I usually don't stay at a fancy place for my overnight stops en route. Traveling by myself means I don't have to worry about another person. So I'm all about convenience and a cheap rate. The Super 8 in Terrell is located along the interstate and checked both of those boxes.

The theme of wide open spaces seen in Louisiana continued into eastern Texas. The hotel sits next to a giant field off of Texas Route 34.

This is the area immediately next to the Super 8 hotel.

Area immediately next to the Super 8 hotel.

Three-picture panorama of the large open field next to the Super 8 hotel.

My mildly autistic mind liked the nicely arranged and organized bales of hay that were all the same size !

And yes, there actually is a large outlet mall here. But you wouldn't know it from where I'm standing. The official entrance to the mall is located along the interstate frontage road further to the west. The sign seen above sits at what I'll call the "back way" into the complex.

I said goodbye and good luck to the other holiday travelers and hit the road.

I hit the road shortly before sunrise. Mid-60s were with me this morning. So the roof came down immediately. The hit-or-miss cloud cover made for some great sunrise photos.

The theme of wide open spaces continued further into Texas. But now it was mixed with intermittent stretches of rolling hills. Westbound I-20 would drift in a southwesterly direction on occasion which allowed me to catch a glimpse of sunrise. The photos above and below were taken near mile 493 outside of Terrell, TX.

Sunrise, I-20 mile 493 near Terrell, TX.

Sunrise, I-20 mile 493 near Terrell, TX.

Interstate 20 passes south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and its 6 million residents. Thankfully, a majority of them were still sleeping on this Saturday morning. I was actually surprised (and relieved) at how light the traffic was. Once past the metro area, the theme of wide open spaces returned. I would pass several intermittent stretches of rolling hills in eastern Texas separated by flat sections that were truly flat.

Westbound I-20, mile 391 near Millsap, TX. A few rolling hills started to appear on the horizon.

Westbound I-20, mile 391 near Millsap, TX.

Westbound I-20, mile 391 near Millsap, TX.

I noticed that my perception of distance seemed to vary while driving in Texas. I started today's journey in Terrell at mile marker 501. The photo above was taken near mile marker 391. I don't know how to explain it other than the combination of wide open spaces and a wonderful 75 mph speed limit made the miles seem to pass quicker. Before I knew it, I had traveled all the way to mile marker 359 and the Eastland County Rest Area near Ranger, Texas.

My years of road tripping, especially in places like this, have taught me to always pull over at anything labeled as a "picnic area" or "scenic overlook." The photo opportunities are usually worth the effort.

Both Eastland County eastbound and westbound rest areas opened in Spring 2016 to a lot of fanfare because of their sustainable design. Buildings are constructed using environmentally friendly methods and materials. The large tank seen in the photo above is part of a rainwater collection system.

This facility is a tribute to Civilian Conservation Corps buildings from the 1930s that were located nearby and features a host of interpretive displays that pertain to the history of the area.

The building sits on a high bluff next to the interstate. Several picnic areas have been built to take advantage of the view.

A warning greeted me as I started to check the place out. "Watch for snakes" seems like a good idea.

The view from the picnic area was a little overgrown, but you get the idea.

Looking over Interstate 20 from the picnic area.

Looking over Interstate 20 from the picnic area.

Looking over Interstate 20 from the picnic area.

A field across Interstate 20 from the rest area.

I managed to capture a bird in flight on the far left of the photo above while zooming in on the hills off in the distance to the south.

I spotted a wind farm off in the distance. My first attempt at getting a picture resulted in the camera focusing on the bushes in the foreground.

My second attempt at a picture was much better. The camera focused on the right object this time.

Wind power is quite prevalent in central Texas. I saw a number of wind farms during my journey including the one seen above to the south of the interstate.

Eastern end of the rest area.

This overlook faces east where I had come from a few minutes earlier.

Despite the limited view, I was still able to get a few decent shots of Interstate 20.

Zooming in on I-20 from the westbound Eastland County Rest Area.

Zooming in on I-20 from the westbound Eastland County Rest Area. The picture becomes unstable at full zoom, (35x optical plus 4x digital). But you get the idea.

I was starting to see more and more of the flat-topped hills as I traveled further west.

The term "Mesa" is used to describe an elevated area of land with a flat-top surface and steep cliff-like sides. In the US, the term is applied to any elevated area of land with a flat surface.

Two-picture panorama of the peaks off to the east of the rest area near the city of Gordon, TX. I don't know the names of the two prominent mesas to the east near the city of Gordon, Texas seen in the photo below. There are many in this area, most of which measure between 1,000 and 1,200 feet in elevation.

I continued my walk around the rest area snapping more random pics even though my camera didn't want to cooperate at times. Above is an interesting looking birdhouse.

"Bird Condo Complex" may be a more accurate term as this place appeared to house multiple residents.

Spotted an antenna off to the east of the rest area.

Zooming in on the antenna to the east of the rest area.

The photos above and below look north to the hills off in the distance behind the rest area parking lot.

Ridge to the north of the rest area.

Zooming in on the ridge to the north of the rest area.

Zooming in on the ridge north of the rest area.

I circled back to the car and started to make my way back to the interstate when I came upon a Point of Interest behind the parking lot. This is the first time I have encountered a point of interest within another point of interest.