Monrovia "Upstanding Member of Society" V.'s Profile
Date
The Purple Zone fills this need for the small town of Alpine, TX.
The owner was there on the night that we went in and was extremely friendly and helpful.
She was more than happy to chat with us in a comfortable & open way about things that can sometimes be a little, um, awkward to discuss.
The store has all your basic "tobacco" supplies & accessories, and a separate room with the quintessential beaded curtain for adult movies & toys.
She seemed very LGBT friendly, if a little unclear on some of the "T" related terminology. But I was still impressed by her knowledge and apparent open-mindedness.
(I mean, yeah, she runs a head shop, but that doesn't guarantee anything.)
We didn't have a whole lot of time to browse around, but I got the definite impression that if you find yourself in Alpine and in need of any vice-related supplies, The Purple Zone can hook you up.
Fort Davis, TX 79734
(432) 426-3640
McDonald Observatory
Category:
Landmarks & Historical Buildings
If they tell you to bundle up, you better listen! Bring more layers than you think you'll need, especially if you don't have anyone to cuddle up to.
Although you can go inside as much as you want to warm up, you're gonna want to stay outside most of the time to look through the telescopes, take in the quietude, and talk with the many scientists/astronomers who are present and very much engaged in the Star Party experience.
The astronomer who gave a brief lecture at the beginning of the party was really good at explaining the basics of astronomy, orienting the audience to the solar system and night sky, and had this super cool high-powered laser to point out stars and constellations in the sky.
Great for kids and adults, easy to make reservations (we made ours the same day for a Friday night), and a truly rare opportunity.
-Pet friendly: just changed their policy to a one time fee of $30 per stay, rather than paying per night.
-Free Wi-Fi.
-Gay friendly.
-Totally decent & pretty extensive free breakfast. One of the women who works there made cookies & chocolate banana bread. Yum!
-That awesome neon sign with roses and a horseshoe.
-Nicely decorated, clean, cozy rooms that cost the same or less than some of the more well-known places in the West Texas area (Marathon & Marfa especially).
-Lots of cats living on the premises (most of them are feral and won't let you pet them, but some of them are friendly).
-A smallish pool with a cool hang out area. There's a big metal tub for filling with ice and beer.
-Literally across the street from Sul Ross University, which has a big lawn to walk your dog, and where we saw many deers and a fox one night!
-Convenient location for exploring the neighboring towns of Marfa, Marathon, and Fort Davis.
Everyone we encountered who worked there was very friendly and accommodating. I would definitely stay there again, and can't really think of a reason to stay anywhere else.
Alpine, TX 79830
(432) 837-9424
The Bread & Breakfast Bakery
Category:
Breakfast & Brunch
Got fresh-baked bread with my eggs; both were really good.
We had some blueberry pancakes that were also good - tasted like they were made from scratch, but could've used just a few more blueberries.
Laid back atmosphere - we probably could've hung out there all day.
Looked like some people were doing just that - a group of locals appeared to be holding court and knew almost every other middle aged man who walked in.
(This really added to the small town mystique for me.)
Seems like a good place to bring your laptop, study, and drink coffee.
The building has clearly been there for a long time and looked classically West Texas.
Overall, a very pleasant experience with good food & coffee. I could've eaten there every day on our vacation and been quite satisfied.
Plus it's on one of the main streets in town, so you can walk around afterward and check out some of the other neat places in Alpine.
Found A Tribe Called Quest record on vinyl, saw some other alternative & indie gems on vinyl that I couldn't afford, but appreciated that he had them.
The owner is friendly and even burned a CD for me while I was browsing in his store.
(Perhaps he knows this is a really good way to make a customer feel like she should buy something. Worked on me...)
There's also a stack of free records to look through, laser discs, and DVDs.
And a store dog with her own big backyard behind the store!
Not open on weekends, which I found sort of odd.
Four stars for being the only record store in town. Would probably get three stars for being overpriced in a bigger town, but would still hold its own, selection-wise, in most places.
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 257-2653
Bishop's Air Control
Category:
Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC
The pleasant and no-nonsense woman on the phone told me someone would be here with an hour. I was already grateful, but downright impressed when Tony arrived within half that time.
He found the problem, fixed it, and charged what seemed to me to be a perfectly reasonable amount of money.
It was fast & painless, just how I like it.
Thanks for keeping me from melting, Bishop's!
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 479-0805
ABC Passport Express
Category:
Travel Services
Neighborhood: Downtown
I called before I came in and they asked how they could help me on the phone. I liked that - good customer service from the first point of contact.
There was no wait when I went in. They took my picture immediately; then let me take another one since I looked dead in the first one.
By the time I paid the reasonable fee of about ten bucks for two passport photos, the pictures were done.
Fast, easy, friendly. No complaints.
Thanks Passport Express!
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-2950
Lipstick24
Categories:
Dance Clubs,
Lounges,
Gay Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
The decor is pretty bad.
The sign out front is awful, and it has the worst name for a bar I've ever heard, lesbian or otherwise.
The first time I went there I expected to hate it and went there out of morbid curiosity.
So it surprised the hell out of me to end up staying there until last call and to find myself dancing & having a genuinely good time!
The things I like about it are that it's extremely unpretentious and never over-crowded. It's an easy place to visit and doesn't require a lot of energy like Rain or Kiss 'n Fly.
The music isn't really that impressive but the weekend DJ seems like a nice lady.
It's bad and tacky in a way that feels kinda comfortable, which must be why I've been there enough times that one of the bartenders remembers me now (and my friends have started making fun of me for that, and rightly so).
I did not like the $20 cover when they hosted Sin Party, but my beef is really with Sin in general, not necessarily Lipstick.
I'm not sure why this place is so hit or miss for others.
I went back recently and had a good experience again.
There was a little bit of a wait, but the vet spent a long time talking with me & giving me education about my cat's skin problems.
I didn't feel like they were trying to up-sell me or anything like that.
My visit was very inexpensive (which was appropriate, since she did a basic physical exam of my cat and talked with me; no actual treatment).
We've had good luck getting our cats in there fast - often on the same day.
Hope they can resolve the issues that other Yelpers are having with them...
Listed in: My Neighborhood
1 Previous Review:
-
12/13/2008
I had a similar experience to the previous Yelper, but not so dire.
Long story short, my cat had an allergic reaction to some vaccinations she had gotten at another clinic.
I couldn't take her back to the first clinic & needed to go somewhere fast.
When I called them, they said they could see her right away.
I drove her there in a panic, as she had been vomiting profusely and evacuated her bowels in her carrier on the way to Animal Med Center.
When I got there I was pretty shaken up.
They were very nice and comforting to both me and my cat.
The doctor had actually left for lunch, but they called him and he got back within 15 minutes.
They even cleaned the poo out of her carrier and neutralized the smell for me! That is service!
They fixed her right up, kept her at the clinic for a few hours of observation, and I had her back, good as new and safe and sound a few hours later.
All together it cost less than $100, which I think is very good, all things considered.
I highly recommend them, and will definitely continue to give them my business!
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"Stupider like a fox!"
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Austin, TX
Yelping SinceMay 2008
Things I Lovebreakfast tacos, New York City, The Simpsons, 30 Rock, getting mail, my kitties, singing in the car, bike rides, extended brunches, wine with dinner, languorous days on the porch
Find Me InAustin or Harlem
My HometownBaltimore
My Blog Or Websitehttp://karaokefist.blo..., http://www.wbar.org/?q...
When I'm Not Yelping...Counseling the youth. Lost in a reverie at Hobby Lobby. Singing karaoke.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsYou help me justify my eating habits.
My Second Favorite Websitedoes google chat count as a website?
The Last Great Book I ReadJust started The Bonfire of the Vanities after getting sick of Hell's Angels.
My First ConcertNew Kids on the Block. It hurt me to type that.
My Favorite MovieI Heart Huckabees, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, et. al.
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...Every time I hear the King of the Hill theme song, I have to drink a beer.
Most Recent DiscoveryDan Savage's Lovecast
Current CrushCrusin' by Smokey Robinson, Bryan Hadley
BYOB - They will supply the corkscrew and wine glasses.
The pizza has really good thin, crispy crust.
Somewhat sullen, surly teenagers were running the place when we were there, but who cares?!? Those teenagers made us some kick-ass pizza and salads!
The two of us got two salads and a medium sized pizza and were completely and happily stuffed.