stepping off the edge

One sighting of a familiar sign and we are off the track and headed to one of the Texas wonders, Buc-ee’s. This is not your giant ball of string or road side alligator zoo.

To call this a rest stop or even a gas station would not be doing it justice. 100 gas pumps… did that number register in your brain? 100! Add to that 40 charging stations, a retail store, and here by store I mean 100,000 square feet + of every knick knack and chachki you can imagine. But wait, there is more, let’s stalk about an automotive section that would put Kragens to shame as well as an entire BBQ and smoker department (it is Texas after all).

Getting the picture? Well, not yet. Let’s talk food. Some of the best brisket we have tasted as well as chicken, hot links and smoked turkey. Several thousand square feet of just jerky in every flavor imaginable. And as you go to check out (15 registers going full tilt) you pass the piece de resistance… Bucky balls! Nuggets of a mix of puffed corn and caramel corn flavor. Just a bit too easy to eat.

As shocking as it may sound, Mrs. T insists on stopping at least once at this oasis of Texas treats.

As we head to Austin, the next post, we spent the night at a hotel on the way which was next door to, yes, you guessed it, more BBQ.

Now we walked up and the line was well out the door. Looked at each other and wondered if perhaps to go in would be wise. We had already had way too many meals on the bed of our hotel room and while initially romantic, it does get old. So we suffered through and entered what was essentially a buffet line. First, the line of meat men slicing all sorts of BBQ treats. Now let me tell you, Mrs. T and I are not exactly heavy weights but there were some trays that were being piled high with all sorts of ribs, brisket, turkey legs, and sausage. We happily ordered our two sliced brisket sandwiches and were told by our meat man that now we got sides and a drink. He then told us gleefully that we could pile the sides as high as we like because it’s all you could carry regardless of weight (was he talking about the weight of the sides or…) Despite the dozens of folks ahead of us, there were more than enough family style tables to accommodate. Judging from this place and the Salt Lick outside of Austin, 500 seats at the local BBQ spot is the norm.

Below are a couple of pics of the absolute BBQ factory they have set up. Never seen so many smokers working in one place at the same time.

A final note on the trip in general. Below you will see a meme that sums up the wonderful marriage I have and the mad woman I married. Lets hope it makes the cut when she edits this page.

Next, Austin and my musings on the ups and downs of traveling in a Tesla during these insane times.