The new & improved downtown Nashville TA

Just a couple of hours ago I stopped at the TA in Nashville (I-24 ex 48 ) intending to do nothing more than using the restroom grabbing a snack and a Dr. Pepper and go on my merry way towards home. I should pre-empt this post by making you aware that I generally detest stopping at a TA. They're almost always nasty, have little (if any) fast food selections, and can often be a real PITA to find parking at even in the middle of the afternoon. So I was less than excited about this being my only choice to stop that was on my way home from where I delivered until I got to Kentucky. Being out of anything to drink in the truck, I couldn't wait til I got to KY. So I reluctantly got off the highway and wheeled into the truck stop. Admittedly I was somewhat curious what, if any, improvements had been done since the place closed due to the flooding that occurred last year.

I found a place to park and walked inside. "Still looks like the same ol' grimy truck stop to me", I thought as I walked towards the door. The instant I opened the door, I knew how wrong I was in my thinking. Everything was new inside. The new floors, new floorplan, new cashier counter, new coolers for drinks, and so on made me let out a verbal, "Oh, wow!" Gone was the grimy service center/fuel counter that used to greet us drivers. In it's place was a more spacious c-store with a lot more variety than ever before. The area that once was a cell phone provider's kiosk is now their hot dog/soda fountain area. There's now an roomier men's and ladies' room where the TV room once was. At the end of that hallway was a brand new laundry facility with at least 3 washers and 3 dryers (I didn't walk down there and count so there could be more, but that's my best recollection). Where the c-store used to be is now three separate rooms. One is the TV room/lounge, te other is a game room with 6-8 video games and a pool table, and the other was a workout room! OMG! A workout room in a truck stop! How cool is that? Now this wasn't the first time I've ever seen any of these amenities in a truck stop, but it definitely was the first time I'd seen them virtually brand new. The restaurant was in it's same location, but was completely remodeled complete with a "Professional Drivers ONLY!" area. I didn't sample any of the food as I wasn't that hungry, but the one driver I saw in there and asked his opinion of the "new" place said he'd never been treated better or felt better about eating at a TA in his career. He also added, "I hope this place doesn't get trashed like it was before the flood."

From my brief 15-20 minute tour of the facility, I dare say it'll be a while before that happens and whenif it does the blame will lie solely on us drivers. There was more staff working today stocking shelves, sweeping and mopping floors, and waiting on customers at the counter than I've ever seen at any truck stop, let alone a "dingy ol' TA".

One driver was coming out at the same time as me with his shower bag in hand. I asked him how the showers were and he mirrored what the other driver said about the restaurant. He found them to be very nice, clean, roomy, and with a good steady stream of hot water. He said it was like showering at a nicer hotel.

All in all I gotta say kudos to TA for investing in a better truck stop for the weary trucker.

 

One thing I forgot to mention about the workout room is that it had a keypad by the door requiring a code for access. I didn't inquire what was needed to gain access, but I thought it was a wise idea for them to control the access.



I just wanted to type access one more time.



Access



Ok, 2 more times.