Hardware Store in Wine Country

I avoid trips to The Home Depot whenever possible. Their products are fine, but not the shopping experience.

So while my husband was studying the map to get us from one winery (Bella Luna) to the next (Le Vigne), I startled him by saying, "Look at that hardware store, I have to stop."

 

We were in downtown Templeton but it felt like we had gone back in time.

I half expected to see Opie from The Andy Griffith Show.

Or at least a Templeton version of Opie!

The place is immaculate. Wood floors.

 Every item in place. Dust free and label facing forward.

Admittedly, the folks that run it are pretty 'OCD'  (they said it, we just agreed, ha ha).

But that just adds to the charm.

Along with the old-fashioned cash registers.

And the bank safe that has been around forever.

It has a stair step door frame so that if robbers try to shove nitroglycerin to blow it up, it will only settle/seep into the first of many 'stairs'.

Clever design, no?

We walked through all the aisles.

Impressed by the decent prices.

Felt the urge to support the business.

Established in 1899 and operated by the Hewitt Family since 1923.

Which is why we left Templeton with a shiny new mailbox and stick-on numbers displaying our street address….