7 small El Paso businesses offering exclusive discounts on Small Business Saturday 2022
There are over 18,000 local businesses, how do you know where to visit? How about some award winning ones from Best of El Paso that are offering discounts.
There are over 18,000 local businesses, how do you know where to visit? How about some award winning ones from Best of El Paso.
Most of these are restaurants, but hey, we all enjoy eating, especially if they are award winning, you have little to lose. They are family friendly with great staff, and great products, and even better, they are offering discounts exclusive to us at Versal.
Weirdoughs
Our favorite doughnut place EVER! I can’t believe they are in El Paso. We have visited another largely popular doughnut place, Voodoo Doughnut, in Portland, Oregon. This place has them beat! The “Normie” which is their regular glazed, has such a great flavor in the bread alone. But our favorite is the Trixie, with pink strawberry icing and sprinkles. Classic Homer doughnut.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SWEET discount 😉
J&M Creations
You haven’t seen candles like these! They not only do the job of making it smell nice, but they look amazing! They are molded into different shapes like flowers, skulls, and characters. AND have recently made the candle ALL El Pasoan have been waiting for. Especially those that don’t live here anymore. El Paso RAIN!
They also have events like candle making classes.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SCENTsational discount 🤦🏻♂️
The Hen House
Our favorite wing place! Great alternative to chain wing restaurants. Unique flavors that are created for us, El Pasoans. This is where you take your out-of-town friends and family. Our favorite is the Enchilada wings 🤤. And as weird as it may sound, don’t pass up the peanut butter jelly wings. Peanut butter flavored wings, with a spicy jelly sauce for dipping 👌
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SPICY deal (4 more to go 😅)
The Dripping Cauldron
El Paso's newestc offee and tea shop with a gothic theme located in northeast right next door to Sinister Kustoms. Featuring over 30 different Bones Coffee flavors. Over 15 Specialty coffee items including Lattes, Frappe's, iced coffee blends and of course fresh brewed and ground espressos.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SPOOKtacular deal 😅
Doc’s Unique Collectibles
“We love toys!” Collecting things can be a stress releiver, mood enhancer, and a relaxing activity. Think back to that time you finally got that toy you had want SO BADLY! How you felt to finally hold it, touch it, and that new toy smell ❤️. Everything from Marvel, to Star Wars, Jurassic Park, FUNKO Pops! Great selection!
You don’t have to rely on your parents now, you’re a full grown adult and you can buy what you want 😜. Either way, look for it at the best collectibles shop in El Paso. They have great knowledgeable staff that can get you what you want.
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a SUPER deal 🦸🏻♂️
Cereal Killers
Did you know 50% of Americans start their day with cereal? I guess it's hard to resist the sweet crunch swimming in cold milk 🤤. Imagine the look on your friends faces when they see you with cereal in a cup, like shake. This is a cereal lover’s DREAM! Bowls of cereal with flavored milks, and fruit 🤤. And the name of this place… killed it! 🗡
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a special TREAT 🍡
Tiara Del Sol
Last but not least, this isn’t an El Paso one, but a local one.
Ruidoso has 1.9 million tourists every year. 60% of the homes are vacation homes. If you haven’t been, this is a great incentive to get away and just be with nature. Great view! This quaint collection of condos really takes you up to the top of the mountains. At the summit you have great views of Inn of the Mountain Gods resort, Grindstone Lake, Sierra Blanca, and the Ruidoso community.
Think of the pictures 📸
And exclusive through Versal, they are offering a reason to GETAWAY 🧳
Weirdoughs and Hen House did receive awards and recognition, including Top 5 in Best New Restaurant. The Best of El Paso list for 2022 was hard to find, but I do know these businesses posted on social media about it.
We hope you enjoy these places as much as we have. They are run by great people, and truly represent El Paso and surrounding communities. Remember that when you shop local, our money stays here. They pay taxes here which help our community, and infrastructure. You were’ going to get this stuff anyway, make it count for more by shopping local.
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Full List of El Paso Businesses offering discounts
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Ruidoso, NM resort or condo? Where to Stay and How to Decide
Whether you just need a change of scenery or want to isolate yourself. Here are the pros and cons of staying at a resort or a condo in Ruidoso, NM.
We have visited Ruidoso, NM several times. It is a popular tourist attraction near where we live in El Paso, TX, because it is an escape from the desert. Either way there are many places to stay. Whether you want to go and be away from it all, or you still want a social atmosphere, just a change of scenery. Here are the pros and cons to both.
Resort - Inn of the Mountains Gods
Inn of the Mountain Gods is a resort in Mescalero/Ruidoso, New Mexico. It offers a Casino, Golf Course, and Event venue for concerts, chefs, weddings. It also includes a spa, and pool. Other Outdoor activities include a zip-line, pedal-boats, fishing, biking, and more.
The resort in town is Inn of the Mountain Gods. This is a Mescalero Apache owned business. It has all the amenities of a resort in which you won’t have to leave the property because you have everything you need for a vacation.
Casino
Golf Course
Restaurants
Taphouse
Recreation such as zip-line, pedal boats, fishing, and more
Spa
Special events venue for concerts, weddings, and even special presentations of famous chefs.
Beautiful rooms with a amazing views.
Condo - Tiara Del Sol
The condo we have stayed on more than one occasion is Tiara del Sol. This is a set of apartment complexes, way up in the mountain from where you can see Inn of the Mountain Gods, the nearby town, and a great view of Sierra Blanca, which is the main mountain where they do skiing from. This offers all the things you would have in a home away from home. Our unit was a suite that was 2 floors, 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, dining, washer and dryer.
Full apartment/condo (for the most part).
More isolated (though you do have shared walls) and get see wildlife like deer and wild turkeys.
Great views
Can prepare your own meals
More space.
Pros and Cons
Depending on the type of vacation you are looking for, there are pros and cons to both
Inn of the Mountain Gods - PROS
Everything is there - entertainment, recreation, food
Beautiful rooms and facilities well maintained
Lots to do
Food
Atmosphere (depending if you want people around)
Inn of the Mountain Gods - CONS
Expensive rooms - especially when there is a special event or holiday weekends
Expensive food - the restaurants are good but it will rack up quickly if you are spending multiple nights there, multiple meals.
Average size hotel rooms unless you get a suite.
Atmosphere (depending on if you want people around)
Tiara Del Sol - PROS
Large condo/apartment to yourself
Peaceful and serene - watching wildlife go by from your balcony. Read a book with a cup of coffee. See the night sky.
Affordable - At least way way more affordable than Inn of the Mountain Gods.
Atmosphere - (depending on if you want people around)
Tiara Del Sol - CONS
Old Complex - Not as well maintained. Rustic. There may be bugs and spiderwebs.
Rooms - Rooms are ok also but not as nice of a bed as you would get at Inn of the Mountain Gods.
Not as much to do - Wish there had been a hiking trail nearby, but its pretty much just the complex and surrounding houses/cabins.
Thin walls and neighbors - One of the times we went we were a large group and pretty loud. Another time we were a small group and not a lot of noise, and we got a noise complaint… 🤨😅
Food - You have to make your own or drive into town.
Atmosphere - (depending on if you want people around)
The road - Getting up here in the winter if there is snow would definitely be safer with an all-terrain vehicle.
So it is up to you as to what you want. There are ways to make Inn of the Mountain Gods a peaceful getaway like the condo. If you go off-peak and during the week, it becomes affordable and peaceful without having the crowds. Food can still be expensive, but ammenities such as comfy bed and well maintained facilities stays the same. Let us know what you decide and your experience. Or have other alternatives for both.
Is There a More Beautiful Route in New Mexico? | Road Trip Gems
a road you would take, even if it means adding an extra 30-60 minutes to reach your destination, because traveling through this section, brings you more peace and stability than going the usual “common” path.
Think of your favorite road trip? I don’t mean a one time occurrence. I mean a road you would take, even if it means adding an extra 30-60 minutes to reach your destination, because traveling through this section, brings you more peace and stability than going the usual “common” path. The road. The scenery. The weather. Do you bring someone along to share it? Keep it to yourself? What about it makes it so memorable? This is another Road Trip Gem. You wouldn’t spend/plan a whole vacation just for this one destination, but are definitely glad it crossed your path.
Connecting two towns
Between two small towns in mountains in New Mexico there is a road. Both towns are in the middle of a forest. A pine forest with open meadows blooming with purple flowers in the spring, and warm colored hills of the leaves in the fall. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may see some of its natural inhabitants, like deer, hawks, ravens, cows, wild horses, wild turkeys, elk, and maybe even a bear. How to get there
To get to this town you’ll need to cross through a tunnel portal. As you cross the tunnel you begin to see the desert shrubs disappear. You begin to see trees. Then taller trees. More trees. You can’t see the mountain floors anymore. You are immersed in the Lincoln National Forest. A trestle can be seen from the side of the road, which brings to the image to your mind of what this must have been like to experience this scenery from the inside of the train riding the trestle. A “cloud climbing” rail. You soon arrive at the little town in the mountains known as Cloudcroft. Very small town with a population of less than 1000. It could almost seem like it was a town trapped in the old west if it weren’t for the paved roads, cars, and gas stations. the whole main strip of town is maybe about a mile long, then you’re back in pure forest.
And as you leave town, there is the road that takes you to another small, about 10 times the population. A tourist town known as Ruidoso, meaning noisy, for it’s “noisy” river. To get to the other town from here, you’ll get to experience the most peaceful and scenic drive in New Mexico. NM-244. NM-244 is also the route you would take to get to Silver Lake. A popular tourist destination. Though I have never been, I still love this drive.
My first encounter on this road
The first time I remember experiencing this I was maybe in high school. It is the only connecting road between these two cities and if you wanted to access it another way, you have to go around to another nearby town and the bottom of the mountain, then go back up. As we were driving through I remember liking the scenery then, because it was more isolated. Less cars and things that may remind you of city life. It is a two lane road. One coming and one going. I have always been fascinated by wildlife in its natural environment so I would always be looking out. This is one of the first times I remember seeing a raven. I was positive this had to be a raven, because it was so majestic. This was not just a black bird that I would see back at home. It was perched on a wooden fence as we slowly took one the roads sharp turns. It also appeared to just be taking in the scenery.
At the time I didn’t really know where I was, but wouldn’t revisit it till much later. I don’t even remember how much later, but it must have been once I was old enough to drive and go there on my own. I have never driven it on my own, so it must have been with Vero or my sister. Once I did revisit, I knew this was the road where I saw the raven. And it’s not uncommon to see other wildlife. We have seen all the ones I mentioned before, except a bear, but I do know they are in the region.
If you are ever in either of these towns, I recommend taking the road less-traveled and rejuvenate your mind to bring that sense of peace to yourself. This road has been a memorable part of our lives since I showed it to Vero. We even took some wedding photos there. It is definitely recommended, you will not regret it.
Check out our video above of our experience from our Ruidoso 2022 trip. Check out our previous entry from our trip where we visit the Alamogordo Toy Train Museum. So what place comes to mind for you? Any Road Trip Gems near you? Leave us a comment down below.
Alamogordo Toy Train Museum | Road Trip Gems
If you’re traveling through Alamogordo to get to Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Las Cruces, or El Paso, Texas, you may want to make a pit stop to the Alamogordo Toy Train Museum.
There are fun little places you can’t really fly to. You wouldn’t spend/plan a whole vacation just for this one destination, but are definitely glad it crossed your path. If you’re traveling through Alamogordo to get to Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Las Cruces, or El Paso, Texas, you may want to make a pit stop to the Alamogordo Toy Train Museum. It’s a small little building, but it still fits tons of toy trains. They have several scales/sizes, some running and some not running. It definitely sucks you in to how incredibly patient, time-consuming, and sense of accomplishment that this hobby can bring.
Train Museum - Interior
At the time we went, it was approximately $7 a person which included a tour of the museum, and a ride on their outdoor model train. The tour includes 3 rooms with running displays. They have a train track that is set up high near the ceiling, as well as one that is hanging upside down from the ceiling (not functional but cool to see). One that is electric with the wire overhead like the actual electric trains. And their grand finale is there largest room with a slight replica of the area, representing Alamogordo, an surrounding towns such as Cloudcroft, Carrizozo, Ruidoso, and others. Cloudcroft is a nearby town that is in the mountains. It is about a half hour drive into and up the mountain. You drive through a tunnel and it always fascinates me how much the landscape changes after going through the tunnel, like a portal. Depending which direction you’re going, it transforms from desert to forest. Soon you will be surrounded by pines and evergreens. As you get nearer to Cloudcroft, you will see a trestle. A trestle is a type of bridge or structure to hold something up. In this case it used to be for train tracks. One of the models pays homage to when this used to be a functioning railroad from Alamogordo to Cloudcroft.
About Cloudcroft
Cloudcroft Trestle
As I mentioned, you will be able to see the trestle as you drive in. You can pull over and take pictures if you’d like. Sometimes you will see people at the other end of the bridge and wonder how they got there. If you continue on the road, there will be like a rest area, where there are clean bathrooms. There is a trailhead there where you can get to the “other side” of the trestle. It is a fairly easy hike. There are some steep parts, and is maybe about a mile to get to. The scenery is beautiful, especially during the fall. But fall foliage happens extremely fast. You have about a 1 to 2 week window, about the 2nd and 3rd week of October. They also get snow quite regularly during the winter months. Which is great for all the nearby desert people that rarely get to see snow.
Train Museum - Exterior
Caboose in Alamogordo Toy Train Museum
The other part of admission was the ride on the G scale train, that runs along Alameda park and another set of real railroad tracks. We even got lucky and got to see a real train pass by alongside us as we were riding. It is a round trip that maybe takes 15-20 minutes. Back at the museum there is also a caboose. According to their website, it can be rented for kids parties, etc.
Consider stopping
As mentioned if you are passing through Alamogordo, or if Alamogordo is your destination, I would definitely consider adding this to your itinerary. Check out our video on Youtube of our experience or the gallery of photos taken from our experience.
El Paso Comic Con 2022. Pros and Cons and how we can continue to have other great events!
What was a pleasant surprise was the talent of local artists. I’m not surprised at the talent, but it was cool to see them all in one place back-to-back from one booth to the next.
Experience El Paso Comic Con 2022
It has been a while since we attended El Paso Comic Con. Maybe since 2016. We figured it was about to time we check it out again. It was no disappointment.
Summary
Comic Conventions are for all things geeky and nerdy and fun.
Great guests, including William Shatner.
Extremely talented local & regional artists.
Non-regional artist companies.
El Paso’s communication struggles.
Artists contact info
What is a comic convention?
If you don’t know what a comic convention is… it is pretty much a convention for a bunch of geeky and nerdy fun things. It’s not just about comic books and super heroes. It can range from pretty much anything that gets a really hyped up fanbase. Movies such as Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Disney (including Marvel and Star Wars), and TV shows such as anime, The Office, Breaking Bad, etc. Across all genres. If there was a show that has very recognizable characters that may inspire you to dress up, you may find it at a comic con.
Pros: Great guests and local/regional artists.
Fun stuff of this magnitude is hard to come by for El Paso. They had great guests. William Shatner (Star Trek) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad & The Mandalorian) to name a few. Of course to meet them comes at additional costs. I imagine putting an event like this is hard work.
But what was a pleasant surprise was the talent of local artists. I’m not surprised at the talent, but it was cool to see them all in one place back-to-back from one booth to the next. The art is not just pretty pictures. They are very skilled drawings and paintings, but they have a lot of meaning.
Chuco Chamuco
One in particular that stands out is Chuco Chamuco. He can take a lot of familiar characters and places and turn them into representations of many things to tell a new, yet familiar story.
Bloonmac
Bloonmac is another one that does something similar, taking popular characters and placing them with local landmarks. They also have some original characters, and also offer social painting classes. Check out their contact info for more information.
Louie Diaz - Black Blood Artistry
One of our other favorites is Louie Diaz, Black Blood Artistry. He is an incredibly talented artist that specializes in photo-realism. It is unreal how real it looks… if that makes any sense. He can be frequently found at Kaleidoscope Art Market. Louie was also one of our featured Versal Artists. You can check it out here.
There were also some very talented semi-local/regional artists, from Austin and New Mexico, and even California. We heard a lot of compliments on the turn out, and the people from El Paso which is always good to hear.
There were also some non-local, artist companies. Much better resources, set-up, and mass production. It is good to have a diverse selection, but it does tend to take away a little bit from the “El Paso” Comic Con. I have mixed feelings about this. There was some really great stuff there too, but I dislike that it can take away from the local artists. Most artists, especially getting into it as a business, understand what they’re getting themselves into. Competition and resources, etc. I assume the sign-up is open to everybody and it is the local artists job to sign-up and sell along with the other art companies. In the end, we definitely had a stronger connection to the local artists because they are catering to us. they know what we like and how to put their artistic touch to still make it theirs. (I have attached contact info to most of the artists we encountered below)
Cons: El Paso’s communication struggles…
Like we have mentioned, this was a really fun event and I recommend going to it if you have the faintest interest. However, our city struggles with communication. From freeway lanes being closed and not being notified until it is too late. Finding out an event sounds fun to attend, then finding out it already happened. O dimply displaying signs to get a simple message across.
Allowances into the venue - I have a DSLR camera, aka a “fancy” camera with removable lens. It was not allowed into the venue, but the last time we came it was not an issue. Allowing the camera in or not is not the issue. Policies change, I understand that. But there were no signs.
Meet & greet section - We were vlogging the event. (Video link above). I understand if we are not allowed to film in a certain area, but we were confronted by security to delete a video I caught of Giancarlo Esposito. I am not upset about this. I understand if it is a stipulation the guest had or the event…BUT this is the first I hear about it. It was little surprising to be approached somewhat aggressively about filming. Luckily, the security guard was understanding. I explained that I did not know, I had not seen any signs or warnings. We complied and got rid of it. No harm no foul. On another occasion, a similar thing happened to somebody else. A different security guard was loudly informing that there is no video allowed in this section. The person, to us appeared to be complying, but the security guard continued to reiterate that the was no video in this section. To me… this is what can escalate situations. It feels like when your mom would nag at you about something you are already doing. “Ok mom ig et it!” 😜. So I think a simple sign could solve some problems I understand also here in El Paso we also have another tendency to think, “That sign doesn’t apply to me.” 😑. But I think a sign could do more good than harm.
Getting the word out - We bumped into an old colleague at the event, and said he had just found out it was going to be that weekend. Luckily we knew from a little longer ago that the event was occurring. But it happens countless times, that I see something about an event, and it either already happened, or it is happening as I’m discovering it. I honestly don’t know where the communication breakdown happens, but it happens quite frequently in our city. Our people sometimes complain that there isn’t anything to do. I disagree. I just think that nobody knows what is happening. They don’t know there options. Maybe using a common hashtag. Especially for local events. #supportelpaso #supportelpasobusinesses #elpasoevents or create a new one that we ALL use. Consensus.
The pros clearly outweigh the cons. But the cons still need to be addressed because it is a common issue at other El Paso events. We would like for El Paso to continue having great events like this with as few hiccups as possible, so here are a few things that can help:
Signs
Directing to parking for the event
Parking signs for cash/card/which floors or areas of parking facility.
Allowances into the venue
Areas of the event guests can access
Promotion & Marketing & Timing
2 weeks to a month and more frequently as it nears.
More exposure in more places as it nears.
Social media networking and getting different bubbles to post your stuff. Your bubble already knows. Find a way to break into other bubbles.
We are working on putting together a calendar where these events can be placed for everyone to see with easy access and visibility. They can be sent in to us to be put on the calendar. Our calendar is not ready, but if the event is far enough in advance, you can send it to us and hopefully by that time, our calendar will be live. We look forward to having great events and #supportelpaso 😉
Artist contact info
Louie Diaz/Black Blood Artistry - https://www.instagram.com/black.blood.artistry/
Imperial Border Squad - https://www.instagram.com/imperialbordersquad/
Blackened Art - https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackenedArtDesign
Alex Grey Illustrations - https://bluehippopress.com/?v=e748b7c8fd06
Kim Trails Designs - https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/kim_trails?sub_action=designs
Our favorite doughnut place EVER! I can’t believe they are in El Paso.