I imagined these areas as dirty and dark places made of concrete with jail-like windows and a constant whiff of urine.
Then we drove from Georgia to Washington DC and I became a frequent visitor to rest areas myself. Now, before you let your dirty mind wander... I was there for the bright and clean toilets, the tempting vending machines and to laugh at the hilarious 'pet rest areas,' which I always imagined would be like giant outdoor litter boxes. Toilets might seem unexciting in the grand scheme of travelling but when you are blessed with a bladder the size of a hazelnut, they become a very big deal indeed.
In Brazil I nearly had a number of 'accidents' because I never mastered the Portuguese way of asking for the loo's location. I managed to get it right in Spanish, but still got caught in embarrassing pickles, like running into the men's section.
In the States, however, I found my own loo heaven. There was never time to grow anxious about needing to 'powder my nose'.
Just when the need arose, so too did a friendly sign letting us know the next rest area was waiting for us a few miles down the interstate.
We drove 922km from Savannah to DC, and I was never let down once by the US rest stop system. God Bless America.
Next stop: How many museums can two keen Kiwis pack in with two days in Capital City?
Check out more photos from my trip in my Flickr album.
Find out about the United States.
Read more of Kelly's blogs.
