The first time that I heard the name Buc-ee was during a YouTube video that I was watching. They were talking about a giant gas station with a beaver as their mascot and only about 3 or 4 locations at that time. Since then, the chain has grown to more locations and one finally opened up close enough for me to visit.

What’s so special about this place? Well, it’s got the adorable mascot Buc-ee the beaver and some other fun merchandise. The chain is also known for having some really delicious BBQ brisket and pulled pork. Why drive almost 5 hours to visit one? To satiate my curiosity of course!

It was a little more than a simple road trip though. When we talked about visiting Buc-ee’s to my parents (they’ve been several already when visiting my brother), my mom wanted to come with us as well. So we picked out the date and my mom came up the night before to spend time with us. We left about 6am that Saturday morning.

Growing up, road trips were a regular occurrence with our family. My dad travelled a lot for work and sometimes he took a little extra time off so we could all drive up together and visit one of the cities he was working. Though, most of the time we just traveled around for about 2-3 weeks at a time. There are moments when I have little memories pop up while I’m going about my day and it’s always about those road trips that we took. So this trip was a little more special because my mom was coming with us. I was also the one driving rather than navigating. Thankfully, modern day GPS is a little easier to read than a Thomas Guide. Who else remembers those?

The drive out was pretty smooth. We took the I-10 all the way out to Goodyear, AZ for the closest one. With 169 miles to go, we saw the first billboard on the side of the road with a large image of their beloved mascot. Not too far after that, we saw another billboard for what ended up being our actual first stop on the trip. Daniel’s Really Good Fresh Jerky was advertising… really good jerky. How could we resist?

The store is a small roadside shop just off the freeway and it was worth the side trip. Outside was the “jerky mine”, a great photo op for the whole family. Instead was an array of different honeys, hot sauces, sodas, all manner of classic road trips snacks, and of course there was jerky. The lady behind the counter was so sweet and offered the free sample to help determine what to buy. (Quick side note: if you have gluten and/or wheat allergies, there are only 2 kinds not containing wheat). After making our selections, we headed back on the road to our next destination.

A little after 11am, and with the gas tank in the last quarter, we pulled into the Buc-ee’s gas station. First time I paid for gas under $5 a gallon in over a year. Finally, we walked in through one of the three entrances and I was overwhelmed once I saw the expanse of the inside of the store. That’s how crowded the place was. It felt like being inside a big chain store during a Black Friday sale. Lines at every register, lines to get the fresh BBQ regularly be placed out, and people crowded in for the fun Buc-ee’s merch.

We admittedly started with the food. In hindsight, that should’ve been the last stop because it was luke-warm by the time we got to the car. My mom showed us where to grab everything and the areas that had the unique snacks. My husband and mom went with the brisket sandwiches while I settled with sliced brisket and beaver chips (classic thick cut potato chips).

After loading up with hot food and sweet snacks, it was time to hit the Buc-ee merch. My mom found an inflatable Buc-ee dressed with bat wings and fangs for their Halloween display. My husband and I found quite a bit more. I ended up with a Halloween themed hat and a wearable blanket hoodie. My hubby found a couple of beanies and a winter mit that had an ice scrapper with it (our freezer gets ice build up). Lastly, I think the best purchase was my parent’s birthday gift to my hubby, a small gas pump that is actually a beverage dispenser. They promised him a gift from Buc-ee’s when we decided to take this trip about a month earlier.

With our bank accounts emptied a bit more than we thought and the food being half eaten, it was time to hit the road and head back home. The drive home had a little more traffic to it, but overall was an easy drive. We ended up making one last stop.

During the drive out, my mom had commented that we had never been to the Cabazon dinosaurs because no one else had ever wanted to stop. So, on the return trip she looked up how late they would be open and it turns out we had time for a stop. Again, this was only a place I had visited through the travel of YouTube and I was excited for the stop. We only made it inside of Dinny the dinosaur, as this was the gift shop area. We didn’t have the funds to explore the rest of the area, but it was still a good time. This is another place that I recommend stopping at when you have the time. It’s fun and a nice quirky little roadside attraction.

As the daylight began fading, and another stop for some ice cream, we finally made it back to our home. This little day trip was quite fun and it brought back a lot of found memories from past travels. These are the memories I enjoy making with my loved ones. Despite the distance we traveled, it could’ve been some place 10 minutes down the way and still have been as much fun because of the people I had with me. Small trips and quality time with loved ones are a great way to bring some joy back into your life. I’m looking forward to the next adventure I take with either of them. Until next time, safe exploring everyone!