Buc-ee’s — The Roadside Stop We Rarely Pass
I would be hard-pressed to tell you which Buc-ee’s was the first one we ever stopped at. I do remember the reaction.
When people back home in Nebraska ask me what Buc-ee’s is, the easiest explanation I've come up with is this:
Imagine Walmart, a truck stop, and a fast-food restaurant had a baby.
That still isn't quite right, but it gets you close.
I don't know how many different Buc-ee’s locations we've visited over the years. It's a bunch. We've been to some of them several times.
At this point, when we see a Buc-ee’s sign along the highway, we're probably stopping.
The main reason we might pass one is because there's another Buc-ee’s farther down the road that day that we'd rather stop at.
Our Home Buc-ee’s
If we have a home Buc-ee’s, it's probably the one in Hillsboro, Texas.
It sits along a route we travel regularly, and we've developed something of a routine there.
We pull Harriet into the parking area, find a place that works for the RV, start the generator if we need it, lock everything up and head inside for lunch.
And lunch can go in several directions.
Buc-ee’s is famous for brisket, and there's almost always a brisket sandwich somewhere in the equation. But you don't have to eat like you're preparing for hibernation.
You can walk out with a brisket sandwich, a cinnamon roll and a cup of fruit—which probably tells you everything you need to know about the range of choices.
Some of the food also changes with the region. When we're traveling through central Texas, for example, we're usually looking for kolaches.
Buc-ee’s in an RV
There are a few things RV travelers should know.
First, Buc-ee’s has what seems like a gazillion fuel pumps.
Unfortunately, when you're driving a diesel motorhome, that doesn't necessarily mean a gazillion useful pumps.
Diesel is available at many locations, but compared with the enormous number of gasoline positions, the choices can feel pretty limited. Buc-ee’s lists diesel-related amenities individually by location, and Hillsboro, for example, has DEF available. Buc-ees Locations
Buc-ee’s also isn't a truck stop in the traditional sense.
Semi trucks are not allowed on the property. That's a deliberate part of how Buc-ee’s operates rather than an oversight. MySA
RVs are different. We've stopped with Harriet at many locations, and at some of the newer stores we've found parking that works very well for large RVs.
But I wouldn't assume every Buc-ee’s is laid out the same way. With Harriet and Vern stretching roughly 65 feet, we look at the parking arrangement before committing ourselves to anything we can't easily get back out of.
And Buc-ee’s should be thought of as a stop, not an overnight destination. Buc-ee’s says it does not allow vehicles to remain in its parking lots for extended periods, so this isn't a place to plan on spending the night. Buc-ees
We Don't Usually Buy Fuel There
Oddly enough, despite how often we stop at Buc-ee’s, we rarely use it as a fuel stop anymore.
When we traveled in Phyllis, our gas-powered Class C, that was different.
Harriet is diesel, and these days our fuel stops are usually dictated more by truck-accessible diesel lanes and our Open Roads discount card than by where we happen to want lunch.
That deserves its own article.
We Usually Buy Something We Didn't Come For
Food is only part of the problem.
We almost always wander through the Buc-ee’s clothing.
I have no objection to wearing something that tells people how much I enjoy stopping there, and I've picked up several surprisingly nice button-down shirts along the way.
We've also bought kitchen utensils, seasonings, flavored salts and assorted things we didn't know we needed until we saw them sitting on a Buc-ee’s shelf.
That is part of the experience.
You don't really run into Buc-ee’s, use the restroom and run back out.
Or at least we don't.
More Than a Convenience Store
Somewhere along the way, Buc-ee’s became more than a place where we occasionally stopped.
It's one of those things we associate with being on the road.
We know roughly what we're going to find when we walk through the doors, but we still look around. We get something to eat. We see what's new. We probably buy something with a beaver on it.
And then we get back in Harriet and keep moving.
Worth the Stop?
For us, that's an easy one.
If there's a Buc-ee’s along the route, there's a pretty good chance we're taking the exit.
