all,

i am getting the chance to visit a lot of truck stops on this road trip.  i love truck stops.

first and foremost, you see every walk of life in a truck stop.  those that are in a hurry.  those who are so thankful to have a break, and just want to dilly dally.  those with tons of kids in tow.  those with no kids.  those that are having a good time even though they are in the midst of a long trip, and those who are obviously very upset with everything in life at this particular moment in time.  different outfits too.  every t-shirt you can imagine.  every type of shoe imaginable.  many and varied hats too.

truck stops are mayhem.  many people doing different things.  getting food, getting snacks, getting parts for their vehicles, utilizing the restrooms.  so if you like mayhem, truck stops are the place to be.

in addition, one of the great things about truck stops is that they are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.  isn’t that great!  you never have to worry about what their operating hours are.  when do they open and when do they close.  no worries.  always there for you.

i need to put an asterisk on my last point.  even though the truck stop is open 24/7, that does not mean that each of the food outlets is open all night.  for example, last night at the truck stop i was at, Carvel Snow Cones closed at 10pm and Wendy’s closed at midnight. as you can see from the picture below that i ate fairly late last night at Wendy’s and ordered a very healthy meal.

another great thing about truck stops is that they are “life savers”, or at least that is how i view them. i usually am very low — like, i mean really low — on gas, and the sign in the distance that tells you there is a truck stop ahead is viewed as a life saver.  many after driving 3 or 4 hours in their cars view the truck stop as a life saver because they have to relieve themselves, and do so NOW.   others view the need for “fix” of coca cola or a mounds bar or something else as essential to their continued well being.  a “life saver” is all in the eyes of the beholder.

in addition truck stops have almost anything you may need on a long journey.

i love the staff at a truck stop.  they are all business and they are tough.  they have seen everything.  nothing shocks them, and they have an answer to every question you can imagine.  you don’t work for a truck stop if you are shy, meek, stand offish, or an introvert.  no.  you have to be able to hold your own if you work at a truck stop.

but most, i am in awe of the truckers themselves.  what a unusual lot of human beings.  long haul truck drivers are a breed unto themselves.  each different, and each unique.  very few words are said by them, but you have the feeling that they have a lot to be said that resides inside of them.  maybe my fascination with them is envy.  i have always wanted to be an long haul over the road truck driver.

finally, i love truck stops because of all the services that they offer the truckers.  my goodness, there is a lot going on in a truck stop that most people never see.  for example, last night i stayed at the Flying J Travel Center (aka truck stop) in Ehrenberg, Arizona, just across the Colorado River from California on Interstate 10.  they have a game room.  they have chairs that you can sit in, put in your coins and get a massage.  they have a TV viewing room with plenty of comfortable chairs.  they have special individual shower rooms.  they have a full washer and dryer room.  what don’t they have?  they have everything.  needless to say, i took advantage of most of the rooms.  my favorite room was the TV room because i could work on my laptop while i watched an interesting documentary about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the National Geographic station.  and i was not alone.  i had four truck drivers in the room watching the same show.

you may be wondering why would i stay at this truck stop.  there is a story to tell, and i will do that in my next blog entry.