Roadside Rest Stops

We recently went on a trip to Calgary and I was grateful for the chance to stop at several roadside rest stops. Perhaps it is the fact that I now travel with two children under the age of three that makes these rest stops so welcome. They give us all a chance to get out of the car and enjoy some fresh air that is not full of diesel exhaust, like when you stop at a gas station, and let everyone stretch their legs. For my son it is a chance to run off some energy after sitting in the car seat for several hours. For my daughter she can get her bottle and some much needed play. For me it is a chance to get my sanity back, because by the time we actually stop at the rest stop the two kids would have been screaming at an ever increasing level.

Not all rest stops are created equal though. Some are better than others and some just downright suck. There are several important elements to make a rest stop worth stopping at.

• A washroom. It can be an outhouse, or a real washroom, but there needs to be some kind of facility to relieve yourself in. If there isn't people just go where ever they want and it just ruins the whole place.
• A picnic table. If there is not a place to seat down and eat your sandwich, just keep driving.
• Some safe area for kids to run in. Avoid those stops that are right along the side of the highway. It is no fun when trucks go screaming past you at 110km/hour.
• Trees, or some kind of wind break. I know this is Saskatchewan and trees are hard to grow in some areas, but try at least! We need a break from the wind sometimes.
• If you can find one that has been recently mowed that is a plus. It just makes it nicer.
• A stop that has a historical marker or some kind of interesting tidbit of information always makes the stop more interesting.

Things you might want to have along to make those rest stops more enjoyable.

• A picnic blanket to put down on the grass and relax.
• Toilet paper, just in case the washroom, that they better have, has run out.
• A picnic lunch or snacks to enjoy while the kids are running around.

Some of the better rest stops that we stopped at.

• The rest stop at Alsask is not to bad. It has an outhouse and is just off the highway so the trucks are not just blasting by
• The rest stop near Swift Current by the wind power station. Has some interesting facts about the wind power generation field.
• The rest stop by Bethune is nice. Just off the highway, with an outhouse and nice trees to block the wind.
• The rest stop on highway 2 just after Findlater is great. Again has an outhouse, trees and is in a nice little valley. It is just north of highway 11 so if you are traveling on highway 11 and are desperate for a break head for this one it is worth it.

As we make more stops at different rest stops I will try and post them here. If you have any that are your favourites please post a comment to let others know.

Happy traveling!