, but aesthetically appealing stops for weary travelers and their families! This is one easy, accessible way to introduce the average American to good design!