Cracker Barrel — Wesley Chapel

Located about 45 minutes north of Tampa in the quaint little township of Wesley Chapel, this particular Cracker Barrel rests right next to I75, so much so that not only will you hear the noise from passing by traffic, but you are so close you’ll actually feel the swoosh of highway traffic. Maybe this is too close for comfort, or perhaps you have earplugs and count this as a positive as it provides a very convenient pit stop on your sojourn. Whatever your situation might be, this is a very good place to anchor up for the night, providing you can get past the noise factor, as there’s incredibly level pavement to carve a piece for yourself and in general, while the place is humming with business, it’s actually manageable and not too terribly busy.

The bathrooms inside this restaurant are very clean and the staff are incredibly welcoming. If you chose to stop by this Southern eatery, know that the lot itself is just medium-sized and odd-shaped at that, with a triangular backside, which the southern side is the most optimal for parking as it will keep you away from all of the traffic parking in front on the east side. Another little tip you might want to investigate is that just due west of here there is an open grassy pasture that apparently other RVs had no problem parking in, so if you don’t find or don’t like what you find here at this Cracker Barrel, you might literally want to head to greener pastures (due west).

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:

Convenience: 5 

Safety & Security: 4 

Quality: 4 

Peace & Quiet: 2 

Amenities: 4 

Overall, I scored this location a 4. 

Happy Overnighting!