North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau — Local services in Salisbury

This is a highway rest area. Generally people want to rest at night. This facility has hours of operation. I pulled in with no time left on my clock. I ate dinner before I went to use the bathroom (or tried to anyway). I found the doors locked with a sign advising people to use the bathrooms at businesses off of the exit. That may be fine for cars, but I'm 85' long and on electronic logs that say I can't move until my break is up. The best part is I'll be leaving before they're open again so still no bathroom. They're all too happy to take your money in the vending machines around the clock, though. People wonder why their bushes get peed on and they find human excrement places it shouldn't be. Wonder no more. When you take away all other options, people resort to behavior that is more fitting of animals. On the other side of the highway, the NH welcome center is actually welcoming. Just north, the Kennebunkport service plaza is the same. Had I known that this place was so awful, I'd have stopped there. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here now. CT has ridiculous hours for their rest areas, as well. At least they have the common sense and decency to make port-a-potties available. Congratulations on being the absolute worst state to drive in in all of New England, Massachusetts! You deserve absolutely nothing trucks have...

On our way home from Maine we stopped here. To make a long story short, I THOUGHT I’d dropped my phone into the trash compactor along with the odds and ends of travel detritis from the car. As you can imagine, I was horrified. The people working at this visitor center were SO kind, so, helpful and so quick to reassure me I wasn’t losing my mind by doing something so stupid. When it was clear they didn’t have the key to the compactor but that the DOT would have to come unlock it, they contacted the DOT who came within 10 minutes, opened the container and….. When it turned out the phone was not the cpmpactor after all, butI had panicked too soon and the phone had, in fact, fallen in the car, the DOT official just laughed and sent us on our way. What could have been a nightmare turned into a chance to meet some terrific people with amazing patience and kindness at work....

Overall a decent rest stop. Dog 🐕 walk area with disposal cans in case Fido has to go. Plenty of trash 🗑️ cans. Well kept lawn. A "things to do and see" sign. Vending machines selling snacks is located outside. The "Welcome to Massachusetts" sign is located here. The sign has its own spot on Google Maps. Inside has an information ℹ️ desk. Merchandise, such as magnets and sweatshirts, are sold here. Bathroom is set up porta potty style, except you don't have any smell. It was in decent shape. Where exactly is the Convenience center? This rest stop has three names. The name listed on Google Maps, the Maria Mills Visitor Center, named after the woman who founded the rest stop and the Salisbury By the Sea Massachusetts. Plenty of parking 🅿️....