Back in Canada: Where are all the Truck Stops?

With no one waiting for us at home and no plans for Christmas Dinner, we decided to take our time driving this last leg of our trip. I read about the Heidelberg Project in Detroit a number of years ago, so we figured this could be a good time to check it out.

Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

The Heidelberg Project was started 25 years ago by artist and resident of this urban community, Tyree Guyton. This project is a testament to the power of art and creativity in changing and transforming lives and communities.

Heidelberg Project

Detroit, MI

I had seen photographs, but actually walking down the street the cacophony of color, texture, shape, form and objects was both remarkable and inspiring. This once forgotten neighbourhood was being transformed and brought back to life. I will post more images and information about the Heidelberg Project on my blog shortly.

Wind Turbines

Chatham County, ON

Since we crossed the border in record time, we decided to take another detour this time to check out the wind farms in Chatham County, ON. Phil is working on another research project looking at the health effects of wind turbines so we wanted to do some preliminary investigation in an attempt to comprehend the scale of these structures in relation to residential buildings and to get an idea of the noise level produced.

Wind Turbines

Chatham County, ON

I have to admit that there is something sculptural, a simplistic beauty about these massive white steel turbines silhouetted against the horizon. Of course, this may be easy for me to say as I do not live in the shadow of a wind farm.

M*market

ONroute Service Centre

Dutton, ON

After chasing wind turbines for a couple of hours we were back on the 401 heading home and looking for a truck stop to grab a snack and use the restroom. Unlike the U.S. interstates where there was no shortage of truck stops, finding one here seemed much more challenging. The truck stops we did see had inadequate signage, so we were past them before we knew it. We eventually stopped at one of the new ONroute Service Centres in Dutton, ON. These are not truck stops, but cater to the motoring traveler. In addition to a selection of fast food concessions the M*market offers a decent selection of fresh fruit, fruit and green salads, yogurt, sandwiches to go together with water, juice, milk, soft drinks and a better than usual selection of healthy and not so healthy snack foods.

Flying J

London, ON

As luck would have it, no sooner were we back on the highway when we saw a sign for Flying J. Needing gas we took the appropriate exit where we were taken on some service road before arriving at the Flying J in London, ON. I can not imagine this would be a popular route if you were driving a big rig with a full load.

Drivers Lounge

Flying J

London, ON

In fairness the signs at the front entrance informed us that this Flying J was under renovation to serve us better. The new driver lounge was to have 52" televisions, improved showers and other facilities. Probably a good thing as the current facilities leaned towards the purely functional.

Like the Flying J we visited in Ohio, this one had a newly reopened Denny's, minus the Value Menu and a fair bit more expensive based on the prices of the menu items we could remember.

Flying J

London, ON

The refrigerated cases had a good selection of non soft-drink options. We were surprised to see 1, 2 and 4 liter containers of milk in chocolate, skim and 2%, in addition to a variety of juices, bottled waters and coffee drinks. Despite being late on Christmas day, the fresh packaged sandwiches still looked fresh.

Flying J

London, ON

The grocery and snack aisles contained a good selection of granola, power and protein bars, wholegrain crackers and cereals, and even a selection of baked potato chips. Like the American version a deli counter and pizza counter were available for fast take-out meals.

Back on the road we discovered that you really needed to know where to stop as the few truck stops we saw were not well marked and seemed so small in comparison to the ones we saw in the United States. The 401 between Windsor and Toronto is supposed to be one of the busiest truck corridors in North America, so why are services for truck drivers so hard to find?

Another Grilled Chicken Salad?: Flying J and Denny's

Although the sky was looking ominous we had so far managed to escape any real snow. However, the weather reports they were still predicting heavy snow so we decided to drive as far as we could while we still had light, waiting until after dark before we stopped for dinner.

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

I remembered stopping at the giant Flying J stations when traveling out west. I recall the Country Market Restaurant and Buffet as being a regular presence and popular stop for truck drivers at most of those Flying J's so was somewhat surprised to see their current affiliation with Denny's. I don't think I have been to Denny's since high school, when in the pre-Starbucks era it was one of the only places to go with friends after a movie or concert.

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

Flying J merged with Pilot in June 2010. According to the website, this gives them a combined 550 Interstate travel centers and plazas across the United States and Canada catering to both motorists and professional drivers. It was almost 8 PM, and with the exception of a few snow flurries just south of Cincinnati we had still managed to escape the predicted storm, so we decided to stop at the Flying J in Beaverdam, OH.

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

Like the Pilot we visited earlier today, the convenience store was bright, clean, organized and stocked with a good selection of both healthier options and typical snacks. Fresh fruit, although limited to apples and bananas at this time of the day, was displayed in baskets. The coffee, hot oatmeal and tea bar were identical to the one at Pilot. The refrigerated cases were almost equally divided between those that stocked milk, juice, and water as those with soft drinks and energy drinks. An entire case was devoted to sandwiches, sliced lunch meets, cheese and other food items.

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

A feature we had not noticed at many other truck stops was the Hot Fresh Food & Convenience counter at the front of the store. In addition to both whole and sliced pizza there was a selection of hot food items such as chicken, burritos, sausages and other items as well as refrigerated fresh sandwiches.

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

The fresh pizza's, although lacking in variety and any apparent vegetables looked similar to what you would find at any take-out pizza chain.

Human Trafficking Poster

US Department of Health & Human Services

Flying J Convenience Store

Beaverdam, OH

Although you hear a lot about prostitution at or around truck stops, we did not see any signs of this, although I was conscious of feeling watched on occasion by male management staff when I was wandering around a few of the truck stop convenience stores. I saw this awareness poster regarding human trafficking in the women's washroom, which made me think about this very real but hidden problem.

While prostitution and human trafficking may be an almost invisible part of life on the road as seen through the eyes of a motorist, the use of energy shots was promoted everywhere. From posters such as this, to prominent displays and specials in the truck stops, it would appear that energy shots are a common part of life on the road.

Flying J

Beaverdam, OH

As we were now hungry, we decided to give Denny's a try. I have to admit that I was not expecting much. As we approached the hostess station, we overheard a trucker asking what happened to the Country Market Buffet? He did not appear to be happy with the change in environment, food choices or prices. His sentiments seem to be shared by other drivers as evidenced by a post on Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog.

Denny's had a varied menu and promoted their $2, $4, $6, and $8 Value Meals prominently with banner signage at the front entrance as well as through their menu insert. The Value Meal offerings included such choices as a Cheese Quesadilla, or Biscuit and Gravy with Hash browns or an Egg for $2; Fried Cheese Melt, Buffalo Chicken Wings, or All You Can Eat Pancakes for $4; a Nacho Salad, Pulled Barbeque Chicken Sandwich, or Classic Burger for $6; and a Bacon Chipotle Chicken Skillet, Fried Shrimp Platter, or Spicy Cowboy Chopped Steak for $8.

While most of the Value Meal items were high in fat and calories, the main menu had a small selection of "Fit Fare" choices all with less than 15 grams of fat, including a Veggie Burger for $7.99, Lemon Pepper Grilled Tilapia for $10.59, Sweet & Tangy Barbeque Chicken for $8.99, and Chicken Deluxe Salad for $8.49. In addition to French Fries, Coleslaw, Hash Browns, Onion Rings and other typical side dishes they offered Tomato Slices, Red-skinned Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, Dippable Veggies and Green Beans.

Deluxe Chicken Salad

Denny's / Flying J

Beaverdam, OH

Denny's provides nutritional information on their website, however, interestingly they do not promote their Fit Fare menu anywhere on the site. I ordered the Deluxe Chicken Salad with the grilled chicken and lemon wedges instead of salad dressing. The menu illustration depicted a Crispy Chicken Salad, however, to meet the Fit Fare guidelines of less than 15 grams of fat one would need to order the grilled chicken, fat free dressing and skip the bread.

Sweet & Tangy Barbeque Chicken

Denny's / Flying J

Beaverdam, OH

Phil ordered the Sweet & Tangy Barbeque Chicken. The menu illustration shows a close-up of a a large plump chicken breast with fiesta corn and mashed potatoes. The meet the Fit Fare guidelines the menu states you need to skip the bread that automatically comes with the meal and order the tomato slices and corn.

Both our meals were nicely prepared, the salad and vegetables were fresh and the generous serving of chicken moist and nicely flavoured. My salad rated among one of the better salads I had experienced on our trip and overall our meals were competitive with quality and price one would expect in a corporate chain family restaurant.

While we noticed a few truckers in the restaurant, most of the other diners appeared to be locals on the way home from Christmas Eve church service. After a couple of days on the road, I am starting to see why restaurants like Denny's may not appeal to truck drivers. Denny's felt like a chain restaurant, friendly and functional, but lacking the sense of comfort and familiarity we witnessed in the more traditional truck stop restaurants. No one called us Hon, Sugar, Sweety, or Dear. The waitress did not ask us our names and use them each time she stopped by our table. She did not ask us where we were from or where we were going. Prices were affordable and the menu varied, but there was no buffet or salad bar option allowing for a quick and hearty meal. And our booth kept us separated from adjoining tables, preventing any casual communication with other lone diners.

We were starting to appreciate that truck stops were not just about food and gas and a place with a few services; these spaces needed to function as a temporary and somewhat familiar home. A place where truckers could have their own space even if just for a few minutes, or an hour or two. It was a place to relax, to chat, to hang out, and refuel. We could see that places like Denny's or Wendy's or any of the corporate chains are not going to easily fulfill these needs in their current configuration or standard business model. And from our limited insider / outsider vantage point it is the truck drivers that are going to lose.