Take it from an experienced travel writer: These are the best rest stops in New England. (And one rises to the top.)
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The fries, drenched in gravy (with what I think were cheese curds), were delicious. But as anyone who has driven through New England knows, this is a rarity. Rest stops are hit-and-miss. Usually miss. You may face the dreaded 'Parking Area, No Facilities' sign or get lucky and hit the charming barn in Guilford, Vt. My job requires a lot of driving, and I've kept a mental inventory of the best and worst of these pit stops.
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For this list, I tried to find the best rest area in each state, which was not always easy (*cough* — Rhode Island). Some states had multiple contenders. Let's hit the road and start the exploration.
The rest stop in Hooksett, N.H., is the Boston Globe's pick for best rest stop in New England.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Best rest stop in New England: Hooksett Welcome Center (north and southbound).
I don't bestow this honor lightly, but Hooksett comes out on top because it meets all the criteria for a good rest stop and then some. First, there are the practical components. A rest stop should have a clean bathroom, which is probably why 95 percent of motorists pull off the highway. Hooksett's are sparkling and spacious. The rarity of Hooksett is that it covers all the basics, such as restrooms and a service station where you can top off your tank with gas or electricity to continue on your way. It also has a wide variety of local culinary offerings, plus the necessary bric-a-brac and toys to keep ankle-biters happy on long journeys.
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Snowglobes for sale at the Hooksett rest area in New Hampshire.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
This all comes courtesy of New Hampshire hospitality group
The big apple at the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Information in Lancaster. The rest stop sells locally made goods, from pink flamingos to Polar soda.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Best in Massachusetts: Tie - Johnny Appleseed Visitors' Center, Lancaster/Ludlow Service Plaza (I-90 eastbound).
The rest stops in Massachusetts are (currently) in a sorry state. Your choices are either the ubiquitous and infuriating parking areas, which only offer facilities for dogs, meaning a patch of grass, or the Massachusetts Turnpike structures that have all the charm of a mall food court circa 1992. There are plans afoot to update the I-90 rest stops. The Irish company Applegreen
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A rendering of a highway service plaza redevelopment proposal from Applegreen.
Upland Architects
These new and improved rest stops are several years,
The McDonald's on the eastbound side of I-90 in Ludlow is a charming architectural throwback.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
The westbound Charlton rest stop on I-90 is often called out as one of the best in the state. Its biggest advantage is that it's large and has a Papa Gino's. Other than that, this stop is about as appealing as a bowl of cold Cream of Wheat.
The crown jewel of Massachusetts rest areas is in Lancaster, off of Route 2 westbound. Behold the cute-as-a-button
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The Johnny Appleseed Visitor Information Center in Lancaster sells locally made alpaca finger puppets.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
There are plenty of Johnny Appleseed-branded products sold here, plus goods made locally. You can buy pink flamingos (the pink flamingo
The rest stop in Guilford, Vt., is one of the most beautiful in New England.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Best in Vermont: Guilford Welcome Center (I-91 northbound).
Vermont's rest stops are in a league of their own, putting other states' bland welcome centers to shame. The post-and-beam barn that houses the Guilford rest stop and welcome center was constructed in 1999 and pays tribute to Vermont's agricultural roots. This is one of the most scenic rest stops in New England. The barn has rocking chairs inside with views of the pastoral surroundings. Anything you want to know about the state can be answered by one of the knowledgeable staff members or the hundreds of pamphlets. Rest stop pamphlet surfing is one of my favorite pastimes.
The rest stop in Guilford, VT, has a playground for kids needing to stretch their legs during road trips.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Outside, you can relax in Adirondack chairs, have lunch under the covered picnic, view antique farm equipment, and let the kids work out their pent-up road trip energy at the playground. Back inside, there are sparkling restrooms, locally made products for sale, plus an ATM. There's plenty of charm; however, other necessities are absent. The only food to be had is from vending machines, and there's no gas station at the stop. RVs are welcome overnight, and although the hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., motorists can still access the restrooms and vending machines after hours.
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I'm going to add the rest stop in Williston here for good measure (I-89 northbound and southbound), because it offers free coffee and is housed in a beautiful building.
The Connecticut welcome center and rest stop in Danbury is basic, but well-maintained.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Best in Connecticut: Connecticut Visitors Center (I-84 eastbound).
Connecticut's rest stops serve up a pastiche of eras and services. If you're looking for pit stops that are big and devoid of character, there are plenty to choose from. The Darien stop (I-95 northbound) has all of your food court favorites, such as Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Subway, Sbarro, and McDonald's. These service plazas, dotting I-95, Route 15, and I-395, are duller than a Dwayne Johnson film retrospective. My travels tend to take me up and down I-84, where you'll find rest areas straight out of the 1950s. Sure, they lack food courts and gas stations, but they have picnic tables and grills (!) for cooking your own al fresco roadside cuisine. It dates back to 'Mad Men'-era trips when families packed a cooler and picnicked. I've never grilled food at a rest stop, but after checking out the Danbury stop, I'm tempted.
Danbury also ranks high because it has a large area for dogs (complete with fire hydrants) and a friendly staff. The last time I dropped in, I asked for an offbeat museum recommendation and was directed to the
The Cliff Walk, a national recreation trail in a national historic district of Newport, is home to the 40 stair walk down to the coast line.
Heather Diehl/For The Boston Globe
Rhode Island: None.
Rhode Island is a state you can drive through quickly, but that doesn't excuse its lack of facilities. Aside from a basic truck stop in Richmond, your best bet is pulling off the highway and using the facilities at gas stations, Dunkin', Stop & Shop, Lowes, or Home Depot. Better yet, wait until you hit Massachusetts or Connecticut.
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A sign welcomes motorists to Maine at the Kittery Visitor's Center.
Christopher Muther/Globe Staff
Best in Maine: Maine State Visitor Information Center, Kittery (I-95 northbound).
For pure convenience, the Maine rest stop scores high. Also, any stop that has a statue of
The Kittery stop is lacking gas and food options (aside from vending machines), but if you're looking for food, you should drive 15 minutes up the road to
Christopher Muther can be reached at
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