I don’t remember how or when we heard about the super-sized Buc-ee’s Travel Centers, but we were definitely curious and eager to make a roadside stop and check one out.
Buc-ee’s is a Texas icon, a larger-that-life, one-stop center offering travelers everything they could possibly want or need…and more. I wouldn’t be surprised if some devotees go to wrap up their Christmas shopping every year.
We wandered through a mouth-watering food court, a really nice kitchenware and gift department. There was a good-size grocery department, a camping area and a large clothing section. In addition, Buc-ee’s has a reputation for extremely clean bathrooms…always appreciated when on the road.
The Buc-ee’s chain was founded in 1982 in Clute, Texas. Expansion in the state began in 2001with the first travel center opening in Luling, Texas. In 2018, Buc-ee’s began to pop up in neighboring southern states and there are now 43 locations inviting weary travelers a chance to take a break and get some steps in while wandering through the department-like store.
We stopped at the Baytown center just off Interstate 10 east of Houston. According to Chris O’Connell, who visited, rated and wrote about every Buc-ee’s in Texas, listing them from worst to best, the Baytown center “felt gargantuan…just magnificent.” He ranked it 5th from the top. We obviously experienced some of best of what the chain has to offer.
So, besides coffee, what did we put in that cart that Reg was pushing? In addition to a few bottles of sale-priced California wine, I insisted on souvenir cups. Aren’t they perfect?
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