I’m surprised I haven’t done this one yet. It’s out in front of The Avenue, the bar where my pinball league met when there were pinball leagues, which is on the north side of Michigan at Fairview. Not sure why L & L is just “L L” this time, but I’m sure it’s them. There’s a lot of variety in their stamps.

I spent several hours in the emergency room today for what turned out to probably be food poisoning, and I still don’t feel too great, so this is going to be a short entry. I’m thinking to do a bit more research on this location later on.

For now, though, I’ll just note that in 2000 this was still Raupp Campfitter, the last remaining location of what had once been a small Michigan chain of camping supply stores. I never had reason to go there, but I get the impression that it was well loved by those who did have reason to go there. At this time of year, when the ivy has died back, you can still see the RAUPP letters over the rear entrance. It closed in 2004 and was replaced by a cybercafe called Girls Gone Wired, which rather quickly (fortunately) became just Gone Wired. My grad school buddy and I used to meet up there for “grading parties.” Eventually, under the same ownership, it evolved into The Avenue Cafe, which at first was a cafe by day and bar by night, and eventually just gave up on the last vestiges of the cafe aspect and became a straight up, evening-hours-only bar and live music venue. And, of course, the best pinball venue in Lansing.