Some of the memories I enjoy of our family vacations when I was a kid revolve around rest areas. Yes, I know, there's nothing exciting about a rest area. I get it. But you're not me. I enjoy road travel SO much, even rest areas--a necessary part of such activities--are part and parcel of a good trip.

For starters, just about every single one of them comes loaded for bear with more brochures than you can shake a stick at. So, if you're traveling and you know you'll have extra time, you have PLENTY of suggestions for filling those voids.

But be respectful of the roadside rest area. Bathroom breaks and picnic possibilities mean we need them to be at the top of their game. WE should be, too.

THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AT KENTUCKY REST AREAS

First of all, let's state the obvious...DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU KNOW TO BE ILLEGAL. Hopefully, something like that doesn't need to be listed. But there may be questions about the LESS obvious. And we'll find our answers here as part of 603 KAR 5:040, which governs the usage of Kentucky rest areas. And here they all are:

SLEEPING IN YOUR CAR AT KENTUCKY REST AREAS

With the word "rest" right there in the name, you might think you could pull over late at night and catch a good night's sleep, but you'd be wrong. According to Section 1 of the statute:

In other words, naps are fine; a healthy dose of shut-eye is not. But there are exceptions that may be granted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, as noted in Section 3 of the statute:

PETS AT REST AREAS

Pet owners are already well aware of rest area rules regarding their furry loved ones. Not only are they not allowed inside any building on rest area property, but there are also always designated walking areas for them. That way, pedestrians can avoid tracking you-know-what onto their floorboards.

CARGO TRAILERS AND MOBILE HOMES AT KENTUCKY REST AREAS

In the simplest terms, "don't unhitch." But if you'd like it spelled out, 603 KAR 5:040 can do that, too:

BUYING AND SELLING AT KENTUCKY REST AREAS

We're all familiar with the "no soliciting" signs we see in most businesses. The same applies to rest areas in Kentucky.

That, by the way, is H.R.11733. I read it, and I'm not sure I understand it. But you can take a crack at it here.

SOME FUN HISTORY ABOUT INTERSTATE REST AREAS

I'll leave you with this. It's something I wish I'd had when I was a kid, but there was no Internet--or computers, for that matter--back then. Yep, the Dark Ages.

Bill Marion has a YouTube channel on which he posts highly informative and very fun videos about his and his wife's travels across the USA. He even has one about the history of our nation's rest areas:

Safe travels, everyone.