End of an Era on the Indiana Toll Road

I bid a fond farewell to one of the last remaining legacy style travel plazas on the Indiana Toll Road, the George N. Craig Travel Plaza in Elkhart, Indiana.
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[@zacharybabcock7809]

I used to work ar the one in Elkhart on the westbound side i did a lot if stuff their from making food to cleaning the bathroom it was my first job and its were i learned how to make Starbucks drink this video brings back some memories

[@memoriesbywayne]

That is awesome! As a kid, living so close to the Illinois Tollway Oases, I always wanted to work at one. In fact, if you ever feel like digging into my video archive, I had a game room. And as part of that I had this makeshift "travel information board" of maps and brochures and random things I scanned or printed, to try and give it a service plaza feel. I had a weird childhood lol. But I remember these old style plazas well. Don't remember the order but Hardee's, McD, and Burger King were mixed in. I literally drove out to this one, not a short drive, soon as I learned this last legacy one was closing. So sad, and I have follow up videos up, discussing how they basically turned two into gas stations. And got rid of the most eastern one.

[@itwontcomeout5678]

Love oasises

[@8avexp]

The Toll Road is an old and dear friend, dedicated two months before I was born - in South Bend. I remember all of the original service areas (there were eight, not five), as they were called then - especially the ones between South Bend and Chicago. My parents took my grandparents for a ride from South Bend to Elkhart right after the first section opened in August of 1956.

[@memoriesbywayne]

My memories only go back to the 80s. But I will always have fond memories of the original Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania service plazas. Charlies General Store in western Ohio was one of my favorites!

[@derktunes7160]

I use to work in the Rolling Prairie plaza

[@memoriesbywayne]

That must have been fun. I always wanted to work at one at the Illinois Tollway when I was younger.

[@EddieMillerStudios]

I wish they had kept at least one pair of them. Like the ones in Fremont that they chose not to rebuild.

[@memoriesbywayne]

Yes, I heard taking the one in Fremont down made the first one in Ohio really busy. Similar, I was also hoping at least one of the ones in Ohio would stay the same, which I thought for many years the Swanton, Ohio plaza was going to stay the same. Even after all the others had been remodeled, it still stuck around in the old format. Which made me really happy cause I had many memories of early morning breakfasts at Charlie's General Store. Sadly it is now gone. And even back at Illinois some of our remodeled plazas are now being torn down.

[@EddieMillerStudios]

They're putting a new toll gate where Fallen Timbers and Oak Openings once stood (Swanton).

[@memoriesbywayne]

@@EddieMillerStudios thanks for the info! Been awhile since I've been out that way. I had no idea.

[@EddieMillerStudios]

It's part of some plan they have. I'll try and find the article.

[@memoriesbywayne]

@@EddieMillerStudios thank you! I very much want to get out that way again soon. Document some of the service plazas out there. I want to officially vlog some stuff in Toledo as well. Just harder with the distance to make a "day trip" out there. I do have a lot of history with the Ohio Turnpike for sure and would like to show more of that on my channel.

[@MontgomeryMall]

The Indiana toll road service plazas were long overdue to be replaced. I recall that the Governor even apologized for them and vowed that they would be upgraded.

[@memoriesbywayne]

All down the line from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois I've watched them be replaced. And sure they are "upgraded". But along the way they also lose their personality. When these buildings were built back in the day, they would often be given their own unique design and look. They would feature different restaurants inside. And now these upgrades are a cookie cutter design, copy cat carbon copy of the other, usually featuring the same restaurants. I'll give Ohio credit their spaceship design is nice. But still. I remember the Charlie's General Store. My favorite. Rax which we usually ate lunch at. The McD which would greet you on either end of the state. And Bob's Big Boy at the first stop in PA. Even Illinois, which I always like the "new" design, now being torn down. Each used to have their own look. Whether is was a Burger King, McD or Wendy's. Des Plaines and Belvidere had a neat gift shop. Southland had a huge arcade. The McDs had an unique seating area as well. Little things you remember about each one. And these things get lost in the progress and upgrades.

[@memoriesbywayne]

And on a side note the Governor should be apologizing for first of all cutting the number of stops down. And then of the remaining cutting the number of full service plazas in half. Maybe these old plazas had a 70s or 80s feel to them. I wasn't all that impressed with the new design either. I did a video there too. It's in the playlist. And hope to go back soon for a more detailed vlog soon as well.

[@MontgomeryMall]

@@memoriesbywayne The Love's truck stop and travel plaza is at a free exit from I-80/I-90 between the Indiana Toll Road and Ohio Turnpike end gates. It is thirteen miles east of where the Booth Tarkington and James Riley service plaza at milepost 146 once were situated.

[@memoriesbywayne]

@@MontgomeryMall thank you for that info. I'm sure it comes in handy for many people in that stretch. I've never vlogged inside one yet, but I do find the Love's and TA truck stops pretty cool to walk through. Definitely bucket list item is to take a shower at one some day!

[@MontgomeryMall]

@@memoriesbywayne There really isn't the demand for needing five sets of service plazas today. Vehicles are more fuel efficient and don't need to fill up as much (and for that matter the Booth Tarkington service plaza had a reputation for considerably high gas prices) and there are a lot more close to the exit services today than in the past.