Wood Booger Top 5: Favorite Rest Areas

Keeping with the theme of my last few blogs today's idea for a Wood Booger Top 5 came to me looking around the Florida Welcome Center and thinking why not do a post on my Top 5 rest areas. I have been to rest areas in at least nine states, but maybe more.  I will admit this list will be southern centric and will be mostly welcome centers. So when on the road here is the list of rest areas you might want to visit.

Honorable Mention:  Smoky Mountain Host of NC – This gem is located outside of Franklin, NC on US 441. It is part rest area and part gift shop. The bathrooms are clean, there are picnic areas but its best feature is the gift shop. Where I have purchased many things, including some excellent coffee. It is Honorable Mention because it is a private run facility, but it is awesome just the same.

Number 5:  I-85 (South) Georgia Welcome Center – I have been to this welcome center many times. It is large has nice bathrooms and

has a spacious area for the brochures of attractions and places of interest. There are some nice trees on the grounds which area beautiful in the fall. Overall it is a very nice rest area.

Number 4: I-85 (North) Rest Area – This one is the only non-welcome center on the list. The rest area is nothing special one of those little ones with separate building for the snack machines and bathrooms. No, it is the view and access to Lake Hartwell that makes this one special. The picnic area sets amongst big pine trees and a great view of the lake. One can also walk right down to the water’s edge. I never stop at the South Carolina Welcome Center because I like this one better.

Number 3: I-26 Tennessee Welcome Center – This is a unique welcome center in many respects. Unlike a lot of rest areas that greets new visitors this one sits 10 miles from the North Carolina/Tennessee State Line. It is also located off an exit (46) so it can be accessed from east or west. Some of the other things that make it special are the information area, besides having brochures it also has a nice fire place. This looks lovely during the holidays. Just a couple of years ago they added a Civil War exhibit. However, the main plus to this welcome center is the mountain vistas it just says East Tennessee.

Number 2: I-95 Florida Welcome Center – This one has always

been a favorite of mine going back to the late 80’s when I started taking I-95 to Florida. It always had that aura that you had arrived in the Sunshine State. Oh, and its biggest plus was the free orange juice and mean you can’t beat that. With it being Florida, the information area is huge. Now it had been a few years since I had visited this welcome center (1997 to be precise), so when I visited it this month there were a few additions. There were now more photo opportunities, but the best thing was these plaques that described animals that inhabit the state like Black Bears, Florida Panthers and Alligators. The best part is there wasn’t just a plaque, but also casts of that said animals foot prints. These are many reasons why it is one of my favorites.

Number 1: I-26 (East) North Carolina Welcome Center – It takes a special rest area to wrestle the title of best away from the one in Florida, but this mountain gem in North Carolina has done just that. This one wasn’t even built when I last visited (before last week) the one at Number 2, but since my first visit I knew it was special. There are not many cleaner and the staff is super friendly. While the information park is not as big as Florida, it is homey with a fire place and chairs that gives one a chance to take a load-off. However, what puts this location over the top is the overlook above the rest area. A short paved .25 mile trail leads up to an overlook with a wonderful view of some of North Carolina’s highest peaks, including Mount Mitchell. This is a great view year round, but a winter snow makes it even more special.