Covid-19: Is there restroom access along I-5 and I-10 right now?

[e-FTW]

Folks, what is the restroom situation at SCs along I-5 and I-10 towards Phoenix right now?
With the patchwork of health orders it is tricky to understand what is open along such a long route. Most restaurants are take-out only, and as those tend to be where we have access to restrooms am wondering if we can avoid public urination fines...

For example: Harris Ranch Inn appears open. Is the Kettleman City lounge open? Etc...

(We have to drive from San Francisco to Phoenix for medical reasons. In a more “normal” time we would fly of course, but driving allows us to control more variables right now.)

 

[SR-75]

Folks, what is the restroom situation at SCs along I-5 and I-10 towards Phoenix right now?
With the patchwork of health orders it is tricky to understand what is open along such a long route. Most restaurants are take-out only, and as those tend to be where we have access to restrooms am wondering if we can avoid public urination fines...

For example: Harris Ranch Inn appears open. Is the Kettleman City lounge open? Etc...

(We have to drive from San Francisco to Phoenix for medical reasons. In a more “normal” time we would fly of course, but driving allows us to control more variables right now.)

Most gasoline stations "Convenient Stores". Not restaurants.

 

[Ulmo]

That's a darn good question.

It's probably understandbly difficult to answer.

Theoretically, from what I understand, if you don't actually touch a single surface in the bathing room, yet still breath the air, and the air hasn't been 100% vented, and the surfaces aerosolize evaporated droplets with the virus still in them, then you could still catch it. A more perfect situation would be a bathing room that closes, self-sanitizes (UV light, bleach wash, etc.), vents the air, and cycles that sanitize-vent cycle about 3 or 4 times, then vents the air with hot dry air to dry every surface and shine UV light on it (BRIGHT UV light of the right wavelength), the bathing room could become sanitized.

Do you know a single bathing room in the entire world that remotely does anything like that? I don't. It's conceivably quite simple in terms of engineering. I suppose it would cost around $5 of energy each sanitizing cycle, and would put it out of commission for 30 to 45 minutes, so you'd have to build ten times as many bathing rooms, so maybe $10 per visit. Would need to find the optimum quantity and price point. But I think it's doable. (Energy is used to make UV light, bleach, filters, pull air through filters from the outside, fans, water pumping and purification, etc. It's really a question of energy and maintenance labor after the materials and labor to install everything. The maintenance crew would need a fully portable sanitizer to sanitize broken sanitation systems so they could work on the sanitation systems without getting sick.)

Moderator could primary link this idea into the engineering ideas thread.

 

[Speight]

At least in California, DOT-maintained highway rest stops are open (aside from a few closed for reasons unrelated to the virus), but they are more spread out than gas stations. You can see locations and check current conditions here: QuickMap

 

[Rogster]

Keettleman lounge is opened only the staff are working. This is to ensure proper distance and limit the number of people in the lounge. The code will not open during non-staff presence.

There is another bathroom on the back side of parking/charging stations. That one is avail with the same code.

I was there 3 days ago

 

[21miDay]

Here is some information about the Arizona rest stops: "The Parks and Christensen rest areas are only available to commercial vehicles. Other ADOT rest areas remain open for all travelers, with staff following enhanced sanitation protocols including regularly wiping down frequently touched surfaces." The two rest areas that are for commercial vehicles are in northern Arizona.

Here is where I found this quote: ADOT reopens two northern Arizona rest areas to support trucking | ADOT

Edit: Here is the rest area map: Rest Area Locations | ADOT

 

[PLUS EV]

I can't imagine any cop issuing a public urination infraction given the circumstances. As a veteran road tripper, I have a lot of experience with this I have even been doing this sometimes recently within the Seattle city limits while out running errands, because few public restrooms are open and quite frankly, I don't want to expose myself to them anyway. There is a certain art form to finding a grassy area or even just a corner of an parking lot and then using your car and car door as a shield (tinted windows would help). Using a large cup or wide-mouthed bottle and then disposing of it later can help you be more discreet. One upside at the moment is that fewer people are out and about so it's easier to find some bit of privacy.

Of course, it's more difficult for females, and #2 is an entirely different story (not something I engage in, but fortunately I can hold it pretty well). In non-pandemic times, a good option for #2 while on a long road trip is hotel lobby restrooms. Mid-range hotels such as Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn are the best targets as they always have a lobby restroom and they always have easy parking. They are usually single stall bathrooms and they rarely get used. I actually learned this little trick while visiting hotel superchargers and now if I feel the urge I sometimes stop at such a hotel even if they aren't a supercharger host. All this being said, I am not sure if these type of restrooms are open during the pandemic. It likely varies state to state or even between hotels.

 

[e-FTW]

Thanks everyone, this is tremendously helpful and helps ease some of our concerns. I totally forgot about rest areas since I don’t frequent them anymore, because they have been replaced by Supercharger stops...
Irony: I have posted here more than once over the years about how highway rest stops would be perfect locations for Superchargers (instead of yet-another-upscale-mall or Target). Duh...

Looks like we could (carefully) use rest stops or gas station bathrooms in case of an emergency.

 

[21miDay]

Arizona is also allowing food trucks at some rest stops: "Rest areas hosting food trucks are Ehrenberg, Sacaton and Burnt Wells on I-10; Haviland, Meteor Crater and Parks on I-40; and Sunset Point and Christensen on I-17."
Food at rest areas helping commercial drivers keep on truckin' | ADOT

 

[Uncle Paul]

The Ehrenberg V3 new Generation Supercharger is conveniently just West of Phoenix on I-10. It is a large truck stop, with fast food available. There is a Best Western directily across from the Superchargers as well. They have showers for the truckers and a large convenience store to stock up some road food and drinks. Two sets of restrooms. One for cars and the other for truckers.

Employees there seem over the top friendly and helpful. Seem to appreciate the business they get.

 

[e-FTW]

Wait, wait: food trucks AND a v3 Supercharger? What is this paradise?
;-)

 

[e-FTW]

Wow, 782.5 miles done. I am tired (single driver) but cannot imagine doing that in a car with lesser driver assistance. More tomorrow.

 

[e-FTW]

So as for the restroom situation: plenty of options out there. Between the rest areas, open hotel lobbies and the Kettleman city lounge these corridors are still well served. We did not need more than a preventive use of the restroom at Kettleman City then restrooms at the FlyingJ next to the Ehrenberg v3 Supercharger.

 

[21miDay]

Welcome to Phoenix. I'm glad you made it safely.

 

[speedy99]

Just to add in case others have similar questions, we also had a medical situation and traveled via I-80 thru Nevada, Utah, Wyoming this past week. Nevada rest stops are spotty, several closed, but truck stops are open and a good fallback. Utah and Wyoming has all rest areas open with no restrictions. Most states have fairly accurate rest area info on their department of transportation websites, and google also seemed pretty accurate about what rest area was open/closed. California was our biggest hassle. (I use gas stations with convenience stores as a last resort, but they are open too.)

 

[BLKMDL3]

We *might* have to drive from Los Angeles to Montreal Canada. Nervous to do so bc of lack of open amenities.

 

[e-FTW]

We *might* have to drive from Los Angeles to Montreal Canada. Nervous to do so bc of lack of open amenities.

I think you will be ok. I had forgotten that truckers are essential workers, and so their food and rest stops are open. Add to that the rest areas built into the Interstate Highway System plus gas stations and I think you’ll be fine. So what @speedy99 said: Covid-19: Is there restroom access along I-5 and I-10 right now?