I’ve learned a new term recently, driving through Wisconsin and Minnesota. For decades I’ve known the phrase “Rest Area” from driving on highways around the country, but now I’ve encountered “Wayside.” When I first saw the word on a sign, just a week or two ago, it was on a backroad in rural Wisconsin. I went right by it but then turned around and drove back to find out what the hell a “wayside” is. In that particular case, the sign was placed next to a lovely little park by a bend in the river, where locals came to have a picnic lunch in the shade or to stroll by the water.
Then I started seeing these signs more often, but mostly they were used to signify a rest area with bathrooms and a bit of lawn to walk around on. From noticing when the sign popped up, I imagined that “wayside” meant pretty much the same thing as “rest area” in the lingo of the Upper Midwest. But then I googled the website of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which informed me that there are four classes or “types of rest areas.”
“Class IV Safety Rest Area
These are the most simple, yet most diverse facilities. They are often on sites of one to five acres. They do not have toilet facilities, but typically offer scenic views, historical markers, interpretive information or other points of interest. They are seasonally operated.”
“MnDOT operates more than 180 wayside rests on non-Interstate highways.”
— https://www.dot.state.mn.us/restareas/types.html
Now I’m really confused. 😉