When I first pull out from Wisconsin, it is usually a long way to where I want to make my first stop to camp and explore. I have found that the best way to travel is to spend the night either at a Rest Area or a Walmart.

What is different from Wisconsin as you go west and further south, is that there are larger numbers of people traveling in RVs. So much so that it is not unusual to have numbers of RVs lined up in rows at Walmart along with semis. Some Walmarts have even enlarged parking areas that are just for trucks and RVs as there are no other areas for them to park. So that being said, I have found it very convenient and I have felt it safe at certain rest areas.

There are some factors that I take into consideration. One is that it is not a very small rest area. The larger the better as you will have a lot of other people in vehicles, including cars ,stopping to rest especially overnight. The larger ones also keep the bathrooms open overnight and have some vending machines as well.

I also look at the surrounding area. Some areas just seem sketchy and it’s hard to explain what that is. But often you know it when you see it. So I look for areas that are well kept, the area around the rest area looks good and it is not wide open and elevated to wind. Wind seems to be the driving factor of course when you get West.

The ideal ones are the tourist information sites as soon as you enter a state. That was my light bulb moment on this trip!! Since I had started out late in the afternoon I had just crossed over the border into Minnesota and therefore arrived at their tourist information rest area. What a Bonanza! So I’m going to include a few pictures of it because it was, as I said before, a very pretty and safe area to spend the night.

This was an unusual layout in that it had an island with overhead lights. I chose this side of the island because it allowed me to actually put my slides partially out. This is a no- no otherwise as you are taking the risk of a semi clipping them as they pull into their place next to you. There is just a couple of feet on either side of you when you park within the lines and you are expected to stay within the lines! I make sure I am well within the line when I put my steps out or else you are really asking for it because they may not even see them. So this was a good spot. 😊

Minnesota also had their rest areas along interstate 90, well spaced. They were approximately an hour’s drive apart. This was perfect for me as I would stop at each one to get out and walk 500 to 1,000 steps. I made this a priority on the second day of the trip as I was awoken by so many leg cramps the first night. You can’t really put an RV on cruise control with hills. At least my truck kicks in very hard when it’s on cruise control so I have to keep it on manual control which does not give your legs a rest. The walking helped a lot as I did not have any cramps the second night and slept well!!

Onward !!!