50 Wawas in 30 Days - The Finale

This Christmas finds me giving myself a gift. The gift of completing my 50 Wawas in 30 Days Challenge! I tried this challenge over the summer but gave up and let it fail. Going into Thanksgiving I decided I wanted to give it another go. So I set the new challenge and off I went on Take 2: The Quest Not to Fail.

30 days, hundreds of miles, countless time, & lots of Wawa food later - here I am. 50 different Wawas hit.

I really wish I had a heroic story to tell for my last venture out to Wawa Stores #41 & #1. However I don't. I could tell you that:

• The Wawa caught on fire while I was in the store and I had to heroically go save someone's kitten who was stuck in the store while it burned. And really...how do you put a receipt on that?
• I was in a car accident on my way to the Wawa and broke my leg & 3 ribs but kept going on and bought my last item to complete the challenge.

But none of it happened.

I went after work to the two Wawas without any fanfare, without any hoopla. That's right - I said hoopla.

I do want to thank everyone who has followed the journey and has been right with me as I spent the last month venturing to 50 different Wawas. I will likely keep track of all the new Wawas I go to over time and continue the journey on a more passive basis by trying to hit more and more Wawas. There are a lot more I have hit over the years - but obviously I have no way of proving that and I also would not remember which specific ones I had hit in New Jersey and some others.

So here it is...the last 2 Wawas hit on the challenge:

#49. Wawa Store #41 - Thursday, December 23 - 2:10pm

213 Morton Avenue

Folsom, PA 19033

Item Purchased: 12oz hot chocolate

Wawa Store #41 - Folsom, PA

#50. Wawa Store #1 - Thursday, December 23 - 2:23pm

1212 McDade Blvd.

Folsom, PA 19033

Items Purchased: 2 gift cards

For the purpose of Christmas surprises, I will be blacking-out the gift cards & amounts until after Christmas.

Wawa Store #1 - Folsom, PA

Wawa Store #1 - Folsom, PA

I will continue to post a few wrap-up posts including the spreadsheet I have kept chronicling all 50 Wawas hit, money spent, and locations of all. I again thank everyone who has followed over the last 30 days. It is much appreciated! Merry Christmas & I hope everyone has a safe & happy holiday!

Day: 30

Wawas Hit: 50

Days Left: 0

Wawas Left: 0

-Ford

The Home Stretch

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." - Walter Elliot

I am almost there. After 29 days of hitting Wawas I will reach my goal tomorrow of hitting 50 Wawas in the 30 Days. It has been a long journey. It has been a lot of planning each "short trip". It has been glorious. It has been a lot of Wawa.

Today Sarah & I went to visit my sister and brother-in-law, Kim & Andy, as well as their dog William. When I called Kim yesterday to confirm they were still good to hang out, I got called out.

"So...you have some Wawas to hit?"

"No...well, yes...but we haven't hung out in awhile."

Busted.

So anyways - on my way there I hit the Wawa right near them in Chester Springs. The roads around there are extremely confusing and do not do the things that normal roads do. I can't explain it - you just have to drive them yourself - but Rt-100 just does it's own thing and splits off in weird ways, you can't turn at certain points into places such as Wawa you think you should be able to. Just odd. But I fought through.

#46. Wawa Store #201 - Wednesday, December 22 - 7:00pm
1800 Ticonderoga Blvd.
Chester Springs, PA 19425
Items Purchased: Chicken caesar salad, 10in turkey hoagie, 20oz Coke

Wawa Store #201 - Chester Springs, PA

So we did our hanging out thing, including watching the first episode of 24/7 which is chronicling everything this month leading up to the Penguins vs. Capitals Winter Classic on Jan. 1. It was great.

We also talked out which Wawas I should hit on my way home. I had planned to hit Wawa Store #85 on Rt-100 along with Wawa Store #203 on Boot Road in West Chester. I was talked out of #203 because apparently there isn't a good way to get back onto Rt-100/202-S. There was a Wawa I missed on the map in Lionville on Rt-113, so I went to hit that one instead.

#47. Wawa Store #8033 - Wednesday, December 22 - 9:52pm
120 Eagleview Road
Lionville, PA 19341
Item Purchased: 20oz lemon lime Gatorade

Wawa Store #8033 - Lionville, PA

#48. Wawa Store #85 - Wednesday, December 22 - 10:02pm
750 North Pottstown Pike
Lionville, PA 19341
Item Purchased: $25 Wawa Giftcard
Another Christmas present bought!

Wawa Store #85 - Lionville, PA

And there you have it. 48 down. 2 to go.

I will be hitting Wawa Store #41 & Wawa Store #1 - both in Folsom, PA - after work tomorrow. As was planned, Wawa Store #1 will be my final stop on this journey and will be hit on the 30th day of the challenge. I thank everyone who has followed throughout and you will see the finale tomorrow!

Day: 29
Wawas Hit: 48
Days Left: 1
Wawas Left: 2

-Ford

Christmas Shopping

Time is winding down. There is not much left. I have until the end of Thursday to finish my Wawa Challenge. I have until the end of Friday to finish my Christmas shopping. My Wawa Challenge is in better shape as of right now.

After work today I made the trek out to the King of Prussia Mall to try to get a decent handle on my Christmas shopping. Traffic was horrendous as you would expect between Philadelphia & King of Prussia on I-76 just a few days before Christmas but the saving grace was that I knew Wawa was getting my dinner before some shopping.

So I pulled into the Wawa right down the street from the KOP mall and got my chicken strips bowl & a water. I went on my way to the KOP mall parking lot and ate my Wawa in my car while trying to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to buy my family members, girlfriend, & friends. Again, the Wawa Challenge was going better.

#44. Wawa Store #42 - Tuesday, December 21 - 6:34pm

196 South Gulph Road

King of Prussia, PA 19406

Items Purchased: Chicken strips bowl & 1/2 liter of water

Wawa Store #42 - King of Prussia, PA

So I spent some time in the KOP mall, tried to get some shopping done. But like my black friday - it was mainly a fail. I only was able to buy 1 present. Which means more shopping needs to be done. If you are a family member, girlfriend, or friend that I will likely buy a present for - post in the comments what you would like!

On my way home I knew I would hit the Wawa in Frazer, PA on Lancaster Avenue. At this point I wasn't really hungry or thirsty so I figured I would just fill up my half-tank of gas that needed refilling. Practical. It only took me until Wawa #45 on the challenge to be somewhat practical.

#45. Wawa Store #208 - Tuesday, December 21 - 8:52pm

567 Lancaster Avenue

Frazer, PA 19355

Item Purchased: Gas

Wawa Store #208 - Frazer, PA

Day: 28

Wawas Hit: 45

Days Left: 2

Wawas Left: 5

-Ford

The Last Few Days - From Philly to Hockessin

Over the last few days, I have made great efforts to keep plugging along in hopes of making the last days of the challenge easier on myself. I think I am in pretty good shape right now. It is getting a lot harder to plan out where I am going and which Wawas to hit. I've been fortunate where I've had some time and some options to hit Wawas that I usually wouldn't but have been in and around the area.

The Wawas below are from the last 3 days ranging from Philadelphia, PA to Avondale, PA, to Hockessin, DE - or Hochessin as the receipt says.

#35. Wawa Store #269 - Friday, December 17 - 4:50pm
36 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA 19342
Item Purchased: Lemon lime gatorade

Wawa Store #269 - Glen Mills, PA

#36. Wawa Store #198 - Friday, December 17 - 5:43pm
970 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA 19342
Item Purchased: Gas

Wawa Store #198 - Glen Mills, PA

So you'll notice a big time difference in 2 Wawas that are very close to each other. The reason for this is simple. I got distracted. By more Wawa. When going to these Wawas, I missed hitting one of them because I was not in the far right lane and could not get over in time in the heavy traffic to stop in. I had to go past and circle around. This was a blessing in disguise. Much to my surprise I see a Wawa sign on the right. However - there is no convenience store, no parking lot, nothing. The sign reads: Wawa Corporate Offices. I forgot that I was going to be right by their headquarters. So I went up the drive, did a quick tour of the facility also known as Red Roof and then headed on my way. I couldn't get great pictures because it was dark out. I will be revisiting though as there is quite a history behind Wawa. So I kept going after the corporate offices & found the dairy farm nearby as well. Jackpot. I will be revisiting this soon, take pictures in the daylight, and have a quick history on Wawa. For now, here is the Red Roof as a preview:

Wawa Corporate - Red Roof

Onto Saturday. Sarah & I planned to go to the Brandywine River Museum in the late morning, early afternoon and then get some Christmas shopping done afterwards. We were planning on meeting at 11am and by the time I woke up I was planning on hitting 1 or 2 Wawas in the nearby area. She called me and told me she'd be late - lets plan on meeting at noon. Plans adjusted. I did some quick research, got directions, and now planned on hitting 4 Wawas. Instead of what should be about a 20-25 minute ride up to the Museum, it turned into about an hour and 45 minute adventure.

#37. Wawa Store #842 - Saturday, December 18 - 10:56am
Millcreek Shopping Center Rt. 41
605 Yorklyn Road
Hockessin, DE 19707
Item Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee
Receipt says Hochessin, DE

Wawa Store #842 - Hockessin, DE

#38. Wawa Store #160 - Saturday, December 18 - 11:17am
761 Gap Newport Pike
Avondale, PA 19311
Item Purchased: Sausage, egg, & cheese shorti

Wawa Store #160 - Avondale, PA

#39. Wawa Store #34 - Saturday, December 18 - 11:32am
Cypress & Washington Streets
505 West Cypress Street
Kennett Square, PA 19343
Item Purchased: 1/2 liter of water

Wawa Store #34 - Kennett Square, PA

#40. Wawa Store #8015 - Saturday, December 18 - 11:44am
901 E. Baltimore Pike
E. Marlborough, PA 19348
Item Purchased: Hazelnut coffee grounds

Wawa Store #8015 - E. Marlborough, PA

Sunday brought about a Wawa near my church in Upper Darby between church & work. Then finishing out the Philadelphia Wawas minus the ones in the Northeast after work.

#41. Wawa Store #11 - Sunday, December 19 - 10:08am
460 S. 69th Street
Upper Darby, PA 19082
Items Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee, egg and cheese shorti

Wawa Store #11 - Upper Darby, PA

#42. Wawa Store #247 - Sunday, December 19 - 4:04pm
518-520 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Item Purchased: 12oz hot chocolate

Wawa Store #247 - Philadelphia, PA

#43. Wawa Store #103 - Sunday, December 19 - 4:20pm
912-916 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Item Purchased: Cheddar cheese stuffed pretzel

Wawa Store #103 - Philadelphia, PA

There you have it. Receipts will come in a later post. We're coming down to the wire on the challenge and I am gearing up to hit Wawa Store #1 as number 50. Follow through the last week as I hit my last 7 Wawas.

Day: 26
Wawas Hit: 43
Days Left: 4
Wawas Left: 7

-Ford

Revisiting the Wawa Map Fail

On my way home from work today I hit both of the Wawas in Prospect Park, PA. Some of you may remember these Wawas from the summer challenge in Wawa Map Fail. The map below shows 2 Wawas basically right next to each other. This, obviously is not the case. However - they are extremely close. They are right around the corner from each other.

Wawa Map Fail

Lucky for me that they are right around the corner, because I hit Wawa Store #23 on Chester Pike first. Got my lemon lime gatorade and went to the next store. No picture. Hit Wawa Store #235, went back to #23, took the picture, then got back to I-95 to head home.

#33. Wawa Store #23 - Wednesday, December 15 - 8:01pm
934 Chester Pike
Prospect Park, PA 19076
Item Purchased: 20oz lemon lime Gatorade

Wawa Store #23 - Prospect Park, PA

#34. Wawa Store #235 - Wednesday, December 15 - 8:06pm
917 Lincoln Ave
Prospect Park, PA 19076
Item Purchased: 10in classic turkey hoagie

Wawa Store #235 - Prospect Park, PA

This will not be the last time I am in this area. If you look in the upper left corner of the map above, there is a Wawa right next to where it says "Folsom". That Wawa is the the very last Wawa I will hit on this 50 in 30 challenge as it is the first-ever Wawa convenience store. See you next week, Folsom Wawa.

Day: 22
Wawas Hit: 34
Days Left: 8
Wawas Left: 16

-Ford

32 down. 18 to go. 9 days left.

2 more Wawas were hit on Monday. I started the day out by leaving early for work and hitting a Philly Wawa I haven't been to in awhile and then a super-Wawa in Aston, PA on my way home.

I parked in China Town about a block and 1/2 away from the 11th & Arch St. Wawa which is right in the heart of China Town in Philadelphia as well as right by the Reading Terminal Market. I'm sure this Wawa is hit frequently in the AM as the morning rush comes into Philly & the workforce goes out at lunch for a quick Wawa treat. It was fairly big for a city Wawa and I was pretty impressed by it. It had one of the new lottery machines as well which have been in most of the recent Wawas I hit. I will blog about that later.

A unique looking Wawa as most city-dwelling Wawas are.

#31. Wawa Store #171 - Monday, December 13, 2010 - 9:38am

11th & Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Items Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee, 1 banana, low fat peach yogurt

On my way home, I had wanted to hit another Wawa to keep a good pace but forgot to look up which one to go to. I knew there was one in Aston, PA not too far off the beaten path from my way home but wouldn't remember it by heart. So I called the girlfriend, Sarah, to get some quick directions. She gave me the "take the 322 exit and turn right on 452" directions and I was on my way.

I thought these directions simpler than I remember so I was a bit skeptical. Sorry Sarah. But once I made my turn onto 452 I saw this:

A Wawa Truck

The picture does not do it justice (although it did turn out really cool). It was a Wawa truck! Bingo. I was heading in the right direction. So I hit the Aston, PA Wawa (which I had hit on my previous challenge). I got gas - and froze while doing so. It was so cold outside. Oh well. Wawa #32 on the challenge hit.

Aston, PA Wawa - Store #8027

#32. Wawa Store #8027 - Monday, December 13, 2010 - 7:53pm

5008 Pennell Rd.

Aston, PA 19014

Item Purchased: gas

Time to pick up the slack - only 9 days left in the challenge! I need a 2-a-day pace to get it. And remember - Wawa Store #1 will be the final Wawa hit of the 50.

Day: 21

Wawas Hit: 32

Days Left: 9

Wawas Left: 18

-Ford

A Wawa-Filled Day: The Breakdown

After spending 4+ hours on Friday hitting 11 Wawas, it is time to break it down.

On my quest to hit 50 Wawas in 30 days, I knew I would have to spend at least 1 day hitting a bunch of Wawas and knocking them out in one bunch. So I spent this previous Friday doing just that. A lot of people have said to me - "50 Wawas? You could do that in like 2 days with how many are around here."

Try it.

It is a lot more tiring then it looks. Not only am I driving around in search of Wawas, but I am physically getting out of my car each time, purchasing an item, getting back into my car, and traveling on. It ends up being a bit tiring and I was beat by the time I got home after 4 hours of Wawa-ing.

Ok, so some facts of the day:

Total Money Spent at Wawa: $31.44
Total Miles Driven: 79.5 miles
Total Time: Approximately 4.2 hours
Total Ounces of Liquid Bought & Drank: 56oz

Here is the map of the day. You will notice a few overlapping lines. I missed a turn for Route 1 at one point because around the Granite Run Mall it's confusing because there is Route-1 which is Baltimore Pike for a good chunk, then it goes separate ways. My directions had both Route 1 & Baltimore Pike so I didn't know which one to take. I actually turned around a few blocks before another Wawa, so I could have hit 12 on the day if I had known that.


View 11 Wawas - Friday, December 10, 2010 in a larger map

Here are some pictures (some from previous challenge I didn't take) & all of the receipts. Enjoy!

Wawa #223 - Woodlyn, PA

Wawa #8042 - Brookhaven, PA

Wawa #133 - Lima, PA

Wawa #6 - Media, PA

Wawa #24 - Newtown Square, PA

Wawa #57 - Paoli, PA

Wawa #236 - Malvern, PA

    

-Ford

A Wawa-filled Day

I knew I was going to have to play catch-up on the Wawa challenge. I was falling behind. It was getting away from me. I couldn't let it happen. Not again.

So I spent most of my day today hitting Wawas. In total - 4 hours of hitting Wawas. Could I have hit more than I did in that timeframe? Probably. But 11 isn't too shabby on minimal planning. This post will consist of just the details that I usually provide for each Wawa. Store number, location, & items purchased. Later posts will see the photos, receipts, and maybe a breakdown of money spent, miles traveled, and things I could have done in those 4 hours to be productive with my life.

#20. Wawa Store #223 - Friday, December 10 - 12:20pm
Bullens Lane & McDade Blvd.
Woodlyn, PA 19094
Item Purchased: 20oz Pepsi

#21. Wawa Store #8042 - Friday, December 10 - 12:42pm
4703 Edgemont Avenue
Brookhaven, PA 19015
Item Purchased: Philadelphia Inquirer

#22. Wawa Store #133 - Friday, December 10 - 1:01pm
1218-24 West Baltimore Pike
Lima, PA 19037
Item Purchased: 4-pack AA batteries

#23. Wawa Store #6 - Friday, December 10 - 1:26pm
1260 N. Providence Road
Media, PA 19063
Item Purchased: Clif Bar - Crunchy Peanut Butter

#24. Wawa Store #24 - Friday, December 10 - 1:43pm
10 Newtown Street
Newtown Square, PA 19073
Item Purchased: Salsa Chicken Flatbread
Store #24 for Wawa #24 of 50. Not even planned.

#25. Wawa Store #291 - Friday, December 10 - 2:08pm
151 Sugartown & Morris Roads
Strafford, PA 19087
Item Purchased: 20oz lemon lime Gatorade

#26. Wawa Store #257 - Friday, December 10 - 2:18pm
215 West Lancaster Avenue
Wayne, PA 19087
Item Purchased: Freshmint Tic Tacs

#27. Wawa Store #57 - Friday, December 10 - 2:36pm
52 Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301
Item Purchased: Hazelnut Coffee Grounds

#28. Wawa Store #236 - Friday, December 10 - 2:51pm
9 King Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Item Purchased: Reese Fast Break

#29. Wawa Store #205 - Friday, December 10 - 3:16pm
5 Matthews Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Item Purchased: 16oz Pumpkin Spice Latte

#30. Wawa Store #238 - Friday, December 10 - 3:23pm
10 Liberty Boulevard
Malvern, PA 19355
Item Purchased: Entenmann's Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

So there you have it. 11 Wawas today. 4+ hours of travel time. More details to come later.

Day: 17
Wawas Hit: 30
Days Left: 13
Wawas Left: 20

-Ford

The Calm Before the Storm

It's been quiet recently on the Wawa front. I've hit other food options. I went grocery shopping and had plenty of food the last couple of days. Birds stopped chirping. There is a lull. A silence.

Which means its time to hit a ton of Wawas today.

Over the latest weekend I had hit 3 Wawas in Philly but that has been the extent of my visits. The details of those visits are below:

#17. Wawa Store #86 - Sunday, December 5 - 10:33am
1707 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Items Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee & a donut

#18. Wawa Store #161 - Sunday, December 5 - 10:43am
2101 Hamilton Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Item Purchased: Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer

#19. Wawa Store #191 - Monday, December 6 - 10:00am
1602-04 South Delaware Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Items Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee, low-fat peach yogurt, & a banana

Day: 17
Wawas Hit: 19
Days Left: 13
Wawas Left: 31

-Ford

Comin' to your city

"Yeah we're comin', to your city"

Just like the Big n' Rich song, I'm coming to your city. Or town. Or village. As long as it has a Wawa.

After work today I hit up both of the Wawa's in Boothwyn, PA. Since I knocked out all of the Wawas in 1 town, I decided I will be doing a "comin' to your city" set of updates. While I know Boothwyn only had 2 Wawas in it, it still will help my cause and will also keep some of my blogs with themes.

So - if you live in a town with Wawas, let me know! I will try to plan it so I can hit all the Wawas in your town. Simply let me know what town, where your Wawas are, and I will try to hit them on my quest.

Now for the Wawas I hit today.

#15. Wawa Store #30 - Saturday, December 4 - 3:58pm
2300 Chichester Ave.
Boothwyn, PA 19063
Item Purchased: Half gallon Wawa lemonade

#16. Wawa Store #32 - Saturday, December 5 - 4:20pm
519 Conchester Road
Boothwyn, PA 19063
Items Purchased: Cheddar cheese stuffed pretzel & Philadelphia Inquirer

Day: 11
Wawas Hit: 16
Days Left: 19
Wawas Left: 34

-Ford

Morning Adventure

As I talked about in my last post, Wawa Mini-Fails, I went for a little adventure this morning to again keep pace with the challenge and to get my Wawa breakfast morning-ritual items. For those who haven't followed the blog too closely those items are: the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 20oz hazelnut coffee, & a sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel.

So I had it all planned out - I would hit 3 different Wawas for those 3 different items. I did the quick research on www.wawa.com for the locations and made quick-written directions for myself. I would hit Wawas #811, 801, & 854.

So I started on my morning adventure, venturing out Darley Road, Chestnut Road, and then down Marsh Road. The next turn was Wilson Road in which the first Wawa would be on. Totally missed the turn. Keep in mind, I have a GPS in my car - thanks to my roommate Steve - but failed to use it. I have a feeling it could have helped.

Anyways - I recognized some of the roads from my directions leading to the other Wawas, righted myself, and got to Wawa #811 without too much trouble. However, on my way into the store I was struck by the other door. I walked in one door, a Wawa employee was walking in the other door and struck me with it. I'm sorry - was I moving too slow for you? Thanks dude. Anyways, I got my coffee and a quick picture of the store and moved onto the next Wawa after the abuse I took.

#12. Wawa Store #811 - Friday, December 3 - 10:34am
400 A Wilson Road
Brandywine, DE 19803
Item Purchased: 20oz hazelnut coffee

I then went to Wawa #801 without any trouble getting there, bought my Philadelphia Inquirer, and continued on. The picture below is from the last challenge during hoagie-fest. It is "hippie-fied" if you will.

#13. Wawa Store #801 - Friday, December 3 - 10:49am
Philadelphia Pike & Parkway Ave
Wilmington, DE 19809
Item Purchased: Philadelphia Inquirer

Next up was Wawa #854. This would have been the Wawa I hit in yesterday's update if I didn't mess up my "needing gas" schedule. So I hit it today, purchased my sausage, egg, & cheese and went on my way. This Wawa is one of my usual Wawas. I like it because it is a super-Wawa with gas and also has 2 entrances. I just realized that I have a lot of different "usual" Wawas. Oh well, I guess that comes with the territory when you blog about a store.

#14. Wawa Store #854 - Friday, December 3 - 10:57am
2621 Philadelphia Pike
Claymont, DE 19703
Item Purchased: Sausage, egg, & cheese on a bagel

I will soon do an overall update blog - highlighting the amount of money spent, items purchased, & any other anecdotes I may have. I will also include a map of the Wawas I have hit thus far.

Day: 10
Wawas Hit: 14
Days Left: 20
Wawas Left: 36

-Ford