Love's and Arby's on I75

We decided to stop in Woodhaven, MI for the night sneaking Pookie into a non-dog friendly Holiday Inn Express. We know we shouldn't be doing this, but he has been such a quiet good little dog, is clean and does not shed. And as it is well past midnight and we will be up early, he will be in the room for less than seven hours.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

In our attempt to stay awake for our late night drive we stopped at a Love's Travel Stop in N. Baltimore, OH at 11:29 PM. Although the fruit salads looked particularly tempting, I will fess up admitting that we did not buy fruit or anything healthy, instead we purchased a bag of Kettle Chips and a 20 oz Pepsi Max!

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Love's felt a bit more rustic than the Pilot or Flying J that we visited earlier today, however, we were both impressed by the selection of fresh fruit they still had available at midnight on a holiday weekend.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

In addition to the containers of fruit salad, they had baskets full of bananas, apples and oranges placed next to the coffee and hotdog bars.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

The refrigerated cases were filled with juice, plain and flavored bottled water, milk, fresh sandwiches, cheese, and other healthier food items in addition to the usual soft drink selections.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Unlike many of the truck stops we had visited, Love's actually offered juice and water specials such as 2 Snapple for $2. We were growing accustomed to truck stops seeming to gouge their captive audience selling 12 bottled waters for $6.99 or a case of 12 cans of Coke or Pepsi for $7.99.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Catering to long-haul truck drivers Love's carried a decent selection of portable stoves, coffee makers, and refrigerators as well as a host of other supplies and accessories for professional drivers.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

A further nod to their truck driving clientele was this extensive front counter display of energy shots and cigarette lighters.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

Overhead signage continued to promote a move towards healthier eating options with BOGO deals on granola bars, water and beef sticks.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

But we were not quite sure what to make of the Smoke 51 Starter Kit smoking device.

Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

It was late and we wanted to get back on the road, so we did not do more than pop our heads inside the onsite Arby's which looked like a typical fast food concession. The Pick 5 Promotion featured sandwich melts, curly fries, turnovers, stuffed potato cakes and shakes; however, the regular menu offered Chopped Farmhouse Salads with either crispy or roast chicken, or turkey and ham; Market Fresh Sandwiches on honey wheat bread; Toasted Subs; and their classic Roast Beef Sandwiches.

Arby's / Love's Travel Stop

N. Baltimore, OH

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.

Y'all Eatin' Here?

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

Exit 151 on I20

I have to admit it was the sign that attracted us. The bright green neon maple leaf, white glowing Queen City script and the TRUCK STOP text placed inside a classic red stop sign. It was just so non-corporate, that we had to stop and check it out.

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The retail store was small, almost cramped but functional. The wood panelling, red brick floor and suspended ceiling lent a sense of nostalgia. This was a place where you could stock up on basics: soft drinks, candy, potato chips, tobacco, coffee but not much else. In fairness it was getting late and two days before Christmas, however, there was not a piece of fresh fruit or anything else that looked particularly healthy anywhere in sight.

It was only a few hours since our last meal at the Huddle House, so we were not really that hungry, however, we could not resist the temptation to check out the adjoining Magnolia Restaurant.

Magnolia Restaurant Menu

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I have to admit that this was a big leap of faith for me. I am not a foodie, but I am pretty particular about my food and where I eat. I figure my rules are pretty simple - fresh, no unidentifiable sauces, and not greasy! Pretty simple really - but surprisingly difficult sometimes. However, as most of the truck stops we had visited have been populated by corporate or chain run restaurants and based on some of the truck driver blogs we had been following there appeared to be a preference for more traditional Mom and Pop dining establishments and the Queen City Truck Stop seemed to have a love / hate following. So I was willing to put my personal reservations aside and give this a try. Well actually, I was not so willing to personally give it a try, but I managed to convince Phil that we needed to go in and that he was going to order coffee and something to eat!

Throughout our trip the advice I read on the truckerphoto.com blog continued to stick with me. The Trucker Restaurant Reviews section opens with: "Normally in a truck stop, you never want to get exotic when you order food. It's usually best to stick with the basics, since these are harder to screw up"

Magnolia Restaurant Dining Room

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The Magnolia Restaurant had a certain rustic ambiance with a slightly southern flair. We were still in Mississippi after all. The wood paneled walls of the store were replaced with rose / lilac coloured walls complete with a painting of a scene featuring a traditional southern plantation mansion. The restaurant was not dirty, but not really spotlessly clean either. As we sat down the seats, table and menu felt somewhat sticky in a well-used sort of way.

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

The waitress eyed us somewhat suspiciously, or maybe we were just feeling a bit out of place ourselves. We told her we needed a minute to look over the menu. She placed our plastic wrapped forks down on the table and told us to take as long as we needed. We got the distinct impression that ordering a coffee and Pepsi was not going to cut it. It was dinner time and we were expected to order food.

We looked around at the diners at the nearby tables. I was thinking I would order the Grilled Chicken Breast Salad for $9.99 until I noticed the salad that one of the truck drivers sitting across from us was eating. His plate was piled high with iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and chopped tomato, however, it was the texture and shape that allowed me to differentiate between these three foods, not the colour. I decided to pass. His partner had ordered what looked like the Grilled Chicken Breast Evening Lunch Special for $7.49. The Evening Lunch Special came with tea or coffee and a choice of three items from a list that included: creamed potatoes, french fries, green beans, potato salad, coleslaw, sliced beets, early peas and banana pudding.

Grilled Chicken Breast Evening Lunch Special

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

Phil decided to be brave and give it a try. I have a strong aversion to pretty much anything from a can or that is over-cooked, but wanted to document this, so was quite thankful that Phil was willing to give it a go. He declared that the chicken breast was tender, if not exactly overly flavourful, however, the early peas and green beans were mushy, overcooked and tasteless. We also questioned the presentation wondering why they needed to use an institutional segmented plate if they put everything in separate bowls anyway?

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I ordered a Pepsi with lemon, thinking the chances of getting a fresh lime wedge were pretty slim. I got some sort of cola beverage and two packages of lemon juice instead. The waitress gave me a somewhat disapproving look when I stated that I was okay with just my Pepsi, so decided to heed the advice of truckerphoto.com and stick to the basics. So for the first time on our drive I abandoned my eating healthy mantra and ordered a side of fries. Unless they are cold, it is pretty difficult to screw up fries. Or at least that is what I thought!

Magnolia Restaurant

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

I had not seen crinkle cut fries for years and I am sure the last time I had eaten them was at a grade school birthday party. There was something about these limp greasy fries sitting on an off-white plate that was particularly unappetizing. I was trying to work my way through my fries as we were being watched by our waitress. I am sure she was wondering "Who are these freaks taking photos of their food, the menu, the restaurant?"

We noticed that the plates being cleared from tables from across the room were all clean, not a morsel of food left. As we contemplated how much of our food we should eat, how much we can get away with leaving, how tastes and choices of food are both regional and contextual; we realized just why every plate heading back to the kitchen was clean. One of the kitchen workers pulled up his cart next to our table to clear the table of the truckers that were sitting across from us. His cart was complete with a tote box for dirty dishes and a large black bucket. He was wearing elbow length rubber gloves and held a large kitchen scraper. He picked up one of the plates from the adjoining tables and quickly scraped any remaining food into the bucket. YUCK!

Okay, I know we have all done this in the privacy of our own kitchens, and we know that this happens in the kitchens of restaurants, but right in front of you at your table while you are still eating? No thanks! We decided that it was okay to leave the rest of our food. Our waitress would never know how much we did or did not eat - as it was going to be whisked away into the black bucket anyway.

Magnolia Restaurant Dining Room

Queen City Truck Stop

Meridian, MS

We made our way to the cashier to pay for our dinner. I could not resist the tiny wooden toothpick holders that they were selling for $1.99 with the restaurant name and address stamped into the surface. As I signed my Visa slip, the cashier smiled and said "Y'all come back Hon!"

We noticed two local ambulances parked out front as we made our way to the car. Pookie excitedly greeted us as we got into the car and was even more excited as I reached into the back seat to find the package of dried blueberries we had brought on the trip as a snack. We needed something that had some semblance of healthy nutrition after our experience. As we got settled ready to drive off a large 1980's Cadillac Coupe De Ville pulled up next to us. The elderly gentleman called to his wife to look at Pookie. I rolled down our window to say hi and let him scratch Pookie's ears.

He asked, "Where y'all from? Y'all Eatin' Here?" We half smiled, nodded and before we could say anything he continued. "Good food. Good cookin'. Have a good night y'all," before turning and walking inside.

One Stop a Day?

We arrived at our La Quinta hotel in Birmingham, Alabama last night to discover that the hotel is under renovation and they did not have any rooms with a Queen or King bed. We contemplated changing hotels, but that would have necessitated driving across town and dealing with refunds and re-booking. So, we checked in and headed across the street to the SuperTarget for some midnight shopping therapy. Well, not exactly real shopping therapy as we actually just needed a charger for our iPhone (which we forgot we had placed in our camera bag) and as it was cold and damp, Target offered a convenient dry and warm place for an 11:30 PM walk.

Alas, our new iPhone charger did not work, which meant back to SuperTarget this morning after a quick breakfast in the hotel. We did not notice how pretty Birmingham was when we arrived last night. But this morning the sun was shining and it was warm enough to leave our jackets in the car. The grass was still somewhat green, there were flowers on some of the shrubs, the rolling hills were lush with vegetation and we remembered some of the things we missed about living in the South!

I picked up a black cashmere cardigan for $59, a black cotton skirt for $19, exchanged our iPhone charger, grabbed a bag of popchips, a couple of bottles of Vitamin Water and some clementines for a snack and we were back on the road.

I59 Alabama

We had never tried popchips before, and decided that if you have to eat potato chips, this is the way to go. They are popped and not fried. So the consistency is different, but at only 120 calories for 22 chips they are an alternative to regular high fat potato chips. The best part was that they did not leave any grease on your fingers! With the abundance of potato chips and other high fat salty snacks available at truck stops we thought we need to see if anyone is selling these?

I59 Alabama

As we had split the bag of chips and then ate a couple of oranges each, we were not ready to stop for lunch. So we continued along I59 through Alabama and into Mississippi. By the time we felt ready to stop for lunch, we were having a hard time locating truck stops until we had almost driven passed them, or we were in the wrong lane to safely exit. We decided to wait until we hit the Louisiana border and followed a couple of big rigs who were pulling into the TA / Country Pride in Slidell, Louisiana.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

We were feeling optimistic when we spotted the Dine With Us! posters at the front entrance. The menu items on the Stay Fit with Flavor poster actually looked pretty good. I got out of the car intending to have another grilled chicken salad, but decided that this might just be the place to expand my truck stop dining horizons.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

Before heading into the Country Pride Restaurant, we did a quick walk through the store. My attention was diverted from our subject of study to a display of alligator heads. We knew we were in Louisiana now. I wondered about the ethics surrounding killing what must be baby alligators to make tourist trinkets?

Alligator Head

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

In comparison to the first TA we stopped at in Michigan, this travel center was a bit older and slightly more dingy. We could not find any of the fresh fruit or packaged salads that we noticed at the other TA truck stop. They did have a cooler with milk, packaged sandwiches and burgers alongside a rack holding loaves of both wholewheat and white bread.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

The self-serve concession area was smallish featuring a limited selection of coffee and hot beverages, hot dogs, and snacks.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

This particular location was actually pretty heavy on the snacks both salty and sweet with an entire cooler dedicated to pint sized containers of Ben & Jerry's priced at 2 for $4, and the mega-sized packages of sale candy and giant cake pan sized RiceKrispies Treats. We had noticed these before at a few other truck stops and were still wondering how you deal with eating this on the road?

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

Alongside the snacks was a selection of pre-packaged meals that could be heated up in the Stove to Go devices, or I suppose at those stops that had microwaves available for the drivers use. Although there was variety in terms of brand, they were primarily cream sauce based, or stew, chili or chunky soup.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

At $4.99 the Heater Meals come in at 320 calories per serving, 9 grams of fat and high in sodium. However, probably still a better cost effective and nutritious choice than some of the food available on the road.

A small refrigerated case at the back of the store contained oat bars, carrot cake squares, wrapped burgers, burritos and sandwiches on a bun which looked fresher and more appetizing than many of the packaged offerings we had seen elsewhere.

TA TravelCenters of America

Slidell, LA

Feeling we had checked out the store as much as we could we headed into the restaurant. Although it was dinner time, the dining room was relatively quiet with a few drivers eating alone and a couple of groups of locals. The waitress greeted us as we sat down. We asked what she recommended from the Stay Fit with Flavor menu and she suggested the Wild Pacific Salmon and the Grilled Chicken Dinner. So, I opted for the salmon and Phil decided on the chicken.

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

I was feeling more like a salad or a good stir-fry, but was a bit worried about getting some sort of tasteless stir-fry mystery sauce, so took the waitresses recommendation and ordered the salmon. As we waited for our food we overheard the truck driver sitting behind us telling the waitress that he had been looking forward to this meal all day as it was his first stop since early morning.

Stay Fit with Flavor Poster

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The photo on the menu suggested a plump grilled chicken breast with a side of stir-fried red peppers, broccoli, and baby corn on a bed of wild rice. The description read: "Tastefully seasoned and grilled to perfection. Served alongside stir-fried vegetables and wild rice. Enjoy the soup and salad bar with your meal."

Salad from Salad Bar

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The salad bar was fresh and offered romaine rather than iceberg lettuce and what we had come to expect, a variety of mystery condiments and sauces, cherry tomatoes, cottage cheese, jello, and canned fruit. The bread stick looked somewhat promising but was dense and bland. I took one bite and decided that it was not worth the empty calories.

Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

Sadly, Phil's Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner looked nothing like the meal advertised on the posters, menu or menu card on the table. There was not a vegetable to be seen!

Menu card

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

My wild Pacific salmon was subject to an almost identical presentation except the salmon was artfully placed on a leaf of lettuce.

Wild Pacific Salmon Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

The salmon may have been of the wild Pacific variety, but certainly not a sockeye or coho. Probably a pink or chum and definitely overcooked. I ate it but left the rest.

Remainder of Wild Pacific Salmon Dinner

TA TravelCenters of America / Country Pride Restaurant

Slidell, LA

We left Country Pride wondering if we would have been better off sticking with a grilled chicken salad? We wandered back into the store in search for mints, gum, candy, anything. Something to get rid of the taste of dry overcooked food.

CORRECTION: In doing some further research we discovered that Heater Meals are actually designed as emergency rations and are self-heating. Therefore, not needing an external heating device. While this is probably handy for drivers that do not have any cooking devices in their trucks and want a hot meal while on the road, it does make us wonder why there are not more alternatives available for drivers who want to be able to heat up a prepared nutritious and tasty meal?