We left Ohio on Sunday for our greatest distance day thus far- 500 miles.
Our first stop was Bloomington, IN to have lunch with my niece, Wendy, her husband, David, and two of my three great nieces.Both girls were incredibly busy with their college studies and Wendy had a flight to Milan that evening so I was sincerely grateful for any time we had together.
We walked to dine at the very cool campus location of Mother Bear's Pizza. The conversation, and meal, were perfect.
I even got to participate in the tradition of signing 'anywhere' I wanted. I chose the women's restroom thinking the girls would see it often and think of me.
Next stop was Kentucky.The last time the three siblings were together was in Lake Tahoe in 2018. Wow, six years! While we only had dinner, it was nice just to touch base and get some hugs.We then drove the back roads of rural Kentucky where we found a hotel for the night before returning to Virginia on Monday.Our final leg of this whirlwind road trip consisted of a 539 mile drive with no stops planned. We did need gas however, and Buc-ee's was the best prices we had seen the entire trip- $2.55 a gallon. We are definitely not in California anymore, Toto.Buc-ee's is a gas station, and it's a big one – about 120 pumps stand on the more than 53,000-square-foot property. But it is so much more than that. We walked in and were in awe and instant fans. There are dining options inside the storefront, with Texas-style barbecue, baked goods and desserts along with grab-and-go options prepared by staff on site. The company touts itself as the "home of the world's cleanest bathrooms." Welcoming customer service is key – "people come here because of our people," said Richard Barkley, a regional director of operations in town for the opening. And it is so true.
And then there's the beaver, a prominent symbol among the brand's rabid following. The company's mascot is plastered on hundreds of products sold at the store, from clothing and food items to keychains, blankets, coolers, chairs and tents. There's an entire small economy of Buc-ee's merchandise adorned with the grinning mascot's image, with shelves overflowing with stuffed beavers stocked around the shop. I bought band-aids for my grands. It was the perfect last 'thing' to experience before arriving back to Chuck's for porch time, dinner, and then an early flight home.
The big question asked of me on the trip was why is it so short? When I booked my flight on February 6th, we didn't have the final extensive itinerary which had evolved over the last eight months. We didn't know who would have the time to connect, etc. As it worked out, everyone rallied to be available and though brief, each family gathering was memorable. Chuck called it a Saffell Sampler (defined as a representative collection or example of something). For now, I will savor that!
Charles Dickens said it best, “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”
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