Yes, here at Buc-ee’s located adjacent to World Golf Village and just a stone’s throw from I95, which is the busiest highway running north-south here in Florida and indeed the entire eastern seaboard, you truly can have it all. And if you aren’t familiar with Buc-ee’s, you are in store for a treat! And what’s not to like? This retail operator offers super cheap gas – almost always the same price as CostCo, while not needing a membership – and so many stalls and pumps you are guaranteed never to wait too long to fuel up.
But wait, it gets better, much better! Fancy some slow cooked brisket, a fried chicken sandwich or soft served ice cream? Tick. How about lawn décor to accompany that RV or 5th Wheel you’re hauling around? Tick. From T-shirts and BBQ grills to a soda fountain, freshly popped pop corn and an endless array of spending possibilities, trust me, you will be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things you can spend money on inside this retail cornucopia. But the best part? The restrooms. And while I wouldn’t normally take up too much space to comment on a spot to do your business, these facilities are absolutely impeccable – easily the cleanest bathrooms in any public setting ever.
So, whether you are just looking to fuel up or grab a piece of flat, freshly paved concrete to call home for the night, you will find yourself very well set up here at this Buc-ee’s, which isn’t as crowded as many of the other Buc-ee’s I’ve had the pleasure of visiting where the lines are long and the waiting is incessant. While it’s busy here for sure, you will find that things move pretty easily.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are looking to overnight it here, you’ll want to target the northeaster perimeter of Buc-ee’s where the traffic will be less, there’s a good bit of bush on the perimeter giving you some shade and separation from the traffic noise coming off of I95 – and while the far western side is also decent as there will typically be space over here, this area is right next to the main road where all traffic will be coming into Buc-ee’s, so you will encounter non-stop noise and honking from people at the light; (2) Should you grow tired of feeding yourself from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, then you can saddle up here at Buc-ee’s where again, you can’t help but be surprised by the bounty that is here, or you can head across the street to Costco for their pizza, baked chicken or soft served ice cream. Apart from these options, you’ll have to drive a bit east for Wendy’s, Fancy Q Sushi Bar & Grill, Anejo Cocina Mexicano, Subway or St. Marys Seafood. Over in World Golf Village you can find King Wok, Café Airano, Pirate Pizza or check out Bill Murray’s dive bar and restaurant, Murray Bros. Caddyshack; (3) Providing you would like to get out and enjoy the outdoors a bit in this area and have a kayak or canoe with you, try out Trout Creek Memorial Park and Marina just due west of here that has a superb launch into the mighty St. Johns River; and (4) If you find yourself up a creek without a canoe or kayak and just want to get some good hiking in, then mosey on east to 12 Mile Swamp where there’s decent hikes to be had in some natural Florida surroundings.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 5
Safety & Security: 5
Quality: 4
Peace & Quiet: 4
Amenities: 4
Overall, I scored this location a 4.
Happy Overnighting!
Overnight Parking
