Due to the heavy snow and the temporary closure of the 402 earlier this week, we had heard that trucks were being rerouted to the Windsor - Detroit border crossing from the Sarnia - Port Credit crossing. As it was already past 6 PM and we still hoped to make it to Cincinnati tonight we opted for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel thinking it would be faster than the Ambassador Bridge.
We were in luck! We sailed through both the toll booth and U.S. Border Security with no wait at all. Instead of taking our usual route, we followed the instructions of our TomTom GPS taking us into deserted and unknown territory within inner city Detroit. Despite our temporary distrust, our TomTom navigator got us safely and efficiently onto I75 heading south out of Detroit.
Our first stop was at the TA TravelCenters of America in Monroe, MI. Although our stated task was to eat at truck stops, we were going to cheat this first time as we had packed a lunch (which we had not yet eaten) for the road. So, we filled the car with gas and as we both wanted to be wide awake for our remaining drive headed inside to pick up a Pepsi and coffee.
TA TravelCenter of America
1255 N. Dixie Hwy
Monroe, MI
We did not yet have an established protocol for our truck stop visits. So we entered the TA with an open mind and a digital camera. The store was bright, clean and well-organized. Our recollections from previous road-trips were of stores filled with junk food and bad coffee.
Fruit & Water Case
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
So, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed when we were greeted by this cooler near the front entrance with wrapped sandwiches, bottled water, miscellaneous wrapped deli items and a sign stating Fresh Fruit Bowls for $2.49! There were no fruit bowls to be seen, but it was almost 8 PM and we were going to assume that they were sold out.
Fresh fruit stand
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
A nearby end-cap display contained baskets of fresh fruit (bananas, apples and oranges) and PowerBars were on sale in the self-serve concession area for 2 for $1. Offering a somewhat healthier alternative to the hotdogs and nachos.
PowerBar Sale
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
We also discovered a refrigerator case near the cold drink section with a selection of wrapped sandwiches, beef and chicken burgers, green and fruit salads.
Burgers, sandwiches and salads
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
The specials listed at the entrance of the Country Pride Restaurant advertised Ribeye & Eggs with hashbrowns and toast for $9.99, Ribeye Dinner with potatoes and salad bar for $10.99 and a Rueben Sandwich with fries for $7.99. There were at least a dozen lone truckers eating in the restaurant. Some eating alone, a few checking email or updating their Facebook status and others reading the paper. The salad bar looked fresh with ample garnishes and dressings, however, the simple romaine lettuce did not entice us.
As we walked back towards the self-serve concession area, we noticed one truck driver with his soft-sided personal cooler opening a can of stew and heating his dinner in the microwave oven provided, but also noticed what appeared to be a lack of seating for individuals who wanted to stop and eat, but not order from the restaurant.
Burton Stove to Go
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
What really caught our attention was the selection of personal cooking devices available. As I was taking this shot Rochester (not his real name) approached us saying "Those cookers work real good." He told us that he had both models of the 12 V Burton Stove to Go as well as the coffee maker. He was particularly impressed with the new digital model which had a temperature setting allowing him to cook and heat up pretty much anything he wanted. He noticed us trying to set up our shot of the Burton Cookin' on the Go cookbook stating that he really needs something like this to provide ideas and recipes for options of what to cook and eat on the road.
Burton Stove to Go and Cookin' to Go
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
Rochester seemed eager to chat with us and share his experiences. We were shocked to hear that as an owner operator he just picked up a job to take a load from Northern Michigan to California for $3800, keeping him from his family for Christmas. Not knowing exactly how much it costs to operate a truck, but considering fuel costs, truck leasing costs, incidental maintenance or repair on the road and personal expenses on the road, we did not figure there would be much left for him to take home! He told us that it is easy to spend most of your money on food if you are not careful. He was quite proud of the fact that he has rarely eaten out in the past year, crediting his Burton stove and a little pre-planning.
Grocery aisle
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
Chatting with Rochester made us wonder where drivers can get alternative food options if they wanted to cook their own meals on the road? We wished Rochester Happy Holidays and took another walk through the food aisles. While the majority of the shelf space was dedicated to snacks, chips, and candy there was one aisle that had a small selection of canned and packaged foods and soups that could be used in the Burton stove.
Big bags of candy
TA TravelCenter of America
Monroe, MI
As we returned to our car to eat our picnic dinner of grilled salmon and the lemon squares we picked up from our favorite local Toronto bakery Sweet Bliss we discussed the challenges that these long-haul drivers that move our goods across the country face. The tight margins they work with, how lonely it must be at times and how restricted they are with their food choices. However, we were also pleasantly surprised that you could get fresh looking fruit salads, fresh fruit and an array of 12v cooking devices.
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