I give it snark because it is seen from the ISS.
The one that I mentioned they want to build in my area will need $70 million in road upgrades to support it.
Company Man has a 13+ minute video on the chain and, yes, he mentions the size, endless toilets and Wall O’ Jerky.
https://youtu.be/HtaXg5GcNxg
Ouch.
Have one about 12 miles from me on the Interstate in N. Alabama (they are recently expanding fairly quickly out of Texas, mostly in the South to date). I call it the mating of a local gas-n-snacks place with a Wal-Mart. But it does have a certain charm and it is nice if you’re on a road trip to have a place with immaculate bathrooms and a huge choice of food and drink, along with reasonable gas prices.
Yeah, they did quite a bit of roadwork when they put the store near me in, don’t know if it was $70 worth or not, but I guess they figure the new jobs and taxes will be worth it in the long run.
I stopped at the Kentucky site a couple weeks ago on the prompting of a friend. I did feel like I was in the midst of a Trump rally at times, but overall it was a fun experience.
And the bathrooms are everything they’re cracked up to be and more.
mmm
We stopped at one on our way from Dallas to Barksdale AFB. Clean toilets, fresh food, snacks, swimsuits, cookbooks, candles and crawdad boilers. Also souvenirs up the wazoo. I am the proud owner of tee-shirts, plush, a tote bag and a covered tumbler.
If something is going to expand quickly out of Texas, why can’t it be HEB?
It looks like a Bucc-ee’s is opening about 30 miles from me, on I-25 between Denver and Ft. Collins. That means I’ll probably never go, because it’s too close to home to need a charge, either coming or going.
I like Buc-ee’s. It’s a road trip destination, and it’s a nice place on a long trip to be able to really stretch your legs, get some decent food, something to entertain the kids, maybe a cheesy gift for whoever you’re visiting. It’s bright and clean, and everyone seem in a better mood than at the Circle K.
As far as I can tell, it’s because HEB really does focus on quality and not competing with themselves over expansion. The nearest Central Market and HEB (same parent company) are nearly equidistant in regard to time to my current house (they’re both kinda far). My darling chooses which she wants to visit based on whether she’s going to be shopping for regular grocery store things like pet food, or wants something that CM carries that HEB doesn’t. HEB has 90% of the excellent stuff that Central Market has, and most of it is cheaper, plus the normal grocery store stuff.
But yeah, HEB rules. If you get one near you, go to there.
If Buc-ee’s had any kind of overnight sleeping facilities, like cabins, my wife would leave and take up permanent residence there.
Meanwhile, there is a short video regarding the brisket chant.
But … there’s FUDGE. Therefore, ipso facto, it’s a travel destination.
I love Buc-ee’s. They’re one of the few places that easily accommodates our 60 ft. RV, and they even provide dump stations. The place is clean, the food is fantastic, and I don’t have to deal with the hostility and filth so common at truck stops.
Again, perfect for us. We just go in back to our dining table.
I’m surprised you’ve seen guns openly displayed there. I’ve never seen one in any of our visits, and was under the impression they forbid open carry (pretty certain I saw 30.07 signs, but I could be wrong).
Dystopian? Unnerving? I’m puzzled. Odd descriptions to apply to a brightly lit gas station. Those adjectives definitely describe the grimy and sketchy all-night stations in the urban areas, but I’m puzzled why a clean, open and busy travel stop would cause these reactions. Different strokes, I guess.
Acres of paved land, dedicated to selling fossil fuels and chintzy tourist crap.
We stopped at one during our last long road trip, mostly just for the novelty of it. I mean, you see so many billboards, you feel like you just have to drop in. It almost feels like not stopping to see an old friend when you’re in their neighborhood.
The restrooms really are nice. Not just clean, although they are that, but nice. Lots of upscale tile, dividers between the urinals that go all the way to the floor, giving you more of a sense of privacy, very big sinks and vanities. If it weren’t for the size, and all the strangers around you, you wouldn’t think you were in a gas station restroom.
At the same time, it’s not the sort of place you can stop at for a quick pee break. It’s so big, and so crowded, that it can take several minutes after you get in the door to even reach the restroom.
I’m kind of glad we stopped, just so that I could see what it’s like. But I don’t know that we’ll go back. For refueling, snacks, and restroom breaks, I generally lean toward places like Love’s, TA, or Pilot. Convenient enough, and not so overwhelming.
I’ve liked Buc-ee’s since before they started building the super-sized stores along major highways. They used to have just a handful of regular size gas station/convenience stores in the Freeport, TX area. The pumps were situated so that it was convenient for trucks with boat trailers to get in and out without blocking everybody else, they sold 20# sacks of ice for 99 cents (now it’s $1.99 but still cheap), and if you were desperate for bait they even sold frozen shrimp and mullet. They were always clean, well maintained, and efficient.
But their big draw was always the bathrooms. The old stores didn’t have huge bathrooms (still don’t), but they were larger than average and always spotless. I had been stopping at Buc-ee’s for some time before I even knew about the ‘bathroom thing’. Sometime in the early '90s a friend and I were on our way to do some surf fishing, and he wanted to use a bathroom before we hit the beach. I was about to pull over at the next convenience store when he said “What are you doing? There’s a Buc-ee’s just down the road.” So we stopped at Buc-ee’s and I went in with him to see a Buc-ee’s bathroom for the first time.
Ever since then I do my ‘business’ in Buc-ee’s whenever possible 
Aaah. Like Disney World with gas pumps? I kinda see your point.
Heh, that’s a pretty good description of how I feel about it.
I like the cut of your jib! (and the juice on your bib)