North Carolina Welcome Center

Filthy bathrooms. One would think that they want to welcome you to a nice friendly rest stop. I was wrong, well all i can say is i had no choice but to stop here.

This was a very nice place to stop while on the road. After a long day on the road, it’s nice to find a rest stop that actually is a joy to stop at. Got a map of NC and I definitely used it heading to Raleigh. Even though it was closed, I was still able to get a map and check out other things that they had.

They don’t have a map of SC posted outside the building. That’s pretty lame, especially since the visitor center closes at 5 PM.

A great stop as you enter North Carolina leaving SC on I-​95 in Rowland, NC. Signage is good and prepares you a few miles before needing to exit. Cars to the right in back side, trucks to the left in front.
Once you pull in you see that the area is situated off the water, but I honestly cannot say it not something special and looks stagnant and unappealing. There are picnic tables around, but none that are covered which is an important feature if hot, or raining. I saw no debris in the area when parking.
Boy oh boy was this a busy stop on a recent Saturday afternoon. However, there was still plenty of parking. The combo NC Welcome Center/​Rest Area is divided up. So after you park the Welcome Center is the first building, then restrooms. Vending is in a building that is off a little distance and not as convenient as it should be in my opinion.
I did look around the Welcome Center a bit and found the usual maps etc. around. A woman at the desk said welcome and offered a map of North Carolina. One of the things that stood out about this WC was the fact an area of the room was homey with a fireplace, rocking chairs and a comfortable family room atmosphere. I did need to ask the staff a few questions and found the older man and older woman very pleasant to deal with.
The restrooms were updated and clean. Also a restroom attendant was cleaning at the time which is a great sign they take care of the facility. There was soap, paper towels and toilet paper and again CLEAN!!! Who could ask for more.
Before my departure I went over to the vending area to grab something with caffeine to get me the rest of the way home to Virginia Beach. One of the machines did not have my selection, of course this was the $ 1 bottles. The other machines for $ 1.50 that were 20 oz. were working.
I usually try to hit state welcome centers when I travel. Most often what you will find are upgraded facilities that have 24 hour attendants and good vending. Not to mention you get real people that can answer your questions during the day. As Summer travels pick up look for welcome centers as you enter various states, you will be glad you did.

I always, and I mean always stop at off ramp one to get to the Welcome Center in every state I can, and I have hit a bunch of them. It is always good to get new current information about the state you are entering (even if it is your own you just might learn something new). I always love the free map of the state (now that AAA charges).
This welcome center is large, roomy, for people, cars and pets. It has recycling cans to help clean out the car. It has friendly, very friendly, people and more information than I could handle about the state.
See you there, I will be taking a nap, getting ready for my next adventure.