Travelling through the westernmost stretches of the Hill Country on Interstate 10, the speed limit is 80 mph through Kimble county. But 18 miles west of the city of Junction, release the cruise control, take the Roosevelt exit onto Loop 291 and stop to experience Simon Bros. Mercantile, a general store containing a picturesque post office, antiques, cafe, gasoline and much more.

You can’t get lost - the paved road loops right back to the interstate - and if you’re thinking it will be time wasted from your schedule, think again. Time - that’s the whole point of Roosevelt: a place in time that seems long forgotten if measured by the modern world’s standards.

This is an area where the people are tightly-knit; families who have been here for generations, yet they’ll welcome you warmly. If you wander the beautiful old cemeteries in the area, Copperas, Cedar Hill or Bear Creek, markers date back to the 1870s. You’re very likely to meet someone on the street or see a mailbox today with many of those family names. In addition, there are dozens of private family cemeteries in the immediate area with descendants still owning the land.

A mile or so on Loop 291, pull up to Simon Bros. Mercantile. Quaint, rustic, old? You bet. But don’t get caught thinking, “This is it? This is what I’m supposed to see?” You’re in for the best sight and time of your trip, if not your life. Guaranteed!! You could spend half an hour on the porch, admiring the look - just how storybook tales and tv westerns portray Texas. But this is the real deal.

As you walk inside and your eyes adjust from the bright sunlight, you are completely transported back in time. It’s like a time warp in here. A life-sized bear stands in front of a huge mountain- scene wall mural painted by a local, Debbie Johnson. Here also is the famous roundtable of Roosevelt, where locals drink coffee and solve the world’s problems. Big decisions are made here, then stam ...

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