the fremont store

I was driving to my hometown for the July 4th weekend and decided to take a different route for part of it... some of it I had been on before, but only a few times, and some I hadn't done at all. I had my camera with, so took some pictures along the way.

In a little town called Fremont, there's an small town grocery / convenience store. The sign says it's been open for 157 years. Wow.

I've been by here before and wanted to take pictures because they have really cool old-school signs on the building (see coca cola sign above and 7 up sign below)... I think they've been there for 157 years too, and I love it. But, I had never stopped. When I did today, they were open - so I went in to ask if it was OK if I was creepy and took pictures of the building. Inside, there were 3 older (but spry) women sitting around chatting... and that was all. I grabbed a soda and approached them...

Me: How much?

Lady: Just the pop? 50 cents.

Me: OK, here you go. (pulls 50 cents out)

Lady: Oh, you just put the money in the register yourself.

Me: Really?

Lady: Yep - it's over there on the other side of the table.

Me: (walks around table and looks) Where?

Lady: There's a box under the table.

Me: Oh, there it is! (opens register and puts my own money in)

These ladies were adorable and we chatted for a bit about where I was from, why I wanted to take pictures, and the lady in charge's niece with all the tattoos that lives in the nearby town my brother lives in. On my way out, she asked me to sign her guest book (a regular notebook) at the front of the store - so I did. So cute.

I'm glad I took the time to stop... and I'm glad I went in to ask if I could take pictures (instead of creeping around outside) so I could talk to those ladies briefly. I wish I would've asked the ladies if I could take their picture... So, next time you see something you've thought about stopping to look closer - don't just drive by. Stop for a few minutes. You might be pleasantly surprised!