Just like any trip, hitting the open road takes some planning. Once a destination is decided on, all other considerations fall into place. Things like the best accommodations for you and your traveling companions, as well as the length of your stay. What to pack based on the location, the weather, and chosen activities. Then, once your vehicle is loaded, it’s time to select the route that will get you there. This step is quite easy these days. Simply type an address into your phone or car’s GPS, aka global positioning system, and you’re on your way! Long gone are the days of using handheld folding paper maps. Nowadays, your GPS not only gets you to where you want to go, but it offers real-time data including safety hazards, your ETA, estimated time of arrival, and POIs, points of interest such as restaurants, emergency services, and perhaps most important, gas stations.
My we’ve come a long way! I can still recall the trip my family made from western Massachusetts to Cape Cod in the summer of 1973 to visit my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Bev. I wrote about it in my posts Summer Fun and Just As it Should Be. Prior to cell phones and satellite mapping systems, my mom read handwritten notes to my dad that my uncle gave her. Of course, we got turned around and lost for quite a while until my dad finally had to admit defeat and seek out the nearest gas station. Then, these establishments functioned as a fuel source, a bathroom stop, and a refreshment stand, with friendly attendants who filled your gas tank, washed your windshield, checked your oil, and offered helpful directions with smiles on their faces.
Here in the U.S., gas stations have been around since 1905. That’s when the world’s first one was built in St. Louis, Missouri. Eight years later, the earliest drive-up fueling station opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the 1920s, major oil companies such as Sunoco, Shell, and Texaco began building branded gas stations that introduced uniformed attendants to serve customers. From the 1950s to the 1980s, fast-food restaurants teamed up with them, offering travelers not only a place to fill up their gas tanks, but their stomachs, too. In time, self-service facilities became popular and allowed customers to pump their own gas and also pay at the pump.
Today’s gas stations have evolved into much more. They’re full-service convenience centers. With advancements in technology and transportation, high-performance fuels, digital payment methods, and electric vehicle charging stations are now available. Food options have expanded in sheer number, variety, and how they’re prepared and served.
While we have visited many on recent trips, no gas station could exemplify these changes more than one we came across last spring on our trek from our home in southern California to Utah.
From my journal: April 23, 2025, St. George, Utah
“…got in yesterday…easy trip here. Only stopped once in Yermo – what a hoot! That huge tower…tons of food…and the bathrooms!”
Traveling on the I-15, all we could see for miles were endless dry lake beds, creosote bushes, and cacti set upon stretches of earthy red, brown, and beige tones with a backdrop of dark distant mountains set against a cloudless gray sky. With Robert at the wheel, Kippers, our beagle in the back, and me in the passenger seat, after three hours of monotony it was time for a break. Road signs and billboards popped up along the way advertising gas and food options. We could’ve taken one of their suggestions, or any that appeared on our GPS, but that’s not how we came to find the largest gas station and travel center in the entire state of California!
What made us stop was the white, cylindrical water tower rising 65-feet up that appeared to be a gigantic ice cream sundae complete with sprinkles and a cherry on top! All we could say was, “What in the world?” And that’s when we exited and pulled into the parking lot of the roadside attraction named Eddie World.
Sitting on five acres at 36017 Calico Road in the town of Yermo, it is located midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada. Often described as the “Disneyland of gas stations”, I’d say that is fitting. Open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, Eddie World features 26 fuel pumps, 18 Tesla Supercharger, and 6 Chargepoint EV stations.
Within its 27,000 square foot “convenience store” you’ll find three fast-casual restaurants. All operated by Executive Chef Miguel Jamies, they serve up fresh sushi, salads, burgers, chicken tenders, fries, and gourmet pizzas all crafted for you…and get this, within 90 seconds! After your meal, if you want something sweet you can stop by the ice cream parlor where every scoop is handmade on the premises. A full-on Peet’s Coffee shop is inside and offers premium coffees and teas. Other snacks include homemade popcorn, sweet and savory varieties of Jedidiah’s jerky, assorted nuts, candies you remember as a kid, chocolates galore, dried fruit, and sugar-free delights, too. And if you’re a gummy bear fan, you can even use their 3D printer to make your own! Plush toys, games, art kits, tee shirts, books, and LA Lakers memorabilia are also for sale.
Eddie World has every right to boast about all it offers, but what I like best are the light, bright, and oh so clean restrooms! In the Women’s Restroom, a sign on the inside of each partitioned stall door reads: “It doesn’t matter how old you are, buying snacks for a road trip should always look like an unsupervised 9-year-old was given $100.” Ha! I like this thought. I like it a lot! I also understand in the Men’s Restrooms are mini game systems above the urinals. Imagine that?!
Summer travel will be soon be upon us, and if you happen to be on a road trip out here in So Cal, and you’re looking for a place to take a break from driving, need to refuel your car, get a bite to eat, and do a little shopping, may I suggest stopping by Eddie World. It gives new meaning to the phrase “fill ‘er up”!
A Journal Journey 