1496 Carrizo Gorge Road, Jacumba Hot Springs CA 91934
“This Chevron out in Jacumba Hot Springs might honestly be one of the most memorable gas stations anywhere in Southern California. The reason is pretty obvious the second you pull in. There’s a full Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter mounted right above the gas pumps, and it completely changes the feel of the place from “desert gas station” to “wait…what is happening here?” As the author of The Grant Colson Thriller Series, I’m always noticing unusual roadside locations during long drives, and this is exactly the kind of weird memorable stop that sticks in your brain years later. The gas station itself is solid, the convenience store has everything you’d want for a desert stop, and honestly it’s a good place to break up the drive through Jacumba. But the helicopter is what makes people remember the place. Something about seeing a Vietnam-era military helicopter sitting above fuel pumps in the middle of the desert gives the whole location this strange cinematic atmosphere. It almost feels like the opening location to some forgotten 1980s action movie. I always end up stopping here whenever I’m driving through the area because places like this are getting rarer and rarer. Funny enough, oddball roadside locations exactly like this are probably why strange travel stops and desert staging points keep showing up later in both The Grant Colson Thriller Series and SERA Archives stories. Really fun desert roadside stop and easily one of the coolest gas stations around Jacumba Hot Springs.”
1494 Carrizo Gorge Road, Jacumba Hot Springs CA 91934
“In case you missed the off ramp for The Golden Acorn casino or can't make it there, this is a nice alternative. Better than decent bathrooms, good gas prices and a nice open view from the parking lot.”
39710 Old Hwy 80, Boulevard CA 91905
“We were running low & had no option but stop here, there is only one pump, not sure about the quality of the gas but had no issues until we get to our next stop”
The Iowa retailer, the third-largest convenience store operator in the country, built its new three-year plan around three priorities: store growth, food and beverage expansion, and kitchen technology upgrades. The company plans to add 120 stores during the current fiscal year. Its previous plan, launched in 2023, delivered more than 500 new stores and earned the company a spot in the S&P 500.
Read the postLove's Travel Stops is starting 2025 with ambitious growth plans, adding 20 new stores and updating 50 current locations across the country. The truck stop company will upgrade its stores through its Strategic Remodel Initiative, which started in 2022. This includes the modernization of its recently acquired turnpike location in Stroud, Oklahoma. By 2035, over half of Love's 655 stores will be either new or updated.
Read the postTexas-born Buc-ee's is changing the way people think about gas stations and convenience stores. This chain is known for its huge stores along highways, some with over 100 fuel pumps. With its funny billboard ads, award-winning clean bathrooms, and branded items Buc-ee’s is hard to miss. The company wants people to actually plan to stop at Buc-ee's during road trips, not just go there as a last resort. And it's working - the chain has a huge fan base, with Facebook groups dedicated to Buc-ee's having hundreds of thousands of members.
Read the postSheetz Inc., the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain, is making big moves in the Motor City. The company announced plans to open four more locations across metro Detroit, weeks before opening its first Michigan location. The first Michigan Sheetz will open its doors in late summer at 33380 Wick Road in Romulus. More locations are planned for Taylor, Warren, and Macomb Township, each employing around 30 people, mostly full-time.
Read the postLove's Travel Stops is rolling out a new system that turns work into a game for its restaurant employees. Picture this: Three big screens in each restaurant, tracking how fast workers greet customers, take orders, and hand out food. It's not just for show - early results say it's making service 11 seconds faster on average. "These monitors track key performance metrics in real-time, such as greet times, order processing times and the time it takes for food handoff," Love's explains. The system creates a more interactive environment, fostering friendly competition between stores.
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