OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

Our family has spent a lot of time driving back and forth across the country, initially when my wife's family moved back to the West coast and we were still living in Michigan. Later, after we moved to California, our families were back in the Michigan. And then our oldest son and his family moved to Texas. And then just a couple of years ago, our youngest son decided to move to Michigan.

So over the years, we've made a lot of trips between SoCal and Michigan, SoCal and Texas, as well as trips up the coast to Oregon and Washington where my wife still has family.

Well, when you're on the road like we're a lot, you make lost of stops at roadside 'rest areas'. And over the years, we've seen them evolve and change. Also, different themes in different states.

So I thought that over the never few posts I would share some of the photos that I've taken which has memorialized these roadside stops:

This was a stop in North Dakota that we made on our very first drive to Washington from Michigan (that's our oldest, who's now 53) - August 1973 - Minolta SRT-101, 135mm


This was a few years later on another trip to Washington, when we stopped for a break in Montana (that's our oldest and his brother, who'll be 53 in December) - August 1976 - Minolta SRT-101, 58mm


Another stop on the trip to Washington, this time outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota - Minolta SRT-101, 35mm


And here we are on our move to California stopping at the Lincoln Monument at the high point of the interstate between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming - August 1980 - Minolta SRT-101, 58mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

A few more stops on some other long trips...

The Texas Canyon rest stop near Benson, Arizona - September 2002 - Minolta X-700, 50mm


The Grass Lake rest area near Montague, California on our way to Washington state - September 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


Another view of The Grass Lake rest area near Montague, California on our way to Washington state - September 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


This stop was near Smithville, Texas - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


A pretty basic rest stop without any modern facilities near Smithville, Texas - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


But is was an interesting view near Smithville, Texas - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


Including a view of a ubiquitous oil well (after all, this was Texas) - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

This next few shots were from a business trip where I was driving from Detroit to Minneapolis and enjoying the fall colors...

A rest area off of I-75 near Indian River, Michigan - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


That had a nice walking path into the forest - - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


And where you could enjoy the solitude of the woods and the Fall colors - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


A little further up the road I stopped neat Brevort, Michigan not far past the Mackinaw Bridge in the UP - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


And then a stop, a few more miles along US2, at the Cut River Bridge, near Epoufette, Michigan - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


And a nice shot of the Cut River Bridge itself - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2


To say nothing of bright Yellow and Gold of the trees near the parking area - October 2011 - Sony DSC-H2

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

Now this was on one of our trips to Texas...

This was a stop in Arizona where it's best to not wonder far from the facilities - May 2014 - Sony A65, 28-75mm


And as you can see, there's not much reason to wonder afar - May 2014 - Sony A65, 28-75mm


A bit further down the road we stopped to look at some of the Saguaro Cactus near Stanfield, Arizona - May 2014 - Sony A65, 28-75mm


And this stop was near Kerrville, Texas where there was a bit more foliage - May 2014 - Sony A65, 28-75mm


And we had some more modern facilities - May 2014 - Sony A65, 28-75mm


This was on our return trip, stopping Fort Stockton, Texas - May 2014 - Apple iPhone 4S


At least we had a chance to let the car cool off in the shade - May 2014 - Sony A65, 10-24mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

When you have four granddaughters in Texas, each a couple of years apart in age, when they start graduating, you've got to be there, so this was our trip for Tyler, granddaughter #1...

This was the Sentinel rest area near Dateland, Arizona - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This was an area where there had been a lot of volcanic activity. The black area that you see are lava beds - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And here's some chunks of the lava up close (there was a sign asking people NOT to take any 'souvenirs') - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

Now this was a trip up to Bellevue, Washington state for a weekend retreat at a church where my wife and I were volunteering with a group from our church...

A rest area near Coalinga, California - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Butting-up to the rest area was a grove of Pistachio trees - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


That was jsut loaded with Pistachios - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Another stop a bit further North, near Lakehead, Califronia, which is at the top of Lake Shasta - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And where we had a nice view of the lake - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


To say nothing of Mount Shasta itself - June 2016 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

And then we made a long drive to Michigan to visit family and friends...

A stop was made at the Melia Hill Rest Area near Melia, Nebraska - August 2017 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

And now another trip to Washington state, but this was to visit family and friends...

A stop at the Maxwell Rest Area near Williams, California - October 2017 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Another view of the Maxwell Rest Area near Williams, California - October 2017 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

Another trip to Michigan, only this time was helping our youngest son, Dan, move. His job is close to 100% on-line so he can live wherever he can get a good internet connection, so he decided it was cheaper to live in Michigan than SoCal...

This was our first stop in Newberry Springs, California - October 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This was a really modern and well equipped rest area near Alanreed, Texas - October 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And on the Oklahoma Turnpike they're not really rest areas, but what they call an Oasis, which can be accessed by drivers in both directions since it's built over the highway - October 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And this was on my way back at a rest stop near Winslow, Arizona - October 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

I then had to make a quick trip up to Sonoma, California for a funeral...

My first stop off the I-5 was near Buttonwillow, California - November 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Next stop at the Coalinga - Avenal Rest Stop near Coalinga, California - November 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Again, and very nice, well equipped rest area at Coalinga - November 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This was on my return trip, stopping near Vernalis, California - November 2018 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Interesting set. Maybe it would be a good idea to break these up into different groups so there is not so many all at once.

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

They're basically broken-up by trips, except for the for first couple.

Laramie Loc: Tempe

Arizona at one time prided itself of a Rest Stop with or without 'facilities' Every 20 miles. Now, they are (mostly) all gone, replaced, I guess, by gas stations or restaurants sometimes nearby.

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

This was a trip where a I drove to Salt Lake City and picked-up an old classmate, who had flown in from Virginia, and we then headed-up to Anaconda, Montana to have dinner with his sister and then eventually driving to just North of Fargo, North Dakota to visit another classmate who had fallen on hard times and was in a long-term care home for veterans...

My first stop at the Valley Wells Rest Area, near Baker, California - April 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


A rest stop off the I-15 in Idaho - April 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


A rest stop near Wibaux, Montana - April 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And here's a nice, new rest stop near Beach, North Dakota - April 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And on our way back, a stop at the Glacial Lakes Rest Area, near Rosholt, South Dakota - April 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm

OldCADuser Loc: Irvine, CA

Then it was off to Texas once more, this time for Sydney, granddaughter #2's graduation. Afterwards, we headed to Michigan, for my wife's 55th high school reunion, which she organized via her cell phone as we were driving to Texas...

A rest stop near Ehrenberg⁩, ⁨Arizona - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Another one of those rest areas where it was better to stay close to where you parked your car, near Deming, New Mexico - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Another one of those big, modern rest areas, near Coyanosa⁩, Texas - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


And we stopped at the Silver Lake Rest Area, near Silver Lake, Illinois - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This was the Clearcreek Welcome Center on the Illinois/Indiana Border, ‎⁨near West Terre Haute, Indiana - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


Another modern facility at the Pipe Creek Rest Area, near Gaston, Indiana - May 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


The Colorado Welcome Center near Julesburg, Colorado - June 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This Welcoming Center was also a memorial to the Pony Express - June 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm


This was one of the oddest looking rest area I've ever seen, near Parachute, Colorado - June 2019 - Sony a6000, 16-50mm