Dan R.
Yelp
"Aren't you glad we finally got away
And I'm so glad that we
Finally had some"
(Beach Boys)
I've been wanting to visit a Buc-ees for quite a long time, but sadly, the closest one to us is over 400 miles away in Mount Crawford, Virginia, so I never did.
That is until yesterday when our tour bus stopped on I-90 in Johnstown, Colorado for a rest stop at the 60th of Buc-ees 69 stores. It opened here in March of 2024.
Are you familiar with Buc-ees? It's a Texas-based travel center that's developed a cult-like following. I guess its true that good things happen to those who wait.
It's really hard to describe the Buc-ees experience. Let me start with some numbers., it has a mind-blowing 116 fueling stations and 12 electric vehicle charging stations. So that was pretty wild to see before my big toe ever crossed the threshold.
But when you enter the store in this mammoth complex, you'll discover it covers 74,000-square feet and contains thousands of snack, food and drink choices, homemade fudge, a full bakery; barbecued brisket, turkey and pulled pork, clothes, outdoor gear, home goods, toys, books, wine, and one of its claims to fame, "the "world's cleanest bathrooms, freshest food and friendliest beaver."
Of course, their mascot "Buc-ee the Beaver" was on hand, and of course we shamelessly posed for a picture with him.
It was too bad our bus stop only lasted for 30-minutes, but we successfully visited the restroom, and crammed our shopping basket with $39 worth of Buc-ees stuff -namely a souvenir tote bag, Salted Caramel Rice Crispy treat, 2 bags of Buc-ees flavored popcorn, a bag of Cherry Maple Buc-es beef jerky, two Buc-ees slap wrap plushies, and a hunk of Praline fudge.
The fudge turned out to be problematic because TSA flagged it on their screener, and we had to open the bag and explain it. I guess it resembled a block of plastique explosive or something dangerous.
But the TSA guard was cool when she saw what it was. She smiled and said, "fudge is OK by me".