Saw this small, kinda hand-painted sign near the exit for Washington. Didn't say much, just "2 Bros" and an arrow. Well, I had some time to kill, and curiosity got the better of me. Figured, why not? Pulled off the main road and decided to follow where it led.
Fitopnding the Spot
It wasn't far, maybe a mile or two down a quieter road. Found this place, looked like maybe an old garage or a small workshop someone had fixed up. Nothing fancy, that's for sure. Gravel parking lot, couple of older pickup trucks parked out front. Looked pretty unassuming.
Walked inside. Place smelled like coffee and maybe a bit of sawdust. Sure enough, there were these two fellas behind a counter. Looked like brothers, alright. One older, one maybe a bit younger, both got that weathered look like they'd been working with their hands their whole lives. Didn't say much at first, just gave me a nod.
The Experience
Turns out, they ran a sort of general store slash maybe small repair shop? Hard to tell exactly. They had shelves with some hardware, some local crafts, looked like some jams or preserves too. And a coffee pot always going.
- Grabbed a cup of coffee. Strong stuff, just the way I like it.
- Chatted a bit with the older brother. He did most of the talking.
- Said they'd been there for ages, just doing their own thing.
- Bought a jar of their apple butter. Seemed like the right thing to do.
Wasn't much of an 'event', you know? Just a simple, quiet stop. But it was genuine. You don't find many spots like that anymore. Just two regular guys, running their own small business in a small town. No big fuss, no bright lights. They fixed things, sold a few bits and pieces, served coffee. That was it.
Spent maybe half an hour there, sipping that coffee and just looking around. Felt kinda grounding, seeing that. A real slice of local life in Washington, Iowa. Glad I took that little detour off the highway. Sometimes the unplanned stops are the best ones. Just a simple place run by 2 Bros.
