What was that Texas amazing store called that is a tourist destination?
3So on some thread I have given up googling to find, someone mentioned this huge TX store that sells just about everything under the sun that is a tourist destination. I am headed to Houston next week and for a change might even get there before, say, 1am. So I can actually do something while I am there besides the usual cancer crap (or while on the way there - I think this store was somewhat east of Houston just off of route 10 so I’d be passing it on the way there) other than a quick trip to trader joe’s for jam. Some day I might even be able to play tourist there (now that’s a novel thought - grin). Anyway I thought I’d gawk and window shop…
And while in Houston maybe go to Ikea and hit a Gander Mountain to see what is still left that they are liquidating since they are going out of business (well they were bought by Camping World or some such so likely a big shift in what they will carry). Again most likely just window shopping unless I can find something cheap to buy to put in the christmas and birthday pile for family…
EDIT: The photo that came up with this tread says Magnolia market but when I google that everything says Waco and I know it wasn’t there. I had been so hoping that was the answer and I could have just hit delete for this thread LOL
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Daiso.
But they’re not near Houston.
@2many2no Yeah I’d like to go to Japan. Be fun. I’d need a submarine or ship though since I can’t drive there without one. LOL
@Kidsandliz They have several stores in the Dallas area now.
No sub needed.
@2many2no That would be about a 200 mile detour. Maybe next time (grin). Besides I’d rather go to Japan.
@Kidsandliz Yeah, me too. I used to live in Fort Worth and still have family in the Metroplex, but a trip to Japan would be really exciting.
@2many2no
Did not know about Daiso. There is one in range. Ok. Next time I’m in the mood for an excursive.
Why do these stores always have to open in the location where the freeways are under construction for the next millennium?
@2many2no @Kidsandliz In Shanghai I found their equivalent to the dollar store, the 2 Yuan Store. Everything in the store cost 2 yuan (rmb). At that time it was about 14 yuan to the dollar, so anything in the store was .15 cents. I filled the rest of my suitcase with little kitschy stuff to give the folks back home.
Here’s a video someone made at one. The yuan is stronger so now it’s about .40 per item.
Nope. Buc’ees.
Yes, near Houston. All around Houston. Go there. Allow for an hour or so just to check it out. Get something to eat. (Pretty extensive menu. It’s decent.)
They make all their own fudge and jerky. They will let you taste any of it.
https://www.buc-ees.com/index.php
Are you coming in on Interstate 10?
4080 East Freeway
Baytown, TX 77521
They have shopping carts for a legit reason.
I wanted to buy and try all the packaged candy. They seem to have endless varieties. I made myself settle for 2 diff types. There’s always next time.
PS the restrooms are as clean as you will ever find.
PPS they have showers.
PPPS The founder had buck teeth and made a kind of friendliness trademark out of it.
PPPS they pay their employees very very well considering what similar jobs pay elsewhere. So employees tend not to want to quit.
@f00l Yes that was it and where I was thinking since I’d be driving literally right by it. Last time I went I saw it from the highway but it was like 11pm already…
@Kidsandliz
24 hour place and the people are happy to see you. It can be fun to go there just because everyone is so nice. I guess that attitude comes from being reasonably paid. Their employees are said to make almost double of what many other “roadside stop” places pay.
@f00l last time I was in one the posted starting rate for cashiers was $12 or $14/hr. They had a sign up near the doors on the way out of the store.
@f00l
I think they start everyone at $15/up per hour, or they were doing that. Plenty of convenience and gas stores start a min wage here.
Getting hired was pretty competitive. Supposedly, they have nice bennies, and the managers have nice attitudes also. No bad vibe there when I’ve visited.
If it weren’t Texas, I would have said Wall Drug in South Dakota. It is apparently more famous than I thought.
@atannir Yeah, even I’ve heard of Wall Drug. South Dakota? Not so much.
@atannir Sort of far to drive to Texas by way of South Dakota… Maybe next trip.
+1 bucees is the best
I live in Texas and have been to Buc-ee’s more than once. Meh.
HEB
@cranky1950 You gotta admit HEB is quite an experience the first you go to one. Was waiting for the little kid to come out and an say hey meester you wan. . .
There are Buckee’s all over the state. Each store has items made by local vendors. Very clean and nice stores. Safe place to stop on road trips.
@cahuston
They don’t allow big rig parking, because then it might not be such a “family atmosphere”. They want families with kids to feel really comfortable and welcome.
They are fine with big rig drivers shopping, but the rigs aren’t allowed on the property.
Hands down it’s gotta be H-E-B plus, especially the ones with Texas BBQ and sushi right next to each other. Oh yeah, and craft beer. Buccees is mehriffic, if you ask me.
/giphy HEB
@someguynamedmat
I prob haven’t been inside an HEB for a decade. Are they all that? I’ll have to visit, next time I head out thar.
@someguynamedmat I’ll have to check this one out too if I have time. Looks like there is one relatively near MDA in Houston.
@f00l They are chaos, its fun its annoying.
Walgreens
@medz ; )
@f00l They have everything. Even an electronics department.
@medz
They lack amazing guacamole tho.
And no gas pumps.
I live just outside of Houston maybe I can help. On Hwy I-10 there’s Katy Mills Mall, off Hwy 610 and Hwy 59 is the Galleria one of the largest malls in Houston. Off Hwy 45 there is The Woodlands mall and Conroe Factory Outlet, name brand items at pretty good prices. If you can let me know what side of Houston your going to be in I can pretty much lead you to right where you want to go. I hope I helped you some. Have a great weekend.
@hotwheels53 Thanks. I will be at MD Anderson Cancer Center and staying at an airbnb near exit 3 on 610. Was going to hit up a Trader Joes for more jam (don’t have one here and I like their jam). I’ll have to look it up again but it is east of and maybe a tiny bit north of that big Galleria mall (which I have never been in despite going to MDA since 2003, but I have been in that outdoor store there and the container store next door). If there is time also be a tourist at IKEA, stop at the Buc-ces on 10 east of Houston on my way there…
@Kidsandliz
The Houston Galleria is the original one.
It’s a fun place to window shop and people watch, if you can spare a few hours. Just plan on not buying anything except sustenance.
@f00l Other than jam and gas I wasn’t planning on buying anything unless there was something cheap to add to the birthday/christmas pile.
@Kidsandliz
May I suggest, if you have some free time, that you might go here?
https://www.menil.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menil_Collection
Or here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_D._Hines_Waterwall_Park
or here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothko_Chapel
or here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Center_Houston
If you’ve already done all that, there’s lots more.
@f00l I have done nothing other than being dragged to the chinese art exhibit shortly after a cancer surgery when I really didn’t want to get out of bed. We swiped an MDA wheel chair and mom’s cousins took us.
@Kidsandliz
Forgot this one, on the Rice campus, near the music building, I think?
http://skyspace.rice.edu/about-skyspace/
@f00l Yeah I actually got up on top of it along time ago. Myself and a friend found a door ajar went up the stairs next thing you know I was on top looking Thur the glass windows down at the ice-skaters. It was a blast. We didn’t stay to long didn’t want to get caught LOL. It’s really a good place to people watch like you said and I used to ice-skate once when I had a few drinks. Spent more time on my butt that day than on my feet. Had a hard time sitting down for awhile.
@Kidsandliz If you feel up to it take Fannin St. going towards Herman Hospital there is Herman Park and the Zoo. They really made it alot nicer than it used to be I like the train ride around by the zoo. Just past the park is the Science museum with the Imax inside, Planetarium with laser shows it’s really fun and pretty reasonable as far as costs go, It’s a neat place to check out the dinosaurs, gems and more. It has like 3 floors an elevator to help so you don’t have to do the stairs. Across the street from there is Miller Outdoor Theater. You can take a blanket, cooler and most of the time they have music,plays,dancers and more. It’s free and just a nice place to relax in the early evening. They should have it posted online what’s going on there. I love
that area it also has a wonderful flower garden to walk through it smells so good just depends on what your up to doing. I haven’t bought my membership yet this year but if your by chance a BOA customer they have alot of free weekend’s in the museum district. I really could hang out there every day and always find something else to do. Have a great day. I’m going to see if I can get some sleep for awhile.Peace out!
@hotwheels53 Thanks.
Well Buc’ees has some seriously weird shit and a ton of junk food. Not a thing in the place I even remotely wanted to buy but I had fun mentally laughing at the people who were seriously considering some of that stuff. Sort of reminds me of an upscale Stuckey’s or whatever that place is called that has high gloss redwood crap with the state name carved out on it, tacky crap that only grade school kids would like, etc oh and it also sells nasty candy. LOL Buc’ees is an expensive place though - $6.49 for a sandwich. I liked their gas prices - about 14 cents less a gallon than everywhere else. But nothing to clean suicidal bugs off the windshield with (I guess it would drive the gas prices up if they had anything). Tomorrow up up at 5:25am as I have a 6am shuttle to catch (cheat method - drive to a hotel that has a free one and park my car there for the day, take the shuttle).
@Kidsandliz
If I didn’t make it clear that much of Buc’ees is kitsch, I should have. It is. I think it’s fun to wander around in nonetheless.
@Kidsandliz Well I wish you the best GOD speed and watch out for those people who like to fight on the plane’s wouldn’t want to see you on the news tomorrow night !! I will be keeping you in my prayers and I know all will be well. From my heart
to yours. Peace out 
@f00l Yes it was an entertaining stop and I appreciated the gas prices : )
@hotwheels53 Thanks. It is more like road rage I’ll have to watch out for since I drove 2 states away. : )
HA! I am getting good at entering buildings I am not supposed to be in. The “1MC” building houses billing, and etc. and “patients are not allowed to go there”. Well once A SECURITY GUARD told me where to find it, I then walked over (1.5 miles since they wouldn’t let me use the shuttle as I was not an employee) and an employee who works there told me where to find the departments I needed, another let me in as she was letting herself in with her card, helped me find the elevators (they are on the 3rd floor and escalators below that, go figure), told me to use the phone to get someone to let me in the departments. Phone requires an extension which of course I didn’t have. So I knocked and was let in one department. In the other department 3 employees entering let me in. So much for security and patients not allowed in there. LOL
Later I mentioned to patient advocacy (when I was taking them blueberries since they also have fought some of my billing and insurance battles) where else I had dropped them off and they told me getting in there without being intercepted was likely a first. They were floored I had been able to pull that off. : )
Good thing they didn’t suspect the blueberries could have been fake and then actually explosives or something equally as absurd. What I went to all this effort for is to give blueberries to three people who help me each year untangle the billing and insurance issues that I have without fail each and every year (and mostly their fault too but that is another issue).
On a more disgusting note, I have relapsed but just barely. With the kind of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma (follicular which is indolent) I have I treatment only beats back symptoms and shrinks notes, doesn’t extend life (Life span is pretty long with this). And so I decided I’d just live with the issues for a while since it is expensive to treat and the symptoms I have right now aren’t that bad (watch and wait is a common “treatment”). I had much worse issues for a number of years before I was even diagnosed so I figure no biggie right now at least. Sucks though, however at least I got a remission that is within the usual range one gets with what I was treated with. Driving home tomorrow (Friday).
@Kidsandliz
Sorry to hear about relapse. Have a good drive back to MS …
@f00l It is what it is. I got a typical length remission which is a good thing as those who relapse within 2 years have much worse outcomes so in that regard I am “lucky”. Waiting for rush hour to be over to start the drive home.