Welcome To Case's Column
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.
In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Texas Rest Areas Show New Waves Of Life
For years, I just saw no need to stop at them. You could just hear the jokes about the restrooms and the vandalism and how there's no soap and the payphones don't work and the toilets won't flush, on and on and on.
The rest areas on Texas' interstate highways had become aged and tired. And bland!
So, the Texas Department of Transportation had decided to get creative and do something about it. The movement actually began in earnest about ten years ago, and I'm just now writing to you about it. But I am glad they did; now, there are many refurbished or totally new rest stops with some creative, imaginative regional touches to the new facilities, with improved amenities and larger places for truckers and smaller vehicles alike. The older I get, the more tired I get, so I sometimes need a safe place to take a nap or get up and stretch when traveling hundreds of miles. At these improved facilities, now I can. 
I am proud of the initiative my home state has taken in improving travel for people and all the things they contain. Not all of the facilities have been refurbished or replaced, but it's now a vast majority. For want of a better idea, I've included the TXDOT connection to Texas rest stops, not just on the interstates, but, also, on the secondary highways, too. It's very user-friendly.
Texas Safety Rest Area Map
If you're interested in visiting this great state, you might want to use this guide sometime. Feel free to save it to your favorites. And even if you're a Texas resident and haven't had occasion to look at it, you will be fascinated. It'll have links to pictures and a lot of things you want to know about our Texas rest areas and the places of interest associated with where the stops are.
The rest areas on Texas' interstate highways had become aged and tired. And bland!
So, the Texas Department of Transportation had decided to get creative and do something about it. The movement actually began in earnest about ten years ago, and I'm just now writing to you about it. But I am glad they did; now, there are many refurbished or totally new rest stops with some creative, imaginative regional touches to the new facilities, with improved amenities and larger places for truckers and smaller vehicles alike. The older I get, the more tired I get, so I sometimes need a safe place to take a nap or get up and stretch when traveling hundreds of miles. At these improved facilities, now I can. I am proud of the initiative my home state has taken in improving travel for people and all the things they contain. Not all of the facilities have been refurbished or replaced, but it's now a vast majority. For want of a better idea, I've included the TXDOT connection to Texas rest stops, not just on the interstates, but, also, on the secondary highways, too. It's very user-friendly.
Texas Safety Rest Area Map
If you're interested in visiting this great state, you might want to use this guide sometime. Feel free to save it to your favorites. And even if you're a Texas resident and haven't had occasion to look at it, you will be fascinated. It'll have links to pictures and a lot of things you want to know about our Texas rest areas and the places of interest associated with where the stops are.
Total Comments 3
Comments
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It really is a great guide. Texas has one of the better, more user-friendly sites in the country and it seems they're always doing new things. It no doubt will make my travels a bit easier now. Many of the rest areas are vastly improved over what was. The newer locations also have great lighting at night.Posted 07-12-2013 at 02:18 PM by malfunction
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That's the thing I noticed, too. Those things will make overnight travelers feel much safer.Quote:Originally Posted by malfunction
The newer locations also have great lighting at night.Posted 07-12-2013 at 05:03 PM by case44 
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Normally, on the freeways, TXDOT's recent new rule stated that a rest area could not be located within 50 miles of a major metro area. In looking at the Texas rest area guide, I'm a little surprised by the location of one rest area pair (northbound and southbound). The pair that are located on I-27 north of Lubbock breaks that rule (they're only 22 miles north of Lubbock's downtown district). To be fair, those rest areas were actually built before the rule was implemented, unless the TXDOT folks knew that a change was to take place. Granted, North Lubbock isn't much, but still....Posted 07-27-2013 at 06:24 AM by case44
