Petro/white’s raphine va

Many Petro's have that restaurant...the T/A got the Black Bear Diner

 

Whites will never be the same without Bobby Berkstresser running the show. He passed away a short time back and I had the pleasure of meeting him in person. It seems as when they closed the Iron Skillet it would become a "Mall" type of center and lose its truck stop character.

Even though they are working on having as many parking spots as Iowa 80 and expanding the service garages it has lost a lot of appeal. I for one did not need the Quaker Steak & Lube sports bar serving alcohol at a truck stop but a sit down Iron Skillet was a sure draw for me.

I also wish that the TA'S that still have their Country Pride restaurants closed would re-open them or at least finish the deal with IHOP or another sit down restaurant. Enough with the fast food choices already. I realize it is saving on the overhead costs but leaving the restaurants closed isn't exactly appealing when you walk past a darkened empty space. The ones that kept the Country Pride's open are doing just fine.

 

White's used to have nice little motel rooms on the second floor back in the day.

 

Just like all the old Union 76s, spiral stairs to the upstairs that led to showers, driver lounges and the roomettes. They were so simple back then, single bed, chair, wall alarm all for about $10 a night if I remember correctly. Life was so simple back then. Hell if the weather wasn't too cold I slung a rope hammock under my trailer and slept without fear. But now I wouldn't be alive if I did.

 

In today's truckstop, sleeping under a trailer like that, you'd pass out from the stench of stale urine.

 

You are so right but I sure miss the good old days. Paper logs, mechanical engines, manual transmissions, sit down diners in the truckstops, truckstop fuel jockeys who fueled your truck and cleaned the windows and your lights, free coffee and showers if you fueled and free parking. We helped each other if needed. I can dream about it as compared to what is the normal for today. E-logs, computerized engines, auto transmissions, fast food or eating in your truck without ever seeing a real person, self serve your fuel and clean your own windows, $$$ coffee and showers and parking. At least most of you have a bunk instead of a piece of 3/4 plywood across the seats if you had a second seat thus my hammock under the trailer. Sorry for my winded reply. I really do miss the old days.

 

Navypoppop, i think a lot of us miss the old days.

 

They couldn't of bought it unless the previous owners wanted to sell it. Better than letting a foreigner buy it and run it into the ground then close it for good.