Tinkerbell's Travels

The Hillmer Travel Blog

Best Little Rest Stop in Texas

May 22, 2023

On our way to Central Texas we stopped at – seriously – one of the best rest areas in not just Texas, butt in the whole, big, beautiful country!

We’ve been to hundreds, if not thousands, of rest stops during our travels through our great country.

Some we remember for how nicely they were maintained. Some for the scenic views. Some for the amenities (horse stables, RV dump stations, potable water outlets, etc.)

Most rest stops, truth be told, are not worth remembering. Some are even better forgetting altogether: they’re dirty, they’re smelly, or worse, they’ve got an unsafe vibe about them.

The picnic areas were made of rusted iron sculptures, which stretched from the main building like rays of sunlight.

Welcome to Pecos, TX. Where the rest stop could be confused with a nice park. We’re talking first class amenities. Picnic areas. Playgrounds. Hiking trails.

Effective signage at the entry to the hiking trail.

The parking lot was expansive (guess it’s true that everything’s bigger in Texas)… tons of room for large RVs and tractor trailers on one side, cars and passenger vehicles on the other side. The building that housed the restrooms was visually impressive.

The floor-to-ceiling, staggered windows framed in iron, against the stone walls and wood floors framed a surprisingly (for a rest stop) picturesque view.

There were original pieces of art: sculptures and paintings by local artists.

Life-sized, iron sculptures decorated the rest stop building.

There were educational exhibits. Did you know Pecos is in the Permian Basin, which is a 75,000-square-mile area spanning from west Texas to southeastern New Mexico? And, this area was covered by seas 300 million years ago?

Even the water fountains had art work!

Permian Basin oil and gas production began in 1923. We definitely appreciated seeing a 30 percent drop in the price of diesel from what we’re paying in Tucson.

When you’re filling up a 250-gallon tank, a $1.25/gallon savings makes a huge difference!

Butt, I digress… back to the Pecos Rest Stop 😉

Lastly, the interior design elements were earthy and peaceful; they included stone, wood, and iron. Even the restrooms were nicely designed!

Oh no. I’m becoming Jay: taking design pictures inside bathrooms!
Human trafficking is a real issue all along the southern border.

I never thought I’d be raving about a rest stop… but Pecos, TX, impressed us!

Samantha, aka Scribble, shared her favorite truck driver radio shows with Jay, who in turn, shared his favorite stoicism podcasts.

Soon, we’ll be in Fredericksburg, TX… we’ll see if any more rest stops in The Lone Star State hold a candle to those of a little town called Pecos!

Ziggy is ready to drive us to our next stop!

Nice rest stop!! 🙂 I see Ziggy took a turn driving. Love to you and Jay – Mona Roth

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Ace Hillmer

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