Things to appreciate while on the road....
...a comfortable mobile bed...and a clothesline...
...the BIG truck stops like TA, Pilot, Love's, AM Best, etc...and MEGA auto stops like Buc-ee's...they are certainly customer service oriented!!...you learn to seek out those places for their consistency of amenities...like....the little things....door hooks for your purse or jacket...
...door locks that tell you right up front if the stall is occupied...no looking under the door for feet!!...
...hand sanitizer INSIDE the bathroom stalls!!...
...and if a BIG/AUTO stop is not available...look for the biggest regular gas station possible...and occasionally you find a jewel where you just want to meet the owner because they obviously LOVE their business!!....live plants in the ladies' restroom!!
...a memorable bathroom experience--the only small gas station found in a very small Texas town--on entering, the proprietor was smoking...AARGH!!...I bought a bottle of water and then headed to the toilet. The sign on the outside of the door said the restroom was for paying customers ONLY!!...that's fair--glad I bought the water BEFORE I went to the toi-toi...Inside was a filthy room...and NO toilet paper!!...Definitely NOT the winner of ANY kind of award!! :-(
...a memorable bathroom experience--the only small gas station found in a very small Texas town--on entering, the proprietor was smoking...AARGH!!...I bought a bottle of water and then headed to the toilet. The sign on the outside of the door said the restroom was for paying customers ONLY!!...that's fair--glad I bought the water BEFORE I went to the toi-toi...Inside was a filthy room...and NO toilet paper!!...Definitely NOT the winner of ANY kind of award!! :-(
...flowers at the pumps and landscaping around the perimeter. This station even had a picnic area on the side of the bldg with additional flowers and landscaping. Some of the staff were enjoying the area for a smoke break....
...how do I LOVE safety rest areas!!?? Let me count the ways!!...they bring tears to my eyes to see maybe 100 long-haul truckers safely resting in their rigs as the sun comes up!!...a wonderful use of our tax $$'s...dogs going potty...kiddos playing on the playground...vending machines...a nice chance to stretch your legs...and photo ops!!....
...and I've learned to certainly appreciate roads that adequately display speed limit signs!! You'd be amazed how many roads have speed limit signs posted few and far between!!...many times NOT even after onramp traffic has entered the highway...I wonder how we're suppose to just KNOW how fast...or slow to go!!?? ...and HURRAY for the multi-lane highways that post the speed limit sign not only on the right-hand side of the road...but also in the median!! If you are in the fast lane and there are several lanes of 18-wheelers between you and the right-hand side of the road...you very often MISS seeing the posted speed limit!! I suppose there is a smart phone app that could tell me the speed limit!! You just hope as you top a hill that you are going the appropriate speed and that a highway patrol officer is not sitting there waiting for you!!...
...and HURRAY for highway signage!!...I've driven many miles wondering if I really took the right highway exit...because there were no signs to tell me where I was!!...I of course am NOT afraid to just get off at the next exit and retrace my driving steps!! I seem to do that at least once on every trip!!...
...I do not exit now...looking for gas or food...unless there is a sign telling me what is available at that exit. Another HURRAY for whomever thought of that bit of tourist ingeniousness!! And I've learned to NOT exit a place that only has ONE gas or food option listed on one of the signs. Learned the hard way that those signs are not ALWAYS updated in a timely manner...removing the only ONE amenity available.
At one such stops there were several of us bewildered travelers slowly driving through the gas station wondering if it was REALLY closed!!...or what!!?? How CONFUSING!! We ALL looked stupid!!...AHHH...those tourists!!!!
...I now truly appreciate freshly resurfaced roads!! OMG!!...how many miles of pitiful roads have I recently traversed!!??...(6,000 miles in one month Discount Tire told me!!)...and I'm NOT even talking about RURAL Canada and Alaska!!....I even had to get my tires re-aligned after one recent, short trip through Dallas' horrendous roads!! I have decided it is worth getting away from the masses and driving some extra miles along any toll way...rather than on "free" roads...because the toll roads are at least being maintained!!...and are much more secluded!! GREAT for this reclusive gypsy spirit of mine!!...
..Happy driving!! :-D
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