Best of 2001: Best Secret Rest Stop For Drowsy Interstate Commuters

North County Fair Parking Lot
272 East Via Rancho Parkway, Escondido

You Interstate 15 inmates know the drill: You're alternating between sleep and the short but intense adrenaline rushes that come from dozing off at the wheel. Hang in there until you get to the Via Rancho Parkway exit. Use the North County Fair entrance just to the east of I-15 and, once in the parking lot, turn left. The outer lot outside Macy's and Sears, where it curves north along I-15, is fringed by the deep shade of trees. It's a perfect spot, two minutes off the freeway, to knock your seat back and catch the 15 minutes of sleep that will get you safely to your destination. And on weekdays it's usually empty. Security guys in golf carts with rotating yellow lights will cruise by, but they're there to protect you, not hassle you.