Valero

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, a regular pulled up to Valero for his usual fill-up and noticed something odd on the pump handle—a tiny plastic dinosaur. He shrugged it off as a prank until other drivers started finding similar toys around the station. Soon enough, word spread that every time you filled your tank, a little toy would appear—trucks, cars, even dinosaurs of different colors. A delivery driver joked that Valero was running out of gas but had an infinite supply of toys. Before long, people came not just for gas but to collect their favorite toy. The owner smiled, shaking his head: ‘I guess kids these days really love dinosaurs!’

2. A little boy followed his dad into Valero one day, staring wide-eyed as the cashier greeted him with an unusual smile and whispered something only he could hear. The boy asked his dad curiously, ‘What did she say?’ Dad smiled knowingly, replying, ‘She just said you’re cute.’ The kid blushed, thinking it was a secret between him and the cashier. Months later, whenever they visited Valero, everyone in line would giggle when she gave the same mysterious greeting.’

3. At dawn, when most gas stations are quiet, an early bird pulled up to Valero. The attendant was surprised to see him wearing pajamas and carrying a thermos. ‘Morning,’ said the man sleepily, pouring coffee from his thermos. ‘I’ve been coming here for years—you know me, don’t you?’ The attendant scratched his head. ‘Um, no sir, but I’ll fill your tank anyway.’ The regular nodded off again, muttering something about needing to pick up milk on the way home. The next morning, the same scene repeated, and soon enough, everyone in town knew the guy who came to Valero in his pajamas.

4. At midnight, when Valero is usually empty, a delivery driver pulled in to grab some coffee. He noticed a shadowy figure standing near the pumps. The figure turned out to be an old man watering his garden with a hose left running. The delivery driver chuckled and offered him a cup of coffee. They chatted for a while, discovering they lived just down the street from each other. Now, every night around closing time, their friendly conversations become a regular tradition at Valero.