Somewhere west of Tallahassee on I-10, there’s a billboard letting travelers know they are only 162 miles away from Buc-ee’s. Unless you live in Texas, odds are you don’t know how big a deal this is. If you’ve never heard of them, imagine that somehow your local Quick-E-Mart chain (Wawa, 7-11, Circle K, etc.) and Wal-Mart had a baby together and the godfather was Mickey Mouse. That child would grow up to be Buc-ee’s.
The World’s Best Restrooms
Buc-ee’s claim to fame is their bathrooms. I recently toured the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility and walked through the locker room. The men’s room at your average Buc-ee’s is at least as big. Strip out the fixtures and you could stage a good pick-up game of basketball in one. The toilet to hand sanitizer ratio is a perfect 1:1. Paper towels or blow driers can be used after washing your hands; a choice this correspondent wholly endorses. There is always someone in the bathroom cleaning. The facilities are spotless. When the Buc-ee’s billboards advise you to ‘hold it’ for the X number of miles until you get to their next location, they mean it.
Let’s face it, American’s are obsessed by the potty. What’s one of the first questions asked about most two-year-olds? Are they potty trained yet? Potty mouth and potty humor are as American as apple pie or, more appropriately, Adam Sandler. Like my Dad, I’m guessing most fathers say the same thing before any car ride longer than a trip to the store? “Does anyone have to go to the potty?” Advertising clean bathrooms goes back to the glory days of Route 66. Buc-ee’s corners the market on this uniquely American fascination by claiming their restrooms are the best in the world and backing it up.
First We Take Alabama…
The billboard west of Tallahassee advertises the first Buc-ee’s built outside of the state of Texas. As soon as I saw that sign on the first day of my recent road trip, I knew I had to stop. When pulling into their ginormous parking lot, the overwhelming feature was a giant inflatable beaver. Every iconic American brand needs a cute cartoon mascot. Buc-ee the Beaver is such a big deal, people were lined up to take their picture in front of it. Of course, I had to join in on it too. (I lied and said it was for my sister’s kids.)
The people waiting their turn were all from Texas and excited to see a location somewhere new. The first Buc-ee’s in Alabama is just step one on their plan to take over America. Already more travel centers are being built in Alabama and Florida. It’s only a matter of time before Buc-ee Beaver Mania comes to your town. Start planning your celebrations now.
More than a Convenience Store
The Alabama location must have over 50 gas pumps. I could only get a good picture of them if I had a drone. (Note to self: Travel with a drone in the future.) Buc-ee’s is first and foremost the Cadillac of convenience stores, but it’s so much more. It’s also a place where you can buy a stuffed Buc-ee Beaver, a Buc-ee travel pillow, Buc-ee sweats, Buc-ee jerky, Buc-ee animal crackers (Beaver Buddies!), and pretty much any product you can slap a beaver logo onto.
Of course, there’s also made to order sandwiches, travel snacks, beer, wine, and just about any beverage you can think of to fill up your 100-ounce travel mug. And then there’s the homespun shopping. Their travel centers have enough of it to put Cracker Barrel to shame. Looking for paintings of cows? They’ve got that. Colorful metal cow statues? That too. Countrified knick-knacks? Duh! My guess is that tourists from Oklahoma drive south to the nearest Texas Buc-ee’s and make it a day trip.
The American Dream
Blanding, Utah is a small town of about 3,500 on U.S. Highway 191. It’s in the middle of nowhere but thankfully has a rest stop that my bladder very much appreciated. While I was in their facility, I noticed this:
Buc-ee mania has hit Blanding! The funny thing is that the nearest Buc-ee’s is a 14-hour drive away. Was it propaganda-based advertising to bring Buc-ee’s to the Beehive State or just a fan spreading their love? Not sure that it matters. Buc-ee’s has reach, which is something every major American corporation dreams about.
The one thing they don’t have is free air for your tires, but I guess you can’t blame them for trying to make another buck(ee). And that may be the most American thing of all.
