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Hunting, fishing, and frog-gigging are not "things to do" for me.
Ah, but that's entirely different from there being "nothing to do" - it's just that there's nothing that YOU want to do.
My town of about 1200 (that I live in the country outside of) doesn't have a movie theater, but there's one about 20 minutes away in the larger town of 25,000. There's are museums within 5-20 minutes in two different directions, and bigger museums 45 minutes away in Austin. There's festivals in several small towns, enough to keep one busy every weekend of the year, from antiques to wine to food to snake festivals and more. There's a great German restaurant and biergarten (two, actually) with live music in a tiny town (one intersection) just minutes from us. If you're lucky, you might see Robert Duval or Clint Eastwood or any of a number of other such having dinner and a beer there. Not that most folks in the big city know about it, of course. Even our tiny town has a library.
If I need to be entertained by more than the critters (who are very entertaining in and of themselves if you give them half a chance), there's plenty a short drive away (in some cases no longer than it would take me to drive from one side of Austin to the other for entertainment).
You have to find your own happiness. Everyone defines their ideal "small town". To some it's 2500 to others its 25,000. If it has what you want you will love it.
I used to have to drive 35 miles to the nearest shopping mall and figured that was about right. (This after having one a mere 15 minutes away - because I had to drive around the Barton Creek Greenbelt - it was probably less than 10 minutes as the crow flies). I now have to drive 15 miles, and I could do the longer drive still with no concern - in fact, I'd prefer it to having a beautiful ranch overlooking a river turned into pavement.
As for Applebees? I'd rather eat at the local truck stop where the beef was raised by the owner's husband, myself. Better meat, and I know where it came from and how it was raised.
Happy Texan is right. It's not the place, it's how the place fits. In other words, it's each individual.
A whole lot depends on the age of a person. Younger people tend to like the excitement of the city. Things to do that interest them. Connecting with other young people. Many of us, as we got older got a little burned out on it all and wanted to go where we can enjoy those things that interest us--the quiet, tranquil beauty! Some get tired of the whole "rat-race" and want out!!
I used to have to drive 35 miles to the nearest shopping mall and figured that was about right. (This after having one a mere 15 minutes away - because I had to drive around the Barton Creek Greenbelt - it was probably less than 10 minutes as the crow flies). I now have to drive 15 miles, and I could do the longer drive still with no concern - in fact, I'd prefer it to having a beautiful ranch overlooking a river turned into pavement.
As for Applebees? I'd rather eat at the local truck stop where the beef was raised by the owner's husband, myself. Better meat, and I know where it came from and how it was raised.
Happy Texan is right. It's not the place, it's how the place fits. In other words, it's each individual.
LOL...I don't even like eating "out". I like eating at home. Better food, cheaper too.
I lived in a small town and looked for things to do, and no, they weren't there. Maybe some rural areas are different.
Hunting, fishing, and frog-gigging are not "things to do" for me.
AH heck look at it this way, walmart to get more shells for huntin, new gigger, and even some new fishin gear, now ya need worms so off into the woods ya go to dig worms, frog giggin well just were in the big city you gonna find some frog legs fried up.
Big city naaaa you can have that stuff, i'll take the good ol boys out in the country any day and enjoy all the simple little things that city folk just pass right on by since there in such a big hurry racing from stoplight to stoplight or just too busy keepin up with the jones, Y'all cut your grass diagonally in the big city heck we just mow it or bush hog it then sit back and enjoy, ohhh the stress of the country
AH heck look at it this way, walmart to get more shells for huntin, new gigger, and even some new fishin gear, now ya need worms so off into the woods ya go to dig worms, frog giggin well just were in the big city you gonna find some frog legs fried up.
Big city naaaa you can have that stuff, i'll take the good ol boys out in the country any day and enjoy all the simple little things that city folk just pass right on by since there in such a big hurry racing from stoplight to stoplight or just too busy keepin up with the jones, Y'all cut your grass diagonally in the big city heck we just mow it or bush hog it then sit back and enjoy, ohhh the stress of the country
I love the redneck "We got it so simple here" attitude. Sorry, friend, I lived there long enough to know it's not true.
Yep, and you drive 20 minutes to buy groceries...from Wal Mart. I drive 3 minutes and buy from a regional grocer.
You drive 40 miles to work to a place of decent size (sizable enough to actually HAVE a hospital)...I drive 5.
Then, you are a "rural elitist" who has most likely never left your Anytown, USA, and think the world revolves around it, while people who actually leave the block every once in a while know there is more out there.
Yeah, here we have professional sports, theater, restaurants, shopping options, and it's all in a 5-15 min. drive...And hey, if I want to hunt or fish, its a 30 minute drive to the country. Ouch, didn't see that one coming, did you? What's your argument now?
Go on, keep fooling yourself and saying that spending the night sitting on the porch bored to tears while drinking a glass of sweet tea is a "good time," while I'm enjoying 50,000 other things.
I'm learning about smaller towns. Lived in burbs for 1/2 my life, but met more folks getting involved in towns w less than 100k towns. Not quite small towns but enough folk to keep a newcomer busy. A lot of it is how you immerse yourself in the area...change is rough.
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Even our tiny town has a library. 
