In our Hometown there is so many gas stations that you never know what your going to find where or when but our favorite is QT because of everything it offers. If you were to follow my family around you would see on given day t usually starts the same way—us just moving through the day, one stop leading into the next. Walmart first, bags in the car, everyone ready to be done, and then somehow we end up pulling into QuikTrip ie QT like it was always part of the plan.
David has to get gas. I need to use the restroom and these are always clean and in working order. Thank the Lord for that. Charlie went in for snacks, and then all of us needed a drink. Cherry Dr. Pepper for me Big Red for Charlie and a Energy drink for David but that’s never really all it is.
Inside, it’s bright and busy in that familiar way, and the deli is always what pulls us in first. There’s something about being able to walk up and order what you actually want instead of grabbing something pre-packed and hoping for the best.
The breakfast burrito—or taco, depending on how you see it that day—is one of those things that just hits right when you’ve been out running errands. And the croissant sandwiches are my personal favorite. There’s just something about being able to build it your own way that makes it feel a little more like comfort food than gas station food.
I still miss the old hot chocolate machine they used to have and the whipped cream machine I could never get enough of was my favorite especially on colder mornings or late-night stops. They don’t do that anymore, and now it’s something you have to order through the deli, which isn’t quite the same. But even with that change, there’s still something about the place that keeps us coming back.
Charlie and I usually end up wandering over to the coffee section too. They’ve got all kinds of flavored coffees, and it’s one of those small things that makes a quick stop feel a little more personal. Not just fuel, not just routine—something you actually enjoy in the middle of the day.
And then there’s the snack/ to-go sandwich section, that has slices of cake which always feels a little too good to be sitting in a convenience store. Chocolate, banana nut, carrot cake, birthday cake—you can grab just a small square, enough for one person without it turning into a whole commitment. It’s one of those little things that makes the stop feel less like an errand and more like a treat.
Of course, Charlie heads straight for the candy and chips every time. David does too, honestly, though he’ll act like he’s “just looking.” And the frozen drinks are their own thing entirely. I like how many flavors there are.. It beats running through a drive-thru and spending a fortune when something simple does the job just fine.
In the summer, the Slurpee’s are my favorite part. Cold, quick, and exactly what you want when the Texas heat is doing its thing. But what always surprises people who haven’t been in a while is how much more is inside. It’s not just snacks and drinks.
There are clothes, hats, first-aid supplies, canned goods, and all kinds of little household items you don’t think you’ll need until you suddenly do. Even dog food sometimes. It’s the kind of place that quietly covers more of life than you expect when you first pull in for gas.
That’s really what it ends up being for us—a quick stop that somehow resets the day. A drink, a snack, a small pause before we get back in the car and keep going. And somehow, it always fits right into the middle of everything else we’re doing.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
