After a long day of swimming, tanning and relaxing, Caleb Rothell, a recent Bryan High School graduate, said he and his friends loaded into a 2005 Cadillac DeVille with the windows down and volume up on their way to one of Bryan’s most popular snow cone stands.
There is nothing like going to JJ’s Snowcones when the sun is setting to sum up the whole day like the cherry on top, Rothell said. Part of this snow cone stand’s charm is the super sticky benches from the little kids dropping their snow cone juices all over them, but that’s what makes it extra great, Rothell said.
This snow cone stand, located in the heart of Bryan-College Station is historic for locals, with a sometimes 45-minute wait outside of the stand.
It’s the little things like long waits for sweet treats and the shrill of children playing in the heat that make summers in Texas worth withstanding heat. For those staying in Bryan-College Station until the fall semester begins, many students and locals have found ways to pass the summer months in Aggieland.
Madelyn Young, Class of 2021, said she enjoys the shift when it comes to all the students going back to their hometowns.
“Here in the summers there is the right amount of people around to make it feel like people still live here, but at the same time, it’s less stressful for me,” Young said.
For Rothell, there’s nothing more noticeable in the summer than the reduced traffic around College Station and Texas A&M.
“College Station doesn’t seem any different in the summer than it does during the semester until you notice the reduced traffic,” Rothell said. “Living in College Station is like having the best of both worlds because it’s a busy, hopping town but also a smaller community of locals as the seasons change.”
Strolling around campus and walking through Downtown Bryan are her favorite pastimes during the summer, Young said. The trails by POV Coffee House in Lake Walk Town Center are specifically her favorite, but Young said she could do without the heat and humidity outside.
Since Bryan-College Station is located in the middle of Texas, many popular cities are within a three-hour reach, making road trips a popular summer escape.
“I feel like road trips are a must in the summer,” Young said. “You are making memories but also you are near so many places.”
At times, being in Bryan-College Station for the summer can get boring, so creativity has to come into play, Rothell said.This includes getting out of town to explore other Texas attractions, like the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston or even the Waffle House in Houston.
“Everything to do here is to leave,” Rothell said.
Throughout her college career, Young said she has always wanted to attend a First Friday in Downtown Bryan but was never able to make it. Destination Bryan public relations director Abigail Noel said she has loved watching First Friday grow while being involved with the event.
“We see members of the community get involved with First Fridays.We have everything from the Aggie Magic Club com[ing] out and do[ing] card tricks on the street corner to physics club doing cool demonstrations,” Noel said. “It’s exciting to see everybody come together and just celebrate what they love about BCS.”
As the Texas weather continues to warm, Noel said First Friday is looking forward to bringing in more influencers and travel writers to showcase what the event is all about.
The next First Friday is July 2, held in the historic Downtown Bryan district.
