The Potpourri House in Tyler, Yeah Yeah … I Know

July 20th, 2010

I’m about to do two things that could conceivably come back to haunt me. First off I’m going to discuss a favorite Tyler eatery / department store / catering service, in a way that implies I’m not a big fan. Secondly, in discussing this establishment it will become apparent that I’ve been there. Ok so am I being too cryptic? Fine. The restaurant… or whatever, is the Potpourri House, (as I guess the title of this article gives away). Now it takes either a big man, or a shameless one to admit that he’s been to the Potpourri House, I’m not sure which one applies to me.

The Potpourri House is a difficult business / eatery to describe. It is part gift shop, part café or tea house, part fine dining restaurant. As the name implies, they have a large supply of scented candles, incense, and of course potpourri. The store also carries inventory like higher end clothing and jewelry. I have this weird mental picture of patrons browsing through the store with a glass of wine in hand complaining about the men in their lives, or talking about Sex in the City. I don’t know why, that’s just the strange association I have with the restaurant.

The food at the PH is actually pretty good, the portions are not exactly man size, but it’s tasty and generally light. The menu consists of a lot chicken, roast beef and shrimp. I guess at this point I should either turn in my man card or explain why I was interloping in this very feminine universe. First off I’ve been there two or three times. It seems the party planning committee at work contains all ladies, and they love the Potpourri House. And by the way the establishment specializes in parties, businesses and church groups. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much because work has always paid for the meals, but I’m not going to lie, it would be nice to have those parties somewhere else. I’m not suggesting a cigar bar or anything, I’d settle for gender neutral at this point. Anyway the party is generally the place where the Christmas bonuses are handed out, so I try to attend. But I do feel pretty out of place, and I often grab a bit to eat when I get home.

The Potpourri House is not terrible it’s just very girly. I suggest that any male avoid it if at all possible. If that’s not possible try to avoid telling your buddies where you had lunch. For more information on the Potpourri House, visit their web page at www.potpourrihouse.com. For reservations call begin_of_the_skype_highlighting(903) 592-4171. They are located at 3320 Troup Highway in Tyler. end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Tags: Catering Service, Church Groups, Cigar Bar, Clothing And Jewelry, Department Store, Fine Dining Restaurant, Gift Shop, Glass Of Wine, Incense, Man Size, Mental Picture, Party Planning, Patrons, Planning Committee, Potpourri, Roast Beef, Scented Candles, Sex In The City, Shrimp, Talking About Sex
Posted in American Food, Clothing, Jewelers, Restaurants, Tyler Businesses | No Comments »

Tyler Area Zip Lines

July 1st, 2010

NY TX Zip Line Adventures

It seems like a recent trend over the last few years, but Zip- lining has become a huge phenomenon! In fact, nearly every time I turn around, either someone is telling me about their experience, or I’m seeing someone trying it on television.

Now for those hard core enthusiasts, who are likely to protest that the hobby is not new, I know, I know… I’m only asserting that there has been a renewed interest of late. I recall as a kid playing at my uncle’s house where he had run an admittedly short line through the hills around his Vancouver Island home. That line was admittedly rudimentary but we had a great time.

There is now a professional series of lines in East Texas. The company is called NY- TX Zip Line Adventures and they are located at Shultz Mountain Ranch about twenty miles east of Athens. The historic Shultz home is the center piece and home base for the ranch. The views are tremendous and guests can ride through six different zip tours, the longest of which is nine hundred feet long and a hundred feet above ground.

From looking at the pictures available on the site the surrounding landscapes are really beautiful! They also offer a tour available only to returning visitors. It’s called the Full Moon tour, and it whisks participants through the Piney Woods on moon lit nights. Now there is a price to be paid for an adventure like this, and it’s not particularly cheap. The cost for a single rider on one tour is sixty dollars. Add three tours and the cost is eighty dollars.

And there are price reductions available for church groups by the way. Even though the admission fee is rather high, the experience looks to be worth the cost for those who can afford it. If I had more disposable income, I would certainly pay Zip Line Adventures near Tyler Texas a visit. As it is, I’ll have to wait a bit longer before taking in a day or night of flying through the forest. NY- TX Zip Line Adventures is located off 155 past Fat Dogs, on Farm Road 3506.

For more information visit their web site at www.goziptexas.com/index.html. This is a great site with a lot of information and incredible pics. I advise spending a little time looking it over before going. For those who do decide to go, have a great time, then licheck back with our site and tell us about your experience!

Tags: Admission Fee, Church Groups, Disposable Income, East Texas, Eighty Dollars, Forest Ny, Full Moon, Great Time, Hard Core, Landscapes, Lit Nights, Piney Woods, Price Reductions, Professional Series, Shultz, Twenty Miles, Tyler Area, Tyler Texas, Vancouver Island, Zip Line, Zip Lines
Posted in Fun | 1 Comment »

A Large Bookseller With Local Appeal

January 8th, 2010

While the Barnes and Noble chain is often seen as the Walmart of the bookselling world, the benefits of having one in Tyler are innumerable. Even though B&N is far from a local business, it has become something of a social and cultural center here. Not only does the store boast thousands of titles for sale, but since its opening, countless musical presentations, author signings, and other events have taken place within its doors.

The Starbucks café has served as a meeting place for book clubs, chess players, church groups, and even the occasional college student cramming over a cup of Joe. Sometimes it’s a place for prearranged meetings, and sometimes it’s just a place to kill time. And who can resist wandering the book filled aisles looking for nothing in particular, but finding some volume we can’t live without.

On-line booksellers like Amazon.com or even Barnes&Noble.com and others are useful tools for locating those hard to find or out of print books. But they cannot replace the bookstore experience. It is one of the pleasures of life to sit on the floor and read the first couple chapters of a book before deciding whether or not to make the purchase. And unlike electronic books, a hard copy will never crash or freeze up.

The sympathies of a literary purest aside, the book store turns a tidy profit, both for the company and the community, and with a sizable staff employed there a certain amount of the dollars do stay in Tyler. So even though our neighbor B&N isn’t company headquarters, and its not a mom & pop style business it is nevertheless a staple of our local community, one we are fortunate to have.

Tags: Aisles, Amazon, Author Signings, Barnes and Nobles, Barnes and Nobles Tyler Texas, Bookseller, Bookstore Experience, Chess Players, Church Groups, Company Headquarters, Couple Chapters, Cup Of Joe, Electronic Books, Line Booksellers, Musical Presentations, Pop Style, Starbucks, Starbucks and Barnes and Nobles, Style Business, Sympathies, T Company, Tidy Profit, Walmart
Posted in Book Stores | No Comments »

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The Potpourri House in Tyler, Yeah Yeah … I Know

Tyler Area Zip Lines

A Large Bookseller With Local Appeal