PICACHO, AZ — For decades, it was a familiar stop for Arizona travelers making the drive between Phoenix and Tucson, or others crisscrossing the country on I-10.
Whether it was for fuel, a bathroom break, souvenirs, or a Dairy Queen Blizzard, Bowlin’s Picacho Peak Travel Center became a must-stop for generations of families. Now, that chapter has come to an end.
Bowlin’s Picacho Peak Travel Center and the adjacent Dairy Queen officially closed Saturday after 40 years in business at the base of Picacho Peak.
"It's a wonderful store. I've been coming here since I was five years old," Gary Urias said.
Katherine Reynolds also has memories of road trip stops here as a kid.
"I get a little emotional because I love this store," Reynolds said. “It’s a staple to a lot of people. I have been coming here since I was like five.”
As an adult, she’s living proof that the memories last a lifetime.
"I mean, who knew I was going to end up working here?" Reynolds said, who became the store’s manager for five years.
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According to Bowlin Travel Centers, the company was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the Arizona State Land Department, leading to the closure of the travel center and Dairy Queen location.
The news prompted many travelers to make one final visit during the last week of operation.
Emma, an employee at the Dairy Queen, said customers stopped in specifically to get a Blizzard and share memories before the doors closed.
"I even had a customer tell me that their dad proposed to their mom in the parking lot many years ago," she said.
Employees are now moving on to their next roadside posts. Reynolds said she will be heading to the company's Benson location.
While the closure marks the end of a longtime Arizona travel tradition, there is some good news for travelers needing a bathroom break. The neighboring Picacho Peak Plaza will remain open, and Bowlin Travel Centers says it plans to announce a new food option for the site in the near future.
For now, though, road-trippers are saying goodbye to a place that served as a midway point between Arizona's two largest cities, and a stop filled with memories for countless drives over the last four decades.
