There was another little fuel stop east of Denver off I70 in Watkins, CO. Not sure now, but used to have a nice little restaurant. lot was all dirt, but always parking. Dont know if its still there.
What you say reminds me a lot of how trucking is run in Europe. In many of the central European countries (and in the eastern countries, too, at least back before the wall came down..) you would have to have a "carnet", where you would tell customs where you were entering the country, which highways you were using, and any place you were planning to shut down for the night. All of this was just for an 'in-transit' load; picking up and or delivering was even MORE paperwork. Germany and Italy used to be this way, and they also restricted truck travel on weekends as well. I remember reading about this in a British trucking magazine back in the mid-80's, and I decided to see if I could schedule my runs a bit more like that. Of course, back then it was anybody's guess as to how full any particular truckstop would be, but I kept a mental list of good places to just park; things like failed strip malls, certain big-box retail lots, industrial parks, etc. Often, I'd walk to patronize non-trucking-affiliated restaurants too, just for some variety (and often better prices, too). I drove a lot in Canada, and found there were lots of places to stop in smaller towns.
I don’t think any truck stops are fun anymore to me. But when I have a ride along it kinda does make it lil fun because they enjoy looking around. My favorite truck stops is Love’s and Flying J are me. And maybe QT diesel.
The J in Walton KY tonight is amusing. Watching people not interact very well with each other is interesting. And the drop and swap of wiggle wagons made me smile...
Native Pride in Irving, NY is interesting. Cigar shop is nice with a good variety and always weird seeing a dispensary in a truck stop. Diner is pretty decent. Nothing to do in the area, but it’s a good spot for a 10
Anyone remember the Bobber in Effingham, IL off I70 ? It was a bit run down, but safe to park. Food was decent also. Had a nice little game room. I thought it was a cool place
And there was another Bobber on I-44 in Sullivan, Mo across the interstate from where the Flying J is now. It was kind of small but still a nice stop.
I remember that one. Been there many of times. My understanding is that they dozed the place. What a shame it had to close. Anyone remember Dixie truckers home in IL. They had several locations. Free soda in the drivers lounge, decent food. Was a great place to spend a night or two. I'm guessing they all closed down.