Opinion on Truck Stops around the USA

There are some good ones. Still in business.

There are many have passed into history forever. These were once Homes, not just truckstop.

When you see a costco, CVS etc. sitting there with a huge lot, chances are a living breathing truck stop lived here.

 

Alas here in Ellsworth next to the McDonalds the new business is going in on what used to be a dodge dealer whom moved up the road a piece. It will have a gargantuan parking area with very little building as well.

 

AW man.

I liked Ellsworth. That little ... unkempt (Which is a nice word...) McDees was a truly handy spot to grab a eat before pushing on west.

That's a major bomber base though if not also a missile field. I had a brother and currently a nephew working out of there. Interestingly enough that Nephew did the work his grandfather did with machine guns in battle. (Afghanistan at least once. That I know of. The rest is not for us to know.)

I worry about him though. Physically with the exception of being 6 foot plus OMG high and 50 more pounds of muscle over me he is a perfect copy of me. (Funny how genetics work sometimes hunh? I'll be setting up a DNA profile this year for myself to answer certain questions beyond scope of this post...) hopefully he gets everything related to machine gunning out of his system by 30. That arthritis might eat him up really bad if he does not watch it. Then again, he will out live us all chasing nurses down the care givers office hall. HA....

One final thought on the bomber bases. They really need to kick it up a notch on those elephant walks and base flushing like they used to do in the Cold War. If i remember right, they could empty a base by having two bombers take off in situations that normally wont happen when one plane is inside the vortex of the other so to speak (Wingtip... literally horizontal tornadoes) and empty that base in a reasonably fast time, I think 15 minutes or so. barely enough time to stay at 500 and firewall the throttles hoping you get downrange enough away from the coming blast from the megatonage due to arrive about 10 minutes after you left. Usually less than that. How far can you shove a B52 in 8 minutes?

The Bones are not the problem, they will get out of town as they do in Dyess in a hell of a hurry. I think 1200 mph at least 8 grand or higher breaking windows as they go. But not much faster than that.

All of them will be crying for tanker loads of aviation fuel in less than a hour. I think we have 80 bones, less than that in Buffs and only about 18 spirits. So the situation is not too difficult to give all of them a drink.

 

The mcdonalds is still there and will remain. I just dont remember what is going to occupy the former Dodge dealer location. (where the circle is)

 

I have a few favorites across the country and they are mostly privately owned .. The Shoemaker in Lincoln NE. has great food., Midway trk stop is another one I like..then the one in I believe Mt. Vernon , KY I think it's called the M.V. truck plaza ..my memory ain't what it once was...but we're running out of the old Mom & Pop places..I fuel at the chains if I have to but , it don't make me like em...there also used to be a good one around Winchester , VA. but can't recall the name of it...maybe one of y'all do or the old ones in Folkston , GA. or Blytheville , AR...??

 

Guess what. Shoemaker is now a Pilot.

 

Thats kinda sad in a way. But maybe they will put in more parking....

That place was always a cluster.

 

I think the restaurant remains the same.

 

Most truck stops i've been to have lots of parking the trouble is when its on a busy freeway the lots of parking becomes lots of full parks, so they need extra extra extra lots of parking, monitored fuel bays with enforced tow away areas, a golf course and a Disney world and that'd just about do it. Oh and a fast train shuttle to the reception area.

 

Ah please say it ain't so !! I know it's been awhile since I've ran thru there. ... what happened to all the antique stuff ? what a stinking shame...they had some great food !!!