“I’d like a Cherry Chip shake please,” I yelled into the tiny speaker at the drive-through window from my spot in the backseat.
The chips weren’t really cherries … but probably lumps of cherry-flavored sugar with red food coloring. This was before anyone knew that they were supposed to be against food additives and preservatives. Back then, neon blue slushies and Razzles gum were food staples for every kid. However, the Cherry Chip shake was available only for a limited time and Grandma would take us to McDonald’s for a treat every day!
Grandma loved McDonald’s. She said she loved that you could get a good fast meal … and the bathrooms were always clean. But I think her favorite thing was that you didn’t have to get out of your car. I bet it was exciting when the first McDonald’s opened. There had been nothing like it before.
It’s kind of like when Target opened. Remember how we weren’t quite sure how to say the name, and added a French accent to it? Tar – jay … as if we were shopping at a European specialty boutique.
In the eighties, everyone loved McDonald’s. The food was okay; it was convenient and fast, but it was also fun. We were all collecting paper monopoly pieces and vying to win cash and prizes. I ate a lot of Big Macs the year the grand prize was a new car! And I think I still have some of the Happy Meal toys we collected when my kids were little.
McDonald’s isn’t as popular anymore for various reasons. I hadn’t eaten at one in years until our recent car trip to see our daughter. At the start of the trip, my husband announced that we would stop only for gas and to walk the dog. According to him, there would be no sitting in restaurants or shopping at roadside kiosks. And just like Grandma, his restaurant of choice was the McDonald’s drive through. I halfheartedly agreed and planned to acquiesce until we stumbled upon …
BUC-EE’S
Have you seen it? It’s incredible. Buc-ee’s has everything—and more! Grandma would have loved it. There was no way we were just stopping for gas. How did I not know about this place? Then I remembered, I had heard of it. Last year, one of our employees was retiring and the staff put together a bon voyage party for him. Toward the end of the party, he got up to say a few words and talked about the trips that he and his wife planned to take in their new RV. They had mapped out their routes to make sure they could stop at Buc-ee’s whenever possible. At the time, I didn’t know what he was talking about—but now I see that makes total sense.
At the start of our most recent trip, I announced to my husband that I hated riding in the car and I would not be making the drive ever again. That was before our life-changing Buc-ee’s discovery. He didn’t admit it right away, but he enjoyed it too, especially after he discovered the meat counter with a display case filled with grilled brisket. We found ourselves laughing at our huge grins and agreed that it was fun to stop along the way.
Contrary to my previous declaration … this would not be our last road trip.