Running up Interstate 5 (I-5), alongside exit 57 you will see subtle signage and billboards for Gee Cee’s Truck Stop glowing 24/7. Beacons, they’re there to entice truckers and travellers alike to drop in and visit. If you are in the area, take our advice and definitely stop in.
Our recent travels to the Pacific Northwest region on the west coast of North America had us travelling the upper reaches of I-5, between the bustling cities of Portland Oregon and Seattle Washington. On the bucket list for our trip in this dramatic corner of the country were key locales we were told are ‘must-see attractions’, and Gee Cee’s Truck Stop was one of these.
Gee Cee’s is located near the Cowlitz River, between the towns of Vader and Toledo Washington State. Gee Cee’s was opened by Gail Calvin (G.C) Wallace in 1986 and is today owned and operated by the Wallace family. The site that Gee Cee’s occupies was completely covered in thick forest at that time. Gail set about clearing it with a bulldozer, as well as levelling the site by hauling in river shingle and sand from the nearby Toutle River.
Once operational – with just one diesel pump island and a single petrol pump – Gail was found running between cooking chicken fried steaks and changing a flat tyre as well as serving customers at the till, with 30-hour shifts not uncommon. Gail also made his own cinnamon rolls at the time, damn good ones by all accounts … a man with many talents.
Gail had quite the sense of humour as well. When pumping fuel at the bowsers, you will find a couple of Bigfoot footprints cast into the concrete. It is here where the story of Gail’s uncle Ray Wallace, a logging contractor, comes to light. A genuine prankster of his time, Ray was renowned for his antics among his work colleagues. A favourite was to sneak up on to the roof of the camp hut, then quietly drop a wet newspaper containing a large and powerful M80 firecracker down the chimney. The wet paper would allow enough time for Ray to make it inside the hut, looking inconspicuous and innocent. The paper would eventually dry and ignite the M80, resulting in startled workmates, and hot plates being blown out of the stovetop in a cloud of soot and smoke.
A quick search of Google for Ray reveals history of his master prank. It was 1958, and Ray made the news thanks to mysterious large, human-like footprints appearing in the dead of night around the logging camp and equipment of a fellow logger. Apparently the chap was completely freaked out, and the next thing the story was bursting on to the front pages of the newspapers in the area, snowballing from there. Ever the prankster, Ray seized the opportunity to spin the yarn to those who latched on to the story, teasing whoever would believe. With this family history, the Bigfoot theme has been preserved and carried throughout the facility, including all manner of comical merchandise available in the gift shop.
Gee Cee’s is truly a family affair, with multiple generations continuing the business that Gail started. Serving the transport industry and travelling public with good wholesome home-away-from-home hospitality is what it is all about. Gee Cee’s is one of the few true family-owned truck stops left that is not affiliated with a large organisation. The Wallace family prides itself on providing a safe haven for the weary traveller, packaged up with a dash of good humour.
Whether heading north or south, or about to turn east and head into the interior of the country, a stop at Gee Cee’s at exit 57 on I-5 is a must.
