9/4/20 On the way to the beach or on the way back home, this…read morerest stop is one of many we went to.   The rest stops have gotten cleaner than they have in the past. This statement is up for debate based on one's own experiences, but from what I remember,  sitting on the toilets wasn't a thing you wanted to do. In my case the bathroom  was nearly spotless.  There was still urine on the floor by some urinals,  but a morjority for the urinals were good. Why, because of the target mats in the urinals. As a male we pride ourselves hitting targets at a great distance,  but can't seem to hot a target a few inches in front of us....unless some of us are deliberately aiming for the floor. Anyhow, these floor mats are designed for three reasons I can think of. 1. Odor Protection and Order Control:   The smell of "Urine may smell like ammonia when it becomes concentrated with waste products. A variety of conditions can cause waste products to build up in urine, such as bladder stones, dehydration, and urinary tract infections. In most cases, urine that smells like ammonia can be treated with fluids or antibiotic medications. "https://www.healthline.com/health/urine-smells-like-ammonia#bottom-line The protection part is so your nose and tastebuds are not highly offended by the obnoxious/horrid  stink urine can provide a wide open space or in the narrow corridors of a bathroom. 2. Targeting: Since the janitor/cleaner of the bath area has experienced the small to large amounts of urine on the ground, these newer models of splash guard mats have worked wonders.  The holes in these mats act as targets so males will know where to aim. Granted there were the sides of the inner walls to the urinals to aim for, but there is a problem with that.  I will get to that later on.  With these mats in place, the smell if urine can't not offend the nose or tastebuds of the person draining the lizard...unless the mats need to be replaced.   Indeed these targets will block pee from firing back at the shooter...how you ask?...well this leads to number #3 3. Splash Guard Protection: This is the most important aspect of the piss on mats. The target holes and little plastic bristles act as splash guards and stop the pee from splashing back on one's own privates, but most importantly one's own pants.  That's right, little microscope droplets of pee flying back onto your pants...but what it gets worse.  If you don't have these splash guards, the pee droplets can be bigger. The term "you can't take it with" does not apply if you do not have a splash guard mat.  Not even aiming for the insides of the walls will keep you 100% safe.  Don't aim for the wall in front of you unless there is a slash guard mat there. Otherwise you get the tiny golden rain drops backatcha and comingatcha.  So if your going for the wiggle, shaking and dancing, the last few drops are going to stay/stain your pants, unless you grab a tissue ( or paper towel) say bless you. The toilet  area was clean from what I saw. No worries about what Eddie Kaye Thomas aka Shitbreak had to go through.   The lobby area was immaculately clean and most people were in and out of that place, but all were wearing masks because of The Coronavirus Outbreak.    The snake machine was fully stock, but we did not get any food from the machine this time. Mainly, because the food was not what my wife wanted. Upon leaving this rest stop, I remember how I use to take my dog out here so she could handle her business and stretch her legs. She was the family's dog, but some how became my dog. She made the trip to Geneva Switzerland,  but never made it back to the United States.  I still miss my Lady Fox.   Anyhow, there are two other stops I normally would make and they are Waffle Houses, but our last experience with them was good and bad.     Still this rest stop served its purpose even though the customer service section was closed. We will return at some point. Whenever that is.

Needed another bio break on the trip home up I-95 North to Haymarket. Pulled in - plenty of parking…read morespaces. Men's Restroom was spacious and clean! Good rest area! #LadysmithSafetyRestAreaNorth

It was well-kept and clean! Great place to stretch the legs, let the dog get some sniffs and take a…read morepotty break. The restrooms even had toddler size toilets and sinks! My daughter loved it. They had water bottle refill stations which was a bonus.

Was literally relived. When nature calls it must be answered. Is there anything exciting about this…read morerest stop? Not much except maps, and some vending machines. Yet for tired drivers, this is a pragmatic establishment. Virginia is pretty good. Some states have less. Dog owners have a spot for their furry family. The bathrooms are relatively clean. Sheetz has better ones. This one has a closer direction though. Cars and trucks can go in here. Please drive safely. A rest stop helps, as it can keep you more alert.

When you gotta go, you gotta go. The rest area grounds are spacious. There is a separate vending…read moremachine area. Be careful as you exit. We had crazy drivers on the road. The bathrooms were clean.

Needed a quick bio break on the trip down I-95 South to Richmond. Pulled in - plenty of parking…read morespaces. Men's Restroom was spacious and clean! Good rest area! #LadysmithSafetyRestAreaSouth

Very well maintained rest stop in Virginia.. we figured it's a good time to stop stretch and take…read morebreak

I was here for the Southbound side of I-95 and it's a perfectly decent rest area with plenty of…read moreparking and some in the shade. Vending machines to one side, bathrooms to the other. Bathrooms were clean. Don't start thinking that you've escaped the DC traffic. There's more to come. It's worth noting the historical marker, since that's also my thing. It reads: The Neabsco Mills Ironworks complex, under the ownership of three generations of the Tayloe family, of Richmond County, operated between 1737 and 1828. Located near this site, it was one of the longest continuously operating ironworks in present-day Northern Virginia. The 5,000-acre iron plantation, which was worked by resident free laborers, indentured servants, and slaves, was a multifaceted operation. The workers produced not only pig and bar iron for sale at home and export to Great Britain, but also engaged in shipbuilding, milling, leatherworking, shoemaking, and farming. The complex was an important supplier of iron for weaponry during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. (Probably used during the Civil War, too.)

This rest stop in Northern Virginia along I-95 could be easy to miss. However, I really needed to…read moreuse the facilities and had my eye out for a blue sign, so I followed all the signs off the highway to the pavilion. It wasn't anything fancy -- just some vending machines and separate bathrooms. No biggie. My only annoyance was how long it took to get there. I don't understand the layout of exiting the highway, remaining next to it for a while, and *then* pulling in. Why couldn't they just let us exit like any normal rest stop? At least merging on was much easier. Toilets were clean. Would work in a pinch.

This rest area is the Goochland Safety Rest Area West. I put in an edit for Yelp to correct the…read morename. The stop accommodates both trucks and cars. There was plenty of parking and the area clean. Restrooms were tidy, somewhat updated. I did not see staff working. They offer vending outside of the building. The grounds are great for walking your dog and outdoor eating on their tables. I saw no debris. If you should have any issues during your visit then text the State of Virginia, the info is on a sign with a QR Code. I'm surprised after being a resident of Virgina for over 20 years and a few stops I never reviewed. This is a good one.

Not the cleanest, both male and female restrooms were dirty, toilet paper and water on the floors…read more Their vending machine stole 5 dollars, already contacted the vendor but who knows if I'll actually get my money back. Not too big, but enough room to stretch your legs.

Love this rest stop and very quiet and peaceful lots of space for dogs to walk and play and eat and…read morerelax and the bathrooms need to upgraded and plus they have picnic tables to eat snacks or lunch or whatever and i always come here and so peaceful quiet no crowds! Plus they need to update the building and the grounds and add more bathrooms in the future and it is so nice and maybe plant more flowers and etc. Happy fall everyone! From Lauren

Hooray for Virginia rest areas, which are much more awesome than others (talking to you, New York)…read morebecause they allow overnight parking. I arrived here after a full day of driving (and a little sightseeing), parked at the last spot on the end, locked up and went to sleep. Yes, my Sprinter van is converted into an RV. Other than idling trucks all night, it was quiet. In the morning, the men's room was still in decent condition. There are vending machines and a spot for dog walking and if you feel like it, a set of stairs that will take you on a nature walk. Just remember to never hike alone! [Review 1731 of 2024 - 1449 in Virginia - 22754 overall]

You know how people will make a long social media post just because they wanted to share a thirst…read moretrap? Like friend - just post your lil shirtless pic and go. This is kind of that - the Center had the cutest Virginia Is For Lovers sign and me and my love wanted a pic in front of it lmao. **************** Growing up, we did a lot of road trips and my mom taught me to avoid rest areas. Make sense from a safety perspective as women. Welcome Centers are typically a class of their own though - and this one just across the state line off I-81 is no exception. Brightly lit, inviting, ample tractor trailer parking, and sparkling clean - I can't believe I've driven past it hundreds of times and never even noticed it. Too busy making a beeline for the Bojangles at the next exit lmao. On one side of the center are the restrooms - choose from men, women, and single room "family." Truly a spot for everyone - IYKYK. The bathrooms themselves were incredibly clean, and there were a couple of larger stalls for accessible access. As a fat, nothing worse than rubbing up against the door or the seat :shivers: going into a bathroom stall. There was even a stall with a mini commode perfect for smaller people and kids. On the other side was the actual welcome center - staffed with an actual employee and hundreds of brochures, booklets, and coupon books of state attractions. Lots of vending machines too. There are two entrances - the front for car drivers and the back for tractor trailer drivers. We had some Truck Business to attend to in nearby Winchester and parked the rig overnight to sleep, then left the truck here for a few hours and it was perfectly safe. We also had our dog with us (mind your business) and were able to give him a long sniff walk around the property and tucker him out. There were a lot of employees tending to the restrooms and the grounds and they were all very friendly. Just a very nice vibe and not at all the seedy trafficking spot drilled into my head since birth lol. Now, I can't speak for what happens when the sun goes down, but during the daylight hours this is worth a stop. Enjoy!

This is the first rest stop when you enter Virginia from the West Virginia border. We stopped here…read morefor a quick bathroom break. We travel constantly and o must say this is one of the best rest stops I have ever been to. It is clean both inside and outside. Very spacious with lots of vending machines and an area to sit and relax or have a meal. The men's and women's bathrooms are kept clean and tidy and are also big and can handle numerous patrons at a time. The outside is just the same, grounds are beautifully maintained and they even have a large "LOVE" sign for pictures of your trip to their state. Graph a magazine or brochure from the rack and see everything this state has to over. I wish all rest areas were like this one, your trip would be so much more enjoyable.

It's nothing exciting. Yet when you gotta go, there are plenty of bathrooms here. For a state…read morefacility, it is quite clean. Hope others will take breaks on road trips. Stopped in the other day, after a considerable amount of mileage. Felt much better after a walk here. There's not a lot here. They have some fliers of local attractions. There are vending machines. Also if you have dogs, they have an area to let them take care of logistics too. This is a clean and feels safe spot. Definitely if tired, or need to take care of nature's business, this should work.

Dismal for a rest stop on I-66 outside of Washington. Only a dozen or so spaces for cars, maybe 5…read morefor semi trailers. About the only positive is that there are decent deceleration and acceleration ramps. It's the same layout for the Eastbound and the Westbound rest areas.

The hotel is located in a compound with both the Garden Inn and a Hampton Inn. (When traveling…read moredomestically we usually try for Hilton properties.) We booked the Garden Inn because it came in $50 cheaper. For one night it was okay. Not the lap of luxury, but okay. As others reported, it's a little shabby but clean. The air conditioner was somewhat loud, but on the bright side it muffled noise from the highway. You get a $10 credit per person for breakfast if you're a rewards member. In other Garden Inns the credit covers a limited buffet (bagels, oatmeal, fruit -- things like that.). The buffet here is $20. Nope! Doing a side-by-side comparison I'd choose the Hampton Inn. But $50 is $50 and if I save more than a couple of dollars I'd stay here again.

Confusion at check-in, hydration at checkout…read more We checked into the Hilton Garden Inn expecting a reliable, stress-free stay, especially given our Hilton status ...but instead spent the trip untangling mistakes that never should've happened. Our reservation was messed up from the start, the front desk couldn't get the details straight, and we were even charged incidentals twice, which meant more calls and post follow-up than any hotel stay should require. Because of the reservation errors, we also didn't receive the complimentary breakfast that was included in our booking ....disappointing, and frankly, not what we expect from Hilton... status or not. On the plus side? They made absolutely sure we were hydrated. We were offered bottled water. Repeatedly. Constantly. Relentlessly. Maybe we looked stressed... or maybe just very, very thirsty The hotel itself is clean and comfortable, but the operational hiccups overshadowed everything else. Hilton can...and should do better, especially for loyal guests. Bottom line: friendly staff, but billing errors and reservation confusion made this stay more work than rest. Double-check your folio... and don't count on breakfast. The water, though? They've got endless supply.