What We’ll Miss (and NOT Miss) About San Angelo…

We barely lived there eight months and we’re on the move yet AGAIN. Yesterday, we said goodbye to San Angelo, Texas!

We arrived in “The Wool and Mohair Capital of the World” back in August and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. The first month we spent staying in a hotel, searching for a place to live. The next four months were nothing but work. And the last three months were a hodgepodge of volunteering, packing, running and traveling.

Random sheep statue at the park.

To say that we’re excited to leave this city is certainly an understatement. While I did make a few friends, I never really felt like it was home. The highlights of my time there were limited to running along the river, going out to eat and traveling to other cities in Texas.

A fun night out in Austin (3.5 hours from San Angelo).

Below is our collaborative list of what we love and hate about this city.

What We’ll Miss…

1)    Franco’s restaurant

If you were to judge this place on its outward appearance, you would never go inside. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall shed with an old raggedy sign. But don’t let its looks deceive you…this restaurant has the best Mexican food you will EVER eat. No, seriously. With San Angelo only 2.5 hours from the border, this is truly authentic cuisine.

From the moment you sit down, you’re greeted with a heaping pile of fresh tortilla chips and salsa. When the waitress comes, remember to order the queso. It’s a creamy mixture of cheeses (that makes my mouth water just THINKING about it).

Amazing queso dip.

Our favorite meal is the fajita quesadillas. I always got the chicken and Kevin got the steak. For $12 each, you literally have enough to feed three.

Chicken fajita quesadillas.

Once you’ve eaten all you can, it’s time to order dessert. If you’ve never had sopapilla, be prepared for the most delicious, decadent confectionary of your life.  Sopapilla is a flaky fried pastry covered in cinnamon, sugar and honey (similar to the Greek dessert baklava, but no filo dough involved). It is SO good I cannot even begin to describe the taste. All I will say is I have tried it before at many different Mexican restaurants and it has never been as delicious as Franco’s.

2)    The River Walk

When we moved to San Angelo, this instantly became one of our favorite places. Along a two-mile stretch is a walkway that lines the Concho River. On any given day, you’ll find runners, walkers and bikers, as well as geese, ducks, and fish.

When Bailey was still living with us in Texas, we liked taking her on walks here.

3)    Country western atmosphere

Yes, I like seeing men in cowboy hats and cowboy boots... I love listening to country music... And I like sitting at a traffic light, just feet beside a trailer carrying sheep or horses. Judging from the surroundings, this has to be where George Strait wrote all of his lyrics.

What We Won’t Miss…

1)    Dirty Conch Water

Let’s just say the water here cannot be consumed. It is simply undrinkable. So, if you’re trying to hydrate, cook, or make coffee, the only thing you can do is drive to the nearest water station. For $ .25 you can purchase a gallon of purified H2O.

BUT if you enjoy dirty, disgusting water that tastes like a salt block, feel free to fill up at the faucet.

(It should also be noted that the water is so HARD that it is impossible to rinse off soap in the shower, as well as detergent in the dishwasher.) Adios, nasty San Angelo water!

2)   Our Neighbors

I’m just gonna go ahead and admit that we didn’t live in the most posh apartment in San Angelo. In reality, it’s a dump compared to anywhere we’ve ever lived before. The apartment interior itself is somewhat nice but our neighbors are the sketchiest people I’ve ever seen.

First, none of them work. Walk out into the parking lot at 10:30am and there are only about four empty spaces. Then step outside around 3:30pm and you’ll see dozens of unsupervised kids parading around the pavement.

More than anything, our neighbors gave me the creeps. Especially the men. Apparently they never got the memo that staring and whistling at a woman who is clearly married (and not interested) is not okay.

3)    Our Apartment

Living in one of the hottest places in the country without proper air conditioning is something I will NEVER do again. I never appreciated central air until I spent eight months in an apartment with a useless window air conditioner. Not only did it suck up a lot of energy, it never cooled down our entire apartment. Sleeping in the nude with two fans blowing simultaneously was standard. (Yes, I’m glad that’s over with.)