Place to stop in AM near park

[DisGirl819]

Hi!
Hopefully you guys will be able to help me out. I'm going to DLR in a couple weeks with a huge group (2 buses). We're doing an overnight drive to get to DL and then stopping to change clothes/brush teeth before going to the parks. Is there any place not too far (no more than 1 hour) from the parks that we could stop at about 5 am or so? We'd need lots of restrooms, possibly food or vending. We're thinking a rest area but the nearest one looks to be about 2 hours away!! Has anyone done this? We'll be coming from I-10. THanks for any help!!

 

[bumbershoot]

According to my AAA map, there is a rest stop with bathrooms off of 10 between Beaumont and Calimesa (actually there's one at Calimesa, too, but that's starting to go north and I don't know if you're going up, or going to go straight west towards 215)...before that, more easternly on 10, there are stops at/after White Water after Palm Springs, I think?

I'm not an expert in these things, just going off of my AAA map.

I just went into my AAA online account to make an online triptik, and it shows those same rest areas and nothing closer.

I noticed a TON of gas stations, however, and I wonder if there's a big truck stop/gas station/restaurant along that way? That might be the thing to look for...they might be cool with your group using their restrooms if they have a restaurant that you would eat at...

If you, or another chaperone, belong to AAA I highly recommend popping in and getting some maps, maybe a triptik, and ask them the question you're asking here (and I thought I saw the question on another message board today?)...they might be the perfect people to ask (barring a truck driver who knows the route like the back of his/her hand, of course).

Good luck!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Are you going to be coming from outside California or within? If you're coming from outside, then I would recommend stopping in Blythe.

There is also a stop at Indio where you can gas up and stop and refresh yourselves.

 

[DisGirl819]

We're coming from AZ and its an overnight drive so we want to stop close enough that we don't have to get everyone up too eary

 

[DisGirl819]

Anyone else have any other suggestions?? Please??

 

[Brendella]

This sounds like a trip we did on Grad night from Northern CA.
Our sponsors got a few motel rooms. (I think it was one per 10 of us) It allowed us to bring an overnight kit & change of clothes and keep it somewhere while we enjoyed the park. If someone was tired, they could come back and sleep. Only one bathroom per room but I'm sure your group could get inventive. ($100 room would only cost each person $10.)