Ahoy Midwestern Travellers: Any Great Pitstops Along I-80?

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Driving from NYC to Chicago and looking for somethings to break up the stretch.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

I've never bothered breaking up the stretch; I kinda prefer to just write off a day and get the whole thing over with at once.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

I'm just looking for places beside McDoom to eat. I'm travelling with a vegetarian.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

of you were to continyuh you could stop at the PIONEER ARCH or whatever it is in kearney, NE

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

Well here's something: if you're an east coast native and new to the Midwest, just stop in some Ohio rest stops and soak in the vibe. Apparently it's jaw-droppingly strange and exotic.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 11 August 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

In Akron, OH there's a nice vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurant called The Must@rd Seed. I used to work there. They even have macrobiotic meals. It's not off of I-80 directly, but it's off of 77, which connects with I-80.

― The Milkmaid (of Human Kindness) (The Milkmaid), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

http://www.roadsideamerica.com

― kingfish completely hatstand (Kingfish), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

xpost

Seriously, though, there's nothing I can think of that's actually along the highway; for most of the way it's just rest stops and little gas-towns. For actual cities and towns, you'll have to go off the highway path a bit, which'll cost a bit of time. And since it's a full-day trip, losing a little time tends to mean stopping for the night when you're almost there ... which is, I suppose, why I've never thought about doing much other than grabbing rest-stop food and trucking onward.

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

no no chicago IS the rest stop on the way to central iowa!

i'm probably wrong but i don't consider anything east of chicago to be in the midwest anyway

― geoff (gcannon), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

There's a Panera Bread somewhere along the Ohio Turnpike. Sure, it's a chain, but it's better than McDonald's or Taco Bell.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

(Actually, I assume it's still there. I'm realizing now that was five years ago.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

cool. xpost: I figured Midwesterners who travel might know about the highways, yeah.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

That Panera is still there. But I'm telling you - the Must@rd Seed is worth a bit of a detour, if you're detouring for food. It's good.

― The Milkmaid (of Human Kindness) (The Milkmaid), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

Short answer: No. There's always Subway, though.
Nabisco, I've lived in the Midwest all my life and I still found Ohio rest stops to be strange and exotic. Esp that smelly old man who was walking around the restroom with no pants.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

I-80 is a wasteland.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

Asphalt and gasoline it is, then.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

when into iowa, make sure to stop at Iowa 80 in Walcott for the country's biggest truckstop. you can get your haircut or go to the dentist even!

― robots in love (robotsinlove), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

Only THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRUCKSTOP.

― jennpb (jennpb), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

xpost
I hear there's even sensual massage!

― jennpb (jennpb), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

some place in Walcott has this pizza:
http://www.hoari.com/checkered_flag/tacojoe.jpg
Taco Joe Refried beans, taco seasoned beef & sausage, topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, taco chips & served with hot sauce.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

What part of Iowa is between NYC and Chicago?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

none, but nobody reads in ILX land.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

maybe that one part called "indiana"?

― jennpb (jennpb), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

That's where they grow the potatoes, right?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

Potatoes and skiing, that's what the state's know for.

― jennpb (jennpb), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:50 (twenty years ago)

sorry, known

― jennpb (jennpb), Thursday, 11 August 2005 19:50 (twenty years ago)

WALCOTT!! robots in love knows where the good stuff is!!

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)

yeah you gotta go to IOWA 80, dude.

i liked des moines but you gotta drive off the highway a bit to see the capitol/cool part of town. also, it's worth a detour to check out salt lake city, if ya ask me. go eat at the red iguana, it's on the main road going out west to slc's airport.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

that's quite a detour.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

yeah, my suggestion of Iowa 80 was based on:
no no chicago IS the rest stop on the way to central iowa!, despite the inital question of NYC to Chicago. Not to say this shouldn't/couldn't be an all-encompassing I-80 thread....

― robots in love (robotsinlove), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

I'll drop in on SLC on my way to Pensecola.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

slc is not that far out of the way.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

If you're headed to Los Angeles, maybe:
http://www.caltrux.org/images/us_hiways_map.gif

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

http://www.auburn.edu/~jfdrake/teachers/gainey/homer/decision.gif

― geoff (gcannon), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:33 (twenty years ago)

http://www.littleamerica.com/wyoming/index.html

― M. V. (M.V.), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

"Ever meet anyone from Wyoming? Me neither." - Lou Reed

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

And yet, there he is, suitcase in his-- standin' on the--

Aw, fuck it.

― M. V. (M.V.), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:41 (twenty years ago)

I dunno, I haven't checked a map lately, but I still think SLC is pretty far out of the way for someone going from NYC to Chicago.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

stence are you high? SLC is like over 1,400 miles from chicago

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Thursday, 11 August 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

oh fuck i misread it as california, nevermind.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:02 (twenty years ago)

if you ignore my sub-qualifier, stence has properly answered the thread question.
Wait a minute, does Kentucky count as part of the Midwest???

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

kentucky is partially midwest/partially south. but it's a ways off i-80.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

you could check out williamsport, pa. home of the little league world series.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

Potatoes and skiing, that's what the state's know for.

Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, what's the difference.

― lyra (lyra), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:06 (twenty years ago)

But you'd call yourself a Midwestern Traveller, right. I suppose you could just travel the Midewest without being from there and still call yourself a Midwestern Traveller.

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

if you're travelling in the midwest, yeah, i guess.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

to anyone west of chicago, ohio seems like some weird limbo region between the east and the midwest. indiana seems midwestern enough, but I'm really tempted to just write off anything east of lake superior as the great lakes region

― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

Dude, if you're travelling from NYC to Chicago, just keep on driving. There's nothing to see here. Seriously.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

the Delaware Water Gap along 80 on the NJ/Penn border is cool scenery

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 11 August 2005 21:37 (twenty years ago)

Go to Map Reference 41 North 93 West!

I'll drop in on SLC on my way to Pensecola.
Why Pensacola?

― Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 11 August 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

Having driven that stretch of road numerous times...there's nothing. Uh, you can stop in Cleveland, and Cedar Point is just off the freeway...other than that its a stretch. Buy fireworks in Indiana, because they have really good ones there. You've never seen more nothing than PA. Well, until you reach the area between Sandusky and Toledo. And the Toledo to Gary stretch.

So yeah. Just stay in your car and leave to fill up.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Thursday, 11 August 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

If you get off in Ohio at State Route 8 (I think it's around mile 173?) Go south on 8 for about 2 miles and turn right on SR 303. Go into the town of Peninsula .. There are some small, but big-enough national parks around there you can hike in. There are also quarries you can walk around in and an old lock from the Erie Canal. Also, if you know where to look, there's an old company town (quasi slave-labor/indentured servant town) just North of 303, if it's still there. And you can drive a little further west and pick up 80 again (get a map!) There's not a ton of stuff to see there, but it might be a nice diversion without going too far out of your way.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Friday, 12 August 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

Milkmaid OTM re: Mustard Seed. Only bad thing about the Akron one is that it's smack-dab in the middle of a very congested suburban-sprawl area, so allow extra time if you're heading through there at peak times. There's another MS in Solon, but it's farther from the turnpike. I'd kill (or at least commit a felony) for an MS on the West Side of Cle. Whole Foods hasn't invaded here yet.

Panera's probably your best bet if you're just sticking to the Turnpike service plazas.

― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Friday, 12 August 2005 00:37 (twenty years ago)

Solon isn't too far off 80. Get off 80 in Streetsboro and take 14 West to Twinsburg & North on 91 to Solon. Then you can take 82 west to 8 to get back on 80. (There may be a better way..) But Solon is the epitome of suburban sprawl gone mental... depending on the time of day, it won't be relaxing one fucking bit.

If you choose to go to the Akron Mustard Seed, stop by Square Records at Highland Square...

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Friday, 12 August 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

Dave, yes, if you approach Solon from the south via SR 91, you're in trouble. But I take US 422 to 91, and Mustard Seed is right there. That way's not too congested except at rush hour, but granted it's not the best way to get there from the Turnpike. (OTM re: Square Records also.)

― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Friday, 12 August 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

Forgot: another a-bit-off-the-Turnpike-but-worth-the-trip: Tony Packo's in Toledo.

― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Friday, 12 August 2005 01:11 (twenty years ago)

Word.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Friday, 12 August 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

If you choose to go to the Akron Mustard Seed, stop by Square Records at Highland Square...

BIG UPS to Square Records! My friends own that store (hi guys) and they are buena gente if there ever was such a thing. Jeff Wright and Tipsy OTM! Woo! Akron Pride!

Ok, I'm done. The record store is on the same street (Market) as the restaurant, just a few (very congested) miles east.

― The Milkmaid (of Human Kindness) (The Milkmaid), Friday, 12 August 2005 01:42 (twenty years ago)

the only stretch of i-80 i have done that is east of chicago, is from nyc to jim thorpe, in eastern pa. jim thorpe isnt far off 80 and is very pretty pretty, sort of swiss village style, a bit touristy, maybe not of any interest, but hey, heres some pics anyway

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/pics/jimthorpe.html

stence may remember his trip to the derby with mary, matos, jbr etc, from where mary sent me this great postcard (somewhere along i-80 i guess)

http://www.norfolkwindmills.com/postcards/interstate80.jpg

― charltonlido (gareth), Friday, 12 August 2005 04:35 (twenty years ago)

Indiana's pretty boring.

― Bob b (bobnope), Friday, 12 August 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

no way dude, the dunes! too late for sexyDancer, but going swimming at the dunes is the JAM.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 12 August 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

i wonder what interstate stops the portcitydancer made

when it comes to the midwest, are the environs of i-70 underrated, in comparison to world of i-80

is lincoln in the midwest?

― terry lennox. (gareth), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:24 (twenty years ago)

lincoln, nebraska? great plains, i guess.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

I gotta say, the interstate map posted above is innacurate. There is no freeway along the southern part of the UP of Michigan/Northern Wisconsin.

― Df'nM (OutDatWay), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

inaccurate? innaccurate? whatever.

― Df'nM (OutDatWay), Thursday, 5 January 2006 15:50 (twenty years ago)

BIG UPS to Square Records! My friends own that store (hi guys) and they are buena gente if there ever was such a thing. Jeff Wright and Tipsy OTM! Woo! Akron Pride!

I think MIlkmaid posted something about Square records on the OHIO thread too .. and wrote "(hi guys)" after the name there too! It's almost like that's the store's full name! (Reminds me of "Cambridge (our fair city) MA" .. "Square Records (hi guys)".)

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:01 (twenty years ago)

is lincoln in the midwest?

when it comes to the midwest, are the environs of i-70 underrated, in comparison to world of i-80

meaning KS or NE? would one rate the environs of any interstate? E-W I'd pick US 50/56 in KS

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 6 January 2006 05:10 (twenty years ago)

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