Planes & Automobiles in ART (Lens-Artist Photo Challenge) Buc-ee’s Travel Stops

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Hello Readers- today’s post has photos connecting with the lens-artist theme of planes and automobiles. John also used the hashtag #Roadtrip2022 so I am sharing photos from Buc-ee’s gas stations, which is a chain that started in 1982 and they are now enormous “travel stops” sprinkled throughout the Southern US states. 

Just built….

Canvas Art

Each Buc-ee’s has art for sale. Most of the art includes that ubiquitous cheap canvas art (prices range from $80.00 to $400.00).

 

 

 

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Buc-ee’s Pros

  • Buc-ee’s is noted for low gas prices and plenty of gas pumps,
  • Clean restrooms with large privacy stalls
  • Clothing, home goods, sporting goods, deer feeders, and much more for sale.
  • Hot and cold food options. Beef Jerky, Texas BBQ sandwiches ($7.99), hearty burritos ($8.99), Chicken Salad ($5.99), fresh potato chips ($1.98), hot apple pie ($1.98). More than a dozen kind of salads, and a lot of misc. snacks, which includes a beef jerky wall, and a dried fruit and gummy candy wall
  • A lot of friendly employees, who are likely paid well 

Buc-ee’s Cons

  • Only two kinds of coffee. At a travel center? Pilot and most Love’s gas stations have five or more types of coffee – and usually they offer the fresh “grind and brew” coffee options – but Buc-ee’s has two below-average hot coffee options.
  • No indoor or outdoor seating
  • Busy. Even though we never had to wait in long lines- the crowd and large store size can be over stimulating.
  • The food at Buc-ee’s is made with “industrial seed oil” and we try to stay away from these dangerous-to-human-health oils (the “little-known BIG health threat” and tip to avoid industrial seed oils article is here)

We have been to Buc-ee’s in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. I like how they have it set up in the large hallways and each location has art connecting to that geographical area.

 

Thanks for joining me today.

  • Did you like any art from today’s post?
  • Have you visited a Buc-ee’s – or a similar store – while on a road trip?
  • Care to join this week? Visit John’s blog for more information.

Post updated and edited 10-24-22 (photos modified)

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67 thoughts on “Planes & Automobiles in ART (Lens-Artist Photo Challenge) Buc-ee’s Travel Stops”

    1. Hi Robbie – good point about how the industrial seed oils are not too bad once in a while – but they are everywhere over here in the states and I “looked the other way” too many times and finally this year decided to become more serious about these dangerous oils (but it can be hard because once in a hike can become weekly)
      /-
      Thanks for checking out this post
      ☀️😊

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Hi Robbie- I have seen many of your “from scratch” recipes and appreciate how you show so many folks your ideas for natural cooking (it seems more and more folks don’t know how to turn on the stove -hahaha)
          And we like to use “some” olive oils (not all brands at why same and some olive oil over here is junk), avocado oil, bacon grease, and butter ☀️😊

          Liked by 1 person

  3. I’ve been told that Buc-ee’s is a great place, but we haven’t seen one yet. If we do, I’ll plan to stop. I think we are traveling too far north this trip to find one.

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    1. Hi John – yes – you might be too far north (and love the areas you have featured before and recently) also – these stores are opening pretty fast and even tho mostly in Texas and south east – I wonder what the next ten years will bring us! Hmmmm
      Thanks for hosting this week and have a great day!!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Sounds an interesting place and your photos are great, Yvette. I don’t know how their prices compare over there but to a British eye they are very reasonable.

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    1. Hi Clive – thanks so much for reading and noticing the prices – and while the beef jerky ranges from $8 to $75 and the clothes vary – we thought the food items were very reasonable
      And the beefsteak burrito for $8.99 is something I had twice this summer and both times couldn’t finish it – and that is the portion I like – ((don’t leave me hungry!) hahaha – but I also had the bag of their chips for under $2
      The ONLY complaint is I really do worry about eating the toxic industrial seed oils (they toxic load adds up from them) and we just found an app that helps people find local eateries that do not use cheap toxic oils – I think it s called “local fats” but I need to check!
      And another good thing about eating the better oils and healthy fats is it is a longer lasting fuel source for humans

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi Yvette. I’m glad you enjoyed your meals there and it does sound good. I can see where you’re coming from about the fats they use. Over here we’re led to believe that your food standards are less controlled than ours, so I hope they tighten up for you soon. No doubt that would be a difficult one for the FDA to fight with the vested corporate interests, though.

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        1. Clive – it makes me so disgusted to see how much the FDA allows and the very serious health consequences for humans. I minimized some of these dangerous products for years and then finally just realized the FDA doesn’t have a clue about the dangerous toxins they say are okay and maybe you said it best with “difficult one for the FDA to fight with the vested corporate interests”

          Liked by 1 person

        2. There’s a lot of concern here about how far we might have to drop our standards to get a trade deal with the US. Fortunately for now this is a very low priority for you, and there is a need to rebuild trust after Johnson trampled all over it, so hopefully we’re safe for now!

          Liked by 1 person

  5. So far as I know, we don’t have any Buc-cee stores in Australia so I was interested to find out about them and see the photographs. Shame about the coffee though.

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    1. Hi Norah! These stores are going up pretty fast over here and I wonder if they will make it to your area – it just takes one investor to start a chain there.
      And your comment brought a smile about how you were glad to read abit this store because while making the post I paused twice and Almost Went with a simpler photo post featuring “planes trains and automobiles”

      But then I had all these photos and went with it!

      ☕️ And Norah – that is exactly what my spouse thinks – “shame about the coffee” and for that reason alone we will likely go to Pilot or another place that has the grind and brew

      Liked by 1 person

      1. It sounds like ‘Pilot’ would fit into your ‘planes trains and automobiles’ post. 😉 I hope their coffee is better.
        I’ll keep an eye out for those stores. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Well I”ve traveled many roads in the south living in SC Yvette but I’ve never seen one of these! What a hoot!! Fun choice for the week.

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    1. Hi Tina -you will likely see a Buc-ees soon because they have many more in the works – the expansion is huge – and not sure if we will always stop there on our trips!
      Please let me know if you stop at any because they will be all along 95 soon

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    1. Hi Jt
      You made me wonder too and so I looked it up
      “Founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin opened his first store as partners in Clute, Texas in 1982 (it is still open). Aplin formed the name Buc-ee’s by combining his childhood nickname; the name of his Labrador Retriever, Buck; as well as the appeal of Ipana toothpaste’s animated mascot, Bucky the beaver”
      And I also found that this chain is opening their largest store yet in Northern Colorado —/ hmmm the
      “74,000-square-foot convenience store and 116 gas pumps built into the project design, Buc-ee’s president Beaver Aplin told CBS4 this store will be his company’s largest ever”

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    1. Well we all know how much you do get out (being the salsa world traveler – ha)
      And I think Buc-ee’s has not made it to NC yet….

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  9. I’ve never heard of these, Yvette, but the pros outweigh the cons for me as I don’t drink coffee and don’t buy food at gas stations/plazas. 🙂 Good prices and large, clean restrooms are high on my list.

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    1. Hi Janet – the good prices and clean restrooms are high in my list too – however – have to walk through a lot of commotion to reach those restrooms

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  10. I think i first heard the Buc-ee’s Pros on tv. This photos are great Yvette! I’ll have to check it out! 🙂

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    1. Hi – I liked that too – even tho I do not think the sign will be there for good – this was a new location and still recruiting – but compared to similar places it seems like they pay well and we need more of that!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I have never seen one of these stores. I presume in the US only? The wages and benefits seem very good. I’m a fan of clean restrooms on a road trip. Not sure I would be purchasing art while gassing up but interesting that’s for sure.

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    1. Hello Sue
      right now they are only in the southeastern states – started in Texas – and they have their largest store (74,000 sq feet) opening in northern Colorado –

      Liked by 1 person

  21. There aren’t any Buc-ees around here, but I probably visited one when traveling in FL. They certainly take their business seriously and cleanly and safely. Gotta love that

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    1. Hi Ally – they do take their business seriously and the “quality” feel there was refreshing (even if they cook their food in bad industrial seed oils)….

      Liked by 1 person

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  23. I love the truck pictures. Like most of your readers, I haven’t been there. There was some other place that I stopped in South Carolina and was very disappointed because it was just well advertized “stuff/junk” that I didn’t want or need. I agree with Janet about clean bathrooms, and coffee, though. Bathrooms are a plus coffee is not a minus. Well done post, Yvette. 🙂

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      1. Both great reasons to stop. It surprises me how many people who live in the areas the stations cover have never heard of them. Good sales pitch! You should get a commission, LOL.

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  25. I liked some of the artwork Yvette – the car inside the store and the artwork of that car was fun and the last artwork “The Butt Stops Here” was kind of fun as well. It seems like a hoppin’ place from your still shots and video. I have never heard of Buc-ee’s and have not traveled to Southern states in a long while, but I was thinking of Stuckey’s which was a restaurant popular in Southern states when we traveled there. You’d pass a rest stop with a Stuckey’s restaurant and pull out onto the highway to resume your trip and pretty soon there would be signs telling you how far to the next Stuckey’s and rest stop. Their claim to fame was pecan pie and that is what they usually advertisd.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Coincidentally, I just learned about Buc-ee’s two weeks ago from a YouTube vlog. The vlogger showed the food and cool souvenirs there (their mascot is memorable), but I didn’t know it’s a whole travel stop, with location-appropriate art at that. I think it will be an interesting cultural experience for foreigners like me.

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    1. Hi Gift – I think you will really enjoy a visit here
      I guess that when my neighbor stopped there – her husband brought her – she said her only complaint was they didn’t have more time to look around ….
      Thanks for checking out this post

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