Shopping in Beeville

Krystalina applies a higher purification standard to its water than most conventional filters can provide. A nine-step process includes reverse osmosis and ultraviolet sterilization, cleansing your refreshing sips of everything but the smoothest, best-tasting bonds of hydrogen and oxygen. Krystalina's system is under careful 24-hour watch, ensuring every drip and drop is as pure as new-fallen snow or new-erupted lava.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, a man named Artur and his family sprang into action. Capitalism then began to flourish in their native Poland, fostering the opportunity to open their family-run pottery shop. Their ornate pottery, which is made with clay found only in Poland and hand-painted with laser precision, then made its way to the United States when Artur emigrated there to study. The stateside warehouse fills each of its 12,000 square feet with the Polish-made imported pottery. The pieces are all hand painted with intricate floral and geometric patterns using a palette predominantly composed of cool tones, pops of red, and cleansing sherbets between each color scheme. “We have the largest selection, the widest variety of Polish pottery nationwide,” says staff member Rebecca Thomason during an interview on Fox 29. Each piece of stoneware can withstand use in the microwave and dishwasher but should never be flushed down the toilet.

At Luis Gallardo's Bike City, the walls have nearly disappeared behind row after double-decker row of bicycles. Though his shop is packed with road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, hybrids, and children's bikes, Gallardo—a 40-year veteran of the bike industry—has also managed to find room for accessories and parts from brands such as Shimano, SRAM, and Louis Garneau. His team of mechanics repairs and maintains every make and model of velocipede, drawing on experience gleaned from years spent living with two-wheelers in their natural habitat.

Like archeologists unearthing buried treasures, the stylists of Montage Vintage hunt for fashionable attire from yesteryear and offer it to a new generation in search of fun styles. Dresses, shirts, and pants are lovingly salvaged and restored to their former glory through dyeing, spot treating, tailoring, and embellishing. Jewelry shattered by neglect, time, or falling into a molten lava cake is reformed into new pieces, incorporating leather, natural stones, and other materials. The staff has a passion for bringing past fashions to today's streets, but only items that pass a delicate series of checks make it to the Montage shelves, and only after being professionally cleaned with the garment's care tag guidelines.

The Book of Free began in 2011 with the mission of encouraging San Antonians to explore their city's restaurants, events, and venues. Each Book of Free overflows with certificates that users can redeem without making any additional purchases or dissecting fine print in a high-school biology class. Partnering with local, regional, and national companies, Book of Free owners can frequent eateries ranging from mom-and-pop locations to larger chains. The Book of Free team also gives back to the community. Early in 2012, the company divvied up more than $225,000 to worthy causes, such as the San Antonio Food Bank, Communities in Schools, Morgan's Wonderland, and Silver & Black Give Back.

Gourmet fruit baskets. Fresh, tropical flowers. Daisies and yellow roses perched in a golden smiley-face mug. These are just a few of the selections customers can unearth at Heavenly Designs Plants & Gifts, a family-owned business that celebrates special occasions with thoughtfully arranged flora. Whether ringing in a birthday with a cake made of flowers or extending a wicker basket brimming with snapdragons and purple asters to commemorate a pet's graduation from obedience school, visitors will find an abundance of fresh, aromatic bouquets and gifts to infuse any festivity with beautiful blooms.