Culver's is Delicious, Confusing

The Drivers became fans of Culver's while on vacation in Minnesota. On a highway just north of Moose Lake, we saw a billboard that advertised something called a "ButterBurger". We weren't sure what that meant, but we were certain that we needed to find out.

Note: The Driver later learned that the inspiration for the "ButterBurger" might be this place — where the burger is actually served swimming in an obscene amount of butter. Culver's might put something similar to butter on its buns prior to grilling, but in no way does that compare to an actual "ButterBurger". The Driver will be trying a true "ButterBurger" as soon as possible.

Anyhow, The Drivers also learned that the Wisconsin-born burger chain sells not only "ButterBurgers", but frozen custard as well. And that in addition to chocolate and vanilla frozen custard, Culver's offers a Flavor of the Day.

All that to show you this — a photo of a Culver's sign:

The Drivers opted for chocolate custard over "BBQ Brisket".

And as long as we're dissecting the Culver's sign, it has always been The Driver's opinion that the company should have paid the extra $5 per sign for an ampersand after the word "Custard". Or perhaps splurged on the word "and" in front of "ButterBurgers".

Instead, The Driver pores over the concept of a "Frozen Custard ButterBurger".

Mmm... Frozen Burger...

Where The Driver Relieves Himself on the Road

The Drivers don't go to Houston very often. Probably need to do that more. Because what is otherwise a fairly tedious and uneventful drive was unexpectedly brightened by a new (to us) roadside phenomenon.

About an hour outside of our home burg, we started seeing billboards. The first one:

Intriguing. But not as curious as the one that promised something called "Beaver Nuggets."

The Drivers were hooked.

And so, we decided to stop at Buc-ee's and have a look.

Thirty minutes (and about forty bucks) later, The Driver reluctantly got back in the car. Something about his mother-in-law running a marathon, and we had to make it to Houston in time for blah, blah, blah. Seriously, don't Mrs. Driver and The Driver's mother-in-law run enough marathons? Look! I can make my own fountain drink! Dr Pepper with cherry syrup! Ooh... coffee mugs with quotes by John Wayne! Can I have it? Can I?

Buc-ee's is a monument to all things Texas truck stop. Only better. Not only is it sparkling clean and stocked to the ceiling with convenience store goodies, it's a general store loaded with country kitsch, Texana and darn near anything else you can imagine.

Next door? Buc-ee's Outdoor store. Where one can apparently buy deer corn.

In addition to the homemade fudge, Buc-ee's also sells jalapeno relish, jerky and the afforementioned "Beaver Nuggets":

Admittedly, The Driver found Beaver Nuggets to be better in theory than in practice. But he would never want to diminish your Buc-ee's experience. Instead, The Driver suggests that you load up the Family Truckster pronto and high-tail it to Buc-ee's.

After all, in the words of The Duke (at least, according to one coffee mug), "A man's got to do what a man's got to do."

Special thanks to Buc-ee's advertising agency for unknowingly letting me swipe an image from their Flickr page. Buc-ee's is obviously a great client with a sense of humor — and these guys took the ball and ran with it.

The Drivers Take a Road Trip

Above: The Drivers' 15-day-old daughter honors her native Texas with a visit to the state capitol. Not shown: The Driver and Mrs. Driver jaywalking into the middle of Congress Street to capture this photo.

This past weekend, the Driver family loaded up its precious cargo and... what else... started driving. The destination: Austin, TX. The Driver was invited to give a presentation at a fancy conference. And thankfully, Austin is home to some very special friends and family. So what better way to celebrate the Baby Driver's two-week birthday than with her very first road trip?

The kiddo proved to be an excellent traveling companion. Apparently, geography has no effect on her sleeping, eating and pooping -- all of which she performed like a little champion. Like Mrs. Driver, she was a little uncomfortable sleeping in a different environment. But her Mommy dutifully fed, burped, swaddled and comforted her into the wee hours while The Driver rested for his presentation.

After a successful conference, the Drivers spent the rest of the weekend with The Driver, Sr. (aka "Grampa"), the SuperCousins (nicknamed as such because the concept of second cousins is confusing even to grown-ups like The Driver -- and they're more like aunts and uncles anyway), the Great Aunt and Great Uncle. We also saw Aunt Presh, Uncle B and Mr. Jeff (who might need a different nickname -- possibly one that makes reference to his scary facial hair).

The Driver (and even Mrs. Driver) might have indulged in some well-earned adult beverages. There was lots of delicious food. And The Driver lost count after three Dr Peppers in one sitting.

Life was good.

After a delightful brunch with Aunt Presh and Uncle B, the Driver family reluctantly set a course for home.

What follows is a photo-documentary of some of the baby's favorite moments:

Above: The baby takes in Austin's famous Town Lake from The Drivers' hotel room.

Above: The baby enjoys brunch at Kerby Lane, an Austin brunch and baby landmark.

Above: No Driver family road trip would be complete without a pit stop at the Czech Stop. While the fresh sand is every bit as good as advertised, the Drivers prefer the kolaches.