Am I the only one who loves stopping at beautiful rest areas and welcome centers? Let me tell you this. Whenever I cross into a new state, I want to pull over on the side of the highway to get a photo with the state sign.
However, not all states allow for this. I’m sure that it has to do with safety precautions. So, instead of having their signs by the sign of the road, they are in the air and you have to stop at the Welcome Center - which is usually the next stop. I’ve noticed this in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Canada - just to name a few.
Plans for Michigan: The Heidelberg Project
Anywho, on a recent trip, our plan was to explore the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, which I’ve written about before on the blog. Only we were running a bit behind on our trip to Canada, so we nixed the stop.
If you are unfamiliar, the Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art project in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood on Detroit's east side, just north of the city's historically African-American Black Bottom area. It was created in 1986 by the artist Tyree Guyton, who was assisted by his wife, Karen, and grandfather Sam Mackey, all according to Wikipedia.
Michigan Welcome Center at the Gateway to Michigan!
Since visiting the art project was now off the table due to time, we settled for a quick welcome center pitstop at the Monroe Welcome Center located at I75 Northbound at 10 Mile Marker, Monroe, MI 48161. It’s right as you enter Michigan from Ohio and right before you cross into Detroit.
The Welcome Center is also known as the Michigan Welcome Center at the Gateway to Michigan! The rest area was clean, had a nice area of a photo opp, a play area that quickly schooled you on Michigan rocks, and also gave a quick history lesson on when and how Michigan became a state. Lastly, I didn’t expect to see a COVID testing site set up. But, when you think about it, it’s a great idea. You can get tested and know your status as you enter the state.
Reasons Why I Love Rest Areas and Welcome Centers
There are so many reasons to love beautiful rest areas and welcome centers. I love that they offer state sign photo opps, plenty of information, and usually a clean picnic and play area. They are perfect for stopping when on long road trips when you don’t necessarily need to stop at gas stations. They are also great for taking a break and enjoying the picnic-style meal that you brought along on your trip.
My boys know that whenever we are heading out on a road trip, I am packing a quick cooler-style picnic lunch, along with a table cloth so that we can pull over, stretch, rest, eat, and play. This is so ideal if you have younger children. It’s also very budget-friendly and can be healthy depending on the foods and snacks you choose to pack.
I usually keep it pretty simple. I include meat, cheese, and bread for sandwiches, fruits or veggies, some cheese crackers or fruit snacks, and bottled water. I don’t pack a ton of options at all. I keep it simple and stress-free.
I started doing this early with the boys. It gives them a break from being in the car. Gives them some playtime on the playground, or to just run around a bit. They can use the restroom and eat. And, it also takes the pressure off of me because I don’t have the worry of them asking for random things in a store or gas station.
This is also a great time to pull out fun things that you’ve brought along with you. I usually bring fun instant cameras as I did in New York a few years back. And, when the boys were younger, I would bring themed toys and books from Dollar Tree, such as when we went to Dinosaur World in Cave City, Kentucky.
Final Thoughts
Although I have never declared rest areas or welcome centers to be something that I wrote about on the blog, they are actually a significant part of our trips, especially when we spend time there relaxing, eating, and making memories.
What are your thoughts on rest areas and welcome centers?