Weird And Wonderful Rest Stops Across America

After countless hours on the road, nothing quite beats seeing a highway rest stop up ahead. It means refilling the tank -- and the belly. 

According to restareahistory.org, our first roadside park was established in 1929 by Michigan engineer Allan Williams. As the story goes, Williams noticed a family having a picnic on a tree stump next to their parked car, but they couldn’t enjoy the food because they had nowhere to sit. In that moment, Williams was struck with the desire to offer travelers a place to take a relaxing break from the road. He built picnic tables out of scrap lumber and placed them along his local freeway. It wasn't long before the state highway commission began receiving letters praising the idea. 

Michigan's highway department authorized the construction of more roadside tables and picnic sites, and by the time the Interstate Highway System was legislated in 1956, nearly every state had a system of roadside parks. By 1972, there were 1,200 rest areas on interstate highways across the country. 

Today, rest stops are woven into the fabric of road trip culture, and they don't just offer routine fast food. Many often stretch thousands of square feet, include unique facilities and reflect the character of their home state. Take the Mars Cheese Castle, a bona-fide dairy mecca in Wisconsin, or the Texan Steak Ranch, a roadside steakhouse with cuts so big, it could only be in Texas.

Enjoy this look at some of America's greatest rest stops. How many have you visited?  

(MORE: Planning a Road Trip? Get Your Travel Forecast with Our Interactive Map)