Stop to pee in harmony

Never mind those rumors about what goes on at roadside rest areas; taking a break from driving might soon become a transformative experience. This month, the UC Davis Design Museum is exhibiting glitzy schematics of self-sustaining rest areas entered in a 2006 international competition to design a “GreenStop” along Highway 99 between Fresno and Bakersfield. Architects designed “off the grid” rest areas that conformed to the natural landscape and served as models for the future. Solar canopies, grass roofs, waterless urinals, native trees and flowers, pervious pavement and recycled building materials transform a quick pit stop into a euphoric respite amidst Central Valley farmland. The museum is located at 145 Walker Hall, 1 Shields Avenue in Davis. Call (530) 752-6150 for more information.