A Day in Small Town Texas

We left Kickapoo after a morning walk and began our trek north with a hotel night in mind. Blanche is comfortable and the camp showers are surely adequate, but a king-sized bed, take-out, and a movie on Netflix aren’t bad either. We headed to Junction, Texas, which is, as you might guess, located at the junction of I-10, US83 and US377. It is at the confluence of the North and South Llano Rivers, however, which actually accounts for the city’s name. Though the estimated population is about 2,400 and declining, Junction is still referred to as a city… albeit a little one.

We arrived around 2 PM and headed to our hotel, a Rodeway Inn, a brand which is not usually our first choice. What a pleasant surprise… it was awesome. The king room was large, clean, and comfy. WiFi was fast. A reasonable hot breakfast was available in the morning and the staff was super friendly. We enjoyed the evening. although truth be told, take-out ended up being junk food from Blanche’s stash. We’re on vacation!

We ventured out the next morning for errands. People in Junction are pleasant and courteous. They smile and look you in the eye when they ask “how y’all doing today?” Men, young and old, tipped their hats to me, held doors, and answered our questions with ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, sir’. Most folks knew each other and shook hands or chatted for a minute when they met.

There’s no Walmart in Junction, our usual go-to place for restocking on the road. The local Lowe’s Market and Dollar General were the two main options for filling the larder. Lowes was well-stocked and the prices were actually pretty good.

Kimble County Courthouse (1929) - Photo credit: Terry Jeanson

Main Street is lined with several old stone buildings like the Kimble County Courthouse built in 1929, as well as a couple of banks, all in prominent locations as you’d expect. Many of the Western-style flat-roofed shops along Main Street were vacant… a sign of the times.

There was a feed store and a gas station at the convenience store and a thrift shop or two. We counted at least 10 churches on our ride through town. There were a few small motels and cafes here, but most, including the national chains, were located closer to the I-10 junction.

There was also an independent sporting goods shop, a general store that seemed to concentrate on hunting gear, equipment and clothing, and a warehouse along the main drag that had a large selection of deer blinds and bird blinds sitting in its parking lot. We confirmed later that this area is one of the state’s leading deer-hunting counties. We also noted as we drove out of town a ready supply of taxidermists and game processing locations

It was the Deer Horn Christmas tree in the center of town that really told the tale about hunting in the area.

There’s no escaping the mundane.

Dirty laundry eventually needs washing.

We had hoped to do our overdue laundry last night at the hotel, but there were no washer/dryer facilities. We ended up late morning at Buster’s Laundry & Cleaners, also on Main Street. It was relatively clean, the machines worked and $3/load for wash and dry seemed a bargain, though hanging around in a laundromat waiting for the washer and dryer to finish is akin to watching paint dry. I busied myself reading the miscellaneous ads posted on the bulletin board. My favorite was a handwritten sign: “3 male donkeys/3 female donkeys FREE!” David wouldn’t even consider discussing it.

I guess we never mentioned the minor fender bender we had a few days ago. The young driver of a skoolie (renovated school bus turned into a camper) backed into us at a gas station trying to access the diesel pump. It wasn’t worth an insurance claim especially since she didn’t have insurance, but there was a scratch and a dent in the right rear door, and the hinge was knocked out of alignment and the door wouldn’t close properly. On our way out of town, we noticed a sign for Clear Cut Customs, a small auto body shop. David decided to stop in.

The owner, Mike, said he’d be glad to take a look and see what he could do. We pulled into one of his garage bays and while David watched on and I sat in the van, Mike commenced tapping and banging and chatting with David and banging some more. There’d be a lull as he searched for another tool and the banging would commence once more. I heard a few muffled words now and then, but had no clue as to what was actually going on… except the banging. An hour and a half later, David hopped back into the van. “All fixed. It’s not perfect, but it works”, he said, “Mike even touched up the paint.”

The cost when David inquired? “No charge. I was just messing around. Glad to get you guys fixed up and on the road again.” Really? Wow, thanks, Mike! David, of course, gave him some cash and when he said no, told him to buy something for his wife. Where, other than a small rural town like Junction, would you find this kind of generous, friendly, helpful person?

When we were sailing, we had what we called the ‘90-day rule’. Every 90 days or so, something out of the ordinary, something special, something unexpected would happen, always to our benefit. I think the old 90-day rule must be kicking in again.

Next time we’re camping at Lake Brownwood State Park. Join us.