Rest Stop Brochures

You've been stuck in the car for hours trying to make good time but your bladder needs emptied. You've been holding out for a rest stop for far too long, hoping you won't be forced to use a gas station bathroom. Finally the long awaited rest stop appears.

You come out of the bathroom relaxed. Not wanting to get back in the car quite yet, a rack packed to the gills with colorful brochures catches your eye. Wandering over you see they are earnestly trying to entice you with a huge range of themed restaurants, specialty shops, tourist traps, vacation activities, and niche museums.

Rest stop brochures never fail to delight me. Most forms of advertising re-arrange the world to place themselves between you and what you actually want. Billboards obstruct the landscape, sponsors must get a word in before that podcast cliffhanger is resolved, and junk mail tries to trick you into thinking it's an important notice. But the humble rest stop brochure waits patiently off to the side, hoping you'll peruse the pamphlets after you do your overdue business.

There is a wonderful optimism woven into the whole concept. Every brochure represents someone who believes that their folded-up piece of paper will persuade travelers to deviate from their algorithmically optimal routes. Surely upon reading about the 183 flavors available at Tammy's Taffy Trolley you will postpone reaching your grandma's house just to see those endless bins of candy for yourself. If sweets don't strike your fancy then you'll certainly be eager to tour the home where President Polk spent his short retirement. You must be in need of a fine piece of cross-stitched folk art from the craft market a dozen exits away. It's a whole world of destinations all within a half day's drive!

Some locations advertised by the honorable rest stop brochure may be well worth the extra drive, others may be little more than scams for the bored traveler. There's one thing I know for certain, the pamphlets themselves deserve credit. That's why I've created the brochure below. It's my way of telling rest stop brochure stands to give themselves a pat on the back.

If you're planning on visiting a rest stop anytime soon feel free to print this out and stick it in the rack. The brochures there will appreciate it, I'm sure of it.

Brochure of it.