Sit or Squat in Vermont

There are two things you can count on when making a road trip through Vermont:  You will not see any billboards along the highway (they are outlawed here) and you will at some point need a bathroom.  Urgently.  My recommendation is that you try to find out where those bathrooms are before you hop in your car, because it’s not always as easy to find them in Vermont as it is in other states.

I’ve traveled through states where there was a fully-equipped rest stop every 30 miles or so it seemed.  In between, at every single interstate exit, you could find a good dozen or so gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants with perfectly workable bathrooms.  Vermont, on the other hand, is a rural state. Don’t count on just getting off at the nearest exit and heading to the local McDonalds to use the bathroom.  There may not be a local McDonalds.  Or anything but moose, for that matter.  And if you’re driving the back roads of Vermont, it might be even worse.

When I was a kid going on road trips with my grandparents, that meant pulling the car off to the side of the road and an attempt at squatting in the grass with the doors open to shield me from traffic. OH THE HORROR.  I think I was scarred for life by those experiences.  To this day, I have nightmares in which I need to use the toilet, but the only ones available are in public places in full view of everyone around, like the dining room of a restaurant or something.  So there’s no way I’m squatting in the woods, by the side of the road, or anywhere else public for that matter.  If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t think twice about doing that, you can go ahead and skip this post. The rest of you who, like me, require a real toilet and some privacy to do your business, read on.

I can give you three bathroom tips right now.  If you’re heading East to West or West to East in northern Vermont along route 15 and 100C between Chittenden County and the Northeast Kingdom, your quickest pit stop is the Maple Fields gas station/convenience store at the top of the hill in Johnson. You could also stop and explore the town, grab a bite to eat and use the restroom in a restaurant, but I like to hit the bathroom and move on.  Once you leave Johnson, it will be quite a while before you find another place to pee, so do take advantage of the opportunity.  The bathroom here is clean and cute, not skeevy.  And while you’re there you can stock up on snacks, drinks and gas. Handy.

If you’re headed north or south on I-89 between Canada and points south of Williston, I recommend a stop at the Williston Welcome Center.  It’s one of the nicer ones in the state and has free wi-fi and hot Green Mountain Coffee.  After that, it’s pretty much a no-man’s land in terms of rest areas.  Last year, in a fit of insanity, Vermont decided to close its  welcome center in Highgate Springs (the entry point for people coming to Vermont from Canada). Imagine being held up at the border crossing for a few hours, knowing there are no rest areas within hours of the border.  Not one of the State of Vermont’s brightest moves.

But all is not lost:  There’s a restroom at Martin’s Store and Mobil station in Highgate Springs (3 miles off the Interstate).  I’m definitely going to check that out on my next trip to Montreal.  By the way, if you haven’t heard of it, SitorSquat.com, is a terrific resource for finding public restrooms when you travel (and yes, it comes as an app).  Vermont isn’t one of its most populated regions, but it’s still worth checking out.

Guilford Welcome Center

The other day, I was on a long road trip with my family between Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and Chittenden County, Vermont.  We had to stop for a bathroom break in southern Vermont.  I had the pleasure of seeing the Guilford Welcome Center on I-91 (near Brattleboro) for the first time ever.  I was really surprised at how beautiful it was.  Vermont overhauled this rest area in the late 1990s, and it shows.

Vermont art and handmade furniture

The main building looks like an old Vermont barn, built with the most beautiful barnboard. Inside the main building are very clean restrooms, several vending machines with cold drinks, and a staffed information desk.  It’s also attractively decorated with Vermontiana, Vermont art, and exhibits featuring Vermont products.  There’s plenty to look at here, and it’s educational to boot. Outside, the grounds are similarly decorated, with old farm equipment placed strategically about the lawn, a gondola car (to market our ski resorts of course), and a covered picnic area–so if you want to stop for a picnic lunch and it’s raining, you’re not going to be stuck eating in your car.  It also has wi-fi.  Nice.

Gondola car markets VT ski areas

As Welcome Centers go, I have to say, this is just about the most perfect “welcome to Vermont” I’ve seen. It’s so lovely and peaceful, it truly invites you to linger for awhile.  In fact, I’d go so far as recommending a stop here whenever you’re traveling north along I-91 into Vermont on a road trip–even if you don’t have to pee, buy a cold drink, or ask for information.  But really, you at least ought to try to go. ‘Cause God knows when you’ll run across another bathroom.

Photo credit: Vermont State Route 279 by dougtone.