I want to say the first time I ever heard about a Buc-ee’s was when I went to Austin and met up for lunch with my friend, Linda. But it didn’t really register then. My husband, Wayne, knew what Linda and her boyfriend were talking about. All I heard was “gas station” and couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
Fast-forward a couple of years and suddenly here came that name again. Buc-ee’s. (Which is pronounced “Bucky’s” and is how it looked in my mind before I knew how it was spelled.)
“It’s the greatest!” my across-the-street neighbors enthused one night over dinner. “They’ve got one in Georgia now that we stop at on our way to Florida.”
The first Buc-ee’s sign I ever saw was this past November. We used to live in Jacksonville, Florida. The last few years, except for stay-at-home 2020, we’d head “home” to spend Thanksgiving with friends.
We’d picked up our rental car and were headed to our friends’ house when I saw a billboard that caught my eye. I don’t remember what it said on it, but something clicked.
“Is that the place Terry and Betsy are always talking about?” I asked Wayne.
“Yep.”
“Huh. I guess they have one here too.”
That’s also when I realized Buc-ee’s wasn’t spelled like I thought.
We always make a trip down to St. Augustine when we visit Jax. (Wayne could probably forgo it, but I always insist.) We turned off before we came across the Buc-ee’s there or I might have asked him to stop then to check it out.
But the very next month I got a chance to stop at the one in Georgia that our neighbors talked about. FOMO got the best of me and I had to check it out.
Our neighbors described it as having “miles” of gas pumps, the best restrooms ever, and a huge store with lots of food and other merchandise.
Understatement.
Okay, to be fair that does describe it, but seeing it in person…I could hardly believe my eyes. So. Many. Gas. Pumps. (So many I forgot which one we were at when I came back from using the bathroom and temporarily misplaced Wayne and our vehicle!)
Heading inside, it felt less like an entrance to a convenience store and more like Disneyland crossed with Bass Pro and a grocery store chain of some kind.
It seemed like everyone wanted to stop at Buc-ee’s. And rightly so. Gas was cheap. They not only had restrooms but no joke. I don’t think I’ve ever been in any airport with as many stalls as they had. And certainly none as nicely kept.
And if you were hungry, they had food of all kinds, from the plethora of jerkies they’re known for to barbecue, sweets, sandwiches and more.
We had gotten a late start hitting the road and Wayne was anxious to keep going. I would’ve liked to linger a little longer and get better photos and videos. Instead, I hustled around with my video running as I tried to quickly capture the essence.
I posted a short video of it below. If you’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s, it’ll give you a general idea of what you can expect.
Of course, I didn’t dare film in the bathroom, but seriously. If you ever want a great restroom experience and a Buc-ee’s is on your route, you won’t be disappointed.
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Have you ever been to a Buc-ee’s?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Sounds like a southern version of Wawa. Looks interesting.
To me it sounds like a Bass Pro except girlied up a bit.
Okay I’ve heard of Wawas but I’ve never been to one of those either. So now of course I hope to take a road trip somewhere that has one and check one out. It’d be fun to see how’s it’s similar and/or different to Buc-ee’s. But just from looking it up…it seems very similar. Maybe not as kitschy or southern as Buc-ee’s though. (It seems a little classier.) Either way though, so fun!
It really reminded me of Bass Pro for some reason. I’m not sure why because it doesn’t look much like one on the inside, but just something about the feel of the place. lol
I love Buc-ee’s! I first visit was in San Antonio, Texas, and it was amazing!
Amazing is such a great word for it! THANK YOU for sharing that you know what I’m talking about.