October 7, 2009

(Don't You Be a) Passerby

I have an inexplicable affinity for rest areas. Some are undoubtedly preferable to others - I've grown quite fond of those on the New Jersey Turnpike, likely a result of having frequented them so often over the years. I find a strange comfort in them, and I really enjoy the fact that they're named after an interesting variety of people, from Walt Whitman, to Vince Lombardi, to Grover Cleveland. Alternatively, I find some stops in Connecticut to be a little strange. I once waited out a downpour in the parking lot of one of these, and even when surrounded by other cars, I still found myself discomforted by the desolation of the rest area.

But of the ones I've seen so far, none hold a candle to those found off the Ohio Turnpike. These places are spacious, immaculate (particularly for a rest area), and filled with restaurants whose food I actually want to eat, from Einstein Brothers Bagels, to Panera. They are also easily the most redeemable thing about Ohio (with the exception of the Cleveland Clinic, I think). See for yourselves:




Pretty nice, right? Places like this really make unwanted road trips worth it.

As an added bonus, as of this month, the Ohio Turnpike is finally joining most of the east coast in offering E-Z Pass. What's not to like?

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