THE FIRST TIME I visited a Buc-ee’s, I felt like I’d walked into a retail carnival. Behold the jerky display. Feast your eyes on the fudge counter. Amaze yourself at the sandwich station. Explore the massive gift shop. Such is the trend in roadside stops, as travelers are eager to take a break from traffic to spend some time wandering miles of aisles or getting fresh-made food at chains including Wawa and Sheetz or truck stops Flying J or Love’s. “What Buc-ee’s and others have done,” says Jeff Lenard, a vice president with industry trade group NACS, “is made the things you disliked about traveling—lengthening the time of a drive by having to stop to use the bathroom or get fuel—and changed the mindset to something you look forward to.” —Chris Wadsworth