Not all rest areas are created equal. Some have family restrooms and full-service visitor centers. Others have pet exercise areas and playgrounds. Some feature vending machines and picnic shelters.

But many travelers see rest areas simply as a place for drowsy drivers to catch a few winks or make a quick pit stop.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is out to change that mind-set with hopes that travelers will use them more often. A pilot project featuring signs listing amenities at 20 rest areas along I-35 and I-90 and on Hwy. 371 in the Brainerd lakes area kicked off in July.

"A lot of people don't realize those amenities exist," said Rob Williams, MnDOT's rest area program manager, who noted that five rest areas even have gift shops. "Most people would not expect that. That's another purpose to put them out there. The population is aging, a lot of people are traveling with their elderly parents, and family bathrooms, play lots and dog runs are sought-after features. It's a good idea to better promote those."

MnDOT put up the first blue signs in July at a cost of $97,000, and early returns, at least anecdotally, suggest they are working.

While MnDOT can't track usage, Williams said custodians who clean toilets and keep rest areas tidy say they've seen an uptick in visitors since the signs went up. Williams said MnDOT can also get clues from measures such as increased water usage and more money spent at vending machines.

What travelers want

The idea to post signs highlighting the amenities, services and products offered at rest areas came from a 2009 focus group that MnDOT assembled to explore ways to encourage drivers to stop and use them.

Some group members said they appreciated signs advertising amenities available at commercial rest stops on East Coast toll roads and suggested similar signs might influence Minnesota travelers' decisions to pull off the road.

"We'd never thought of it," Williams said. "We think we are the first [state] to do this."

MnDOT surveyed travelers in the five-state area asking them what federally approved amenities they'd like to see at rest areas. Signs listing amenities and services ranked in the top five on drivers' wish lists, right behind easy and direct access from the highway, flush toilets and adequate parking.

Other wants included traffic and road construction information with printable maps and directions, 24-hour security guards and TVs showing weather radar.

Don't expect to see a Wendy's or McDonald's added to state rest areas. Federal law prohibits those kinds of establishments except on commercialized toll roads. But do look for gift shops hawking tourism-related items at visitor centers operated in conjunction with the DNR along the North Shore.

Starting in November, MnDOT will evaluate the signs' effectiveness by asking travelers to take an electronic survey. A unique key code is posted at each rest area, which will allow users to complete the survey by phone or computer.