What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Curious.... where do people go for "nightlife" in small town America? (1 Viewer)

nirad3

nirad3

Footballguy
I have a trip planned to west Texas next month; a two-nighter. I fly into and stay the first night in Midland, so there's no issue in finding a spot to have a couple of beers while I'm there. I like trying to find a local, non-chain type of restaurant and usually have a few beers at a local watering hole while I'm there, too.

But night #2? I'll be in tiny Colorado City, population right around 3,900. They fortunately have a chain hotel (albeit Best Western, but it looks fairly new/nice), but in searching for something to do while I'm there (mainly food/drink), I am coming up empty. There's like 3 restaurants and certainly no bars.

I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Texas, either. I stayed in a somewhat larger town (say like 13k) on the east side of the state once where the "nightlife" was the local Applebee's.

So I guess my question is.... for those of you that have traveled to small town America quite a bit (or better yet, live there now), what do people do to "cut loose" on a Friday or Saturday night? I know ... I know ... the world doesn't need to revolve around booze, but I do like to sample local food AND drink while I'm on my travels.

Thoughts?
 
I had many trips to Midlane/Odessa and it wasn't the most exciting area in the world. More like the armpit of the world. There were a couple decent local restaurants but not so much in the night life excitement. I believe it was there that I went to a steakhouse (maybe called the Red Barn) where instead of bread on the table they dropped off a block of fresh cheddar cheese with the bread. It was really good but a bit odd. Steaks were good. I would recommend the place if it is still there.

I haven't been to the other small town you referenced but I would expect there to be some local watering hole that would be worth visiting for a drink or two.

ETA: If the Rockhounds are in town I highly recommend going to one of their games. It's a cool minor league stadium and the games were fun to watch.
 
I have lived in a few small towns as an adult there should be a bar around, although a google search does not show any.

Stop at a gas station or grocery store and ask the employees where to go.
 
offdee said:
Most restaurants have bars at them. Just sit at the bar to eat, drink and make friends with the bartenders and others around you.
Click to expand...
The "best" restaurant I found in this particular little town is a pizza joint and according to their menu, there's no beers or anything available.

And definitely no "bar" to sit down at here at this particular joint.

It'll be an adventure :)
MTskibum said:
I have lived in a few small towns as an adult there should be a bar around, although a google search does not show any.

Stop at a gas station or grocery store and ask the employees where to go.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea. Probably asking at the hotel would help too.
 
People who voluntarily choose to live in small towns have self-selected out of having an active nightlife. Small towns don't have much nightlife, and they attract people (or, more accurately, fail to repel people) who don't care much about nightlife, so there's no demand for anything to change. It's a stable equilibrium.
 
nirad3 said:
I have a trip planned to west Texas next month; a two-nighter. I fly into and stay the first night in Midland, so there's no issue in finding a spot to have a couple of beers while I'm there. I like trying to find a local, non-chain type of restaurant and usually have a few beers at a local watering hole while I'm there, too.

But night #2? I'll be in tiny Colorado City, population right around 3,900. They fortunately have a chain hotel (albeit Best Western, but it looks fairly new/nice), but in searching for something to do while I'm there (mainly food/drink), I am coming up empty. There's like 3 restaurants and certainly no bars.

I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Texas, either. I stayed in a somewhat larger town (say like 13k) on the east side of the state once where the "nightlife" was the local Applebee's.

So I guess my question is.... for those of you that have traveled to small town America quite a bit (or better yet, live there now), what do people do to "cut loose" on a Friday or Saturday night? I know ... I know ... the world doesn't need to revolve around booze, but I do like to sample local food AND drink while I'm on my travels.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Ha, I went to high school on Coahoma, TX (you'll pass right by it on your way C-City). My best suggestion is to hookup with a 20-year old; it worked for me! Even back then I observed that the best thing about that place was I-20; now I'm much older and living in Mississippi, and ... and well, some things never change. Seriously, the life out there is "Birth, School, Work, Death," and maybe raise some kids and go to church.

I looked it up, the annual Rattlesnake Roundup in nearby Sweetwater was the seond weekend of March. That might have been a unique experience for you.
 
I was going to give advice based on my time living in small town Indiana, but that was a city with ~15k people. I just looked up the place you're going, and that's really small.
 
IvanKaramazov said:
People who voluntarily choose to live in small towns have self-selected out of having an active nightlife. Small towns don't have much nightlife, and they attract people (or, more accurately, fail to repel people) who don't care much about nightlife, so there's no demand for anything to change. It's a stable equilibrium.
Click to expand...
That was the sense I got. I guess I couldn't imagine not just having even a little place with a few stools and beers on tap to meet a friend after work or whatever.
 
IvanKaramazov said:
People who voluntarily choose to live in small towns have self-selected out of having an active nightlife. Small towns don't have much nightlife, and they attract people (or, more accurately, fail to repel people) who don't care much about nightlife, so there's no demand for anything to change. It's a stable equilibrium.
Click to expand...
That, or they have a group of friends they’ll hang out with at night. Often around a 🔥 and a keg.
 
Vegas Trip said:
nirad3 said:
I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.
Click to expand...
Maybe dancing isn't legal there... :ibtl:
Click to expand...
Alcohol sales just got approved last year in my hometown county.

If you were doing business there in smalltown Kentucky, your "nightlife" would be going across the river to slightly less-so smalltown Indiana and hoping the Mexican restaurant was pouring good margaritas that night.
 
nirad3 said:
I have a trip planned to west Texas next month; a two-nighter. I fly into and stay the first night in Midland, so there's no issue in finding a spot to have a couple of beers while I'm there. I like trying to find a local, non-chain type of restaurant and usually have a few beers at a local watering hole while I'm there, too.

But night #2? I'll be in tiny Colorado City, population right around 3,900. They fortunately have a chain hotel (albeit Best Western, but it looks fairly new/nice), but in searching for something to do while I'm there (mainly food/drink), I am coming up empty. There's like 3 restaurants and certainly no bars.

I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Texas, either. I stayed in a somewhat larger town (say like 13k) on the east side of the state once where the "nightlife" was the local Applebee's.

So I guess my question is.... for those of you that have traveled to small town America quite a bit (or better yet, live there now), what do people do to "cut loose" on a Friday or Saturday night? I know ... I know ... the world doesn't need to revolve around booze, but I do like to sample local food AND drink while I'm on my travels.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
There's a reason shows like Jackass exist..... people get bored.....

-signed guy that grew up with 5500 people in his town
 
Last edited:
Having been in rural small town south many summers...

The bad people. Beer followed by more drinking then driving. Premarital sex. At least bad in the eyes of the Bible beaters there.

The good people. Pretending to read their bible. Cooking food in Crisco. Preparing Hunting deer at 4 am.

The poor people … meth
 
belljr said:
nirad3 said:
I have a trip planned to west Texas next month; a two-nighter. I fly into and stay the first night in Midland, so there's no issue in finding a spot to have a couple of beers while I'm there. I like trying to find a local, non-chain type of restaurant and usually have a few beers at a local watering hole while I'm there, too.

But night #2? I'll be in tiny Colorado City, population right around 3,900. They fortunately have a chain hotel (albeit Best Western, but it looks fairly new/nice), but in searching for something to do while I'm there (mainly food/drink), I am coming up empty. There's like 3 restaurants and certainly no bars.

I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Texas, either. I stayed in a somewhat larger town (say like 13k) on the east side of the state once where the "nightlife" was the local Applebee's.

So I guess my question is.... for those of you that have traveled to small town America quite a bit (or better yet, live there now), what do people do to "cut loose" on a Friday or Saturday night? I know ... I know ... the world doesn't need to revolve around booze, but I do like to sample local food AND drink while I'm on my travels.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
There's a reason shows like Jackass exist..... people get bored.....

-singed guy that grew up with 5500 people in his town
Click to expand...
:popcorn: go on…
 
-OZ- said:
belljr said:
nirad3 said:
I have a trip planned to west Texas next month; a two-nighter. I fly into and stay the first night in Midland, so there's no issue in finding a spot to have a couple of beers while I'm there. I like trying to find a local, non-chain type of restaurant and usually have a few beers at a local watering hole while I'm there, too.

But night #2? I'll be in tiny Colorado City, population right around 3,900. They fortunately have a chain hotel (albeit Best Western, but it looks fairly new/nice), but in searching for something to do while I'm there (mainly food/drink), I am coming up empty. There's like 3 restaurants and certainly no bars.

I thought most small towns at least had a little dive bar or place locals went to line dance or whatever.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me in Texas, either. I stayed in a somewhat larger town (say like 13k) on the east side of the state once where the "nightlife" was the local Applebee's.

So I guess my question is.... for those of you that have traveled to small town America quite a bit (or better yet, live there now), what do people do to "cut loose" on a Friday or Saturday night? I know ... I know ... the world doesn't need to revolve around booze, but I do like to sample local food AND drink while I'm on my travels.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
There's a reason shows like Jackass exist..... people get bored.....

-singed guy that grew up with 5500 people in his town
Click to expand...
:popcorn: go on…
Click to expand...
:bag: :lmao:
 
Looks like B&B Liquor off I-20 might be your best bet. Find some friends in the parking lot.

Spent two years in school just south of there in San Angelo. We use to drive to Big Spring to watch football on Friday nights and drive into Abilene on Sundays to take our dates to Olive Garden because there were only Mexican restaurants in town. all alcohol was consumed by the river. It's gotten better, but not by much.
 
If we're bragging about town size, here's the aforementioned Coahoma, TX: Population 932. I think it was 959 back in the day. Actually, I lived in the suburbs, a place aptly named Sand Springs.
 
Bogart said:
Looks like B&B Liquor off I-20 might be your best bet. Find some friends in the parking lot.

Spent two years in school just south of there in San Angelo. We use to drive to Big Spring to watch football on Friday nights and drive into Abilene on Sundays to take our dates to Olive Garden because there were only Mexican restaurants in town. all alcohol was consumed by the river. It's gotten better, but not by much.
Click to expand...
I almost went to Angelo State too, to play hoops. Assuming that's where you went.
 
nirad3 said:
Bogart said:
Looks like B&B Liquor off I-20 might be your best bet. Find some friends in the parking lot.

Spent two years in school just south of there in San Angelo. We use to drive to Big Spring to watch football on Friday nights and drive into Abilene on Sundays to take our dates to Olive Garden because there were only Mexican restaurants in town. all alcohol was consumed by the river. It's gotten better, but not by much.
Click to expand...
I almost went to Angelo State too, to play hoops. Assuming that's where you went.
Click to expand...
Yep. That's the place. One of my suitemates played on the hoops team. Remember they had a dunk contest at Midnight Practice/Rally, whatever you start the season with, and not one guy on the team could dunk. We were not competitive to say the least.
 
Bogart said:
nirad3 said:
Bogart said:
Looks like B&B Liquor off I-20 might be your best bet. Find some friends in the parking lot.

Spent two years in school just south of there in San Angelo. We use to drive to Big Spring to watch football on Friday nights and drive into Abilene on Sundays to take our dates to Olive Garden because there were only Mexican restaurants in town. all alcohol was consumed by the river. It's gotten better, but not by much.
Click to expand...
I almost went to Angelo State too, to play hoops. Assuming that's where you went.
Click to expand...
Yep. That's the place. One of my suitemates played on the hoops team. Remember they had a dunk contest at Midnight Practice/Rally, whatever you start the season with, and not one guy on the team could dunk. We were not competitive to say the least.
Click to expand...
Probably why they wanted me to come. This was in '92.
 
nirad3 said:
Bogart said:
nirad3 said:
Bogart said:
Looks like B&B Liquor off I-20 might be your best bet. Find some friends in the parking lot.

Spent two years in school just south of there in San Angelo. We use to drive to Big Spring to watch football on Friday nights and drive into Abilene on Sundays to take our dates to Olive Garden because there were only Mexican restaurants in town. all alcohol was consumed by the river. It's gotten better, but not by much.
Click to expand...
I almost went to Angelo State too, to play hoops. Assuming that's where you went.
Click to expand...
Yep. That's the place. One of my suitemates played on the hoops team. Remember they had a dunk contest at Midnight Practice/Rally, whatever you start the season with, and not one guy on the team could dunk. We were not competitive to say the least.
Click to expand...
Probably why they wanted me to come. This was in '92.
Click to expand...
Yep. 93-94 was the year. Small world.
 
shuke said:
There's a place called Sportsman Club about 10 miles out of town, looks like a bar in a barn. Doesn't open until 5 PM, so it's got to be the place to be.
Click to expand...
you just described my life growing up in a city that was less than 250 people brohans it was small and most of what you did involved a barn or a cornfield but we got by just fine just cause it aint on a map doesnt mean it isnt happening take that to the bank
 
I had a great answer teed up for this, but I'll get banned since 2022. :sigh:
 
Last edited:
massraider said:
shuke said:
There's a place called Sportsman Club about 10 miles out of town, looks like a bar in a barn. Doesn't open until 5 PM, so it's got to be the place to be.
Click to expand...
I've been there! Amazing food.

I recommend the Kale salad and Tofurky Wrap. They are both secret menu items, don't believe the staff when they say they cannot make them. They're just horsing around. Be insistent.
Click to expand...
Make sure you get the kale salad with coconut oil.

It helps it slide off the plate into the garbage a lot easier.
 
shuke said:
There's a place called Sportsman Club about 10 miles out of town, looks like a bar in a barn. Doesn't open until 5 PM, so it's got to be the place to be.
Click to expand...

Headed there in a little bit. They have beer, thankfully. And the steaks look good. They supposedly close at 8, so I won't be able to watch much of the Laker game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

playin4beer
One night in San Diego....what should I do?
Replies
45
Views
1K
Don Quixote
Don Quixote
Willie Neslon
  • Poll
I have 4 ideas for movies. Do any of them sound decent?
Replies
40
Views
875
SWC
SWC
Statorama
Philly Travel Guys
Replies
32
Views
711
belljr
belljr

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top