Cabelas — Like Disney World For Adults

The Cabelas store up north of Ft. Worth is like Disney World for grownups (mostly men) minus the rides. It’s a whole new concept in retail. Store as amusement. And I’m not talking about how I can spend 30 minutes in a handbag or shoe department and thoroughly enjoy myself.

The Cabelas store up north of Ft. Worth is like Disney World for grownups (mostly men) minus the rides. It’s a whole new concept in retail. Store as amusement. And I’m not talking about how I can spend 30 minutes in a handbag or shoe department and thoroughly enjoy myself.

If you’re into hunting, fishing, wildlife, guns, knives, boats, dogs, hiking, the outdoors (and related categories), you’ll like Cabelas. Even if you’re a man who hates to shop, you’ll want to stay for hours. Zack’s been a Cabelas catalogue shopper for years. He’s planned to visit this place since our friend Ron returned from the store in Buda a while back, regaling us with tales of the aquarium, the ammunition, the taxidermy displays. (Besides many varieties of Texas wildlife, there’s a section of animals from other hunting/safari destinations including elephants, zebras, and so forth).  — Pretty impressive whether one hunts with gun or camera — or simply enjoys looking. It’s sort of like a zoo of animals standing still —long enough that one can examine them in detail.

Zack budgeted an hour for his stop at Cabelas on our way to seeing family in Dallas and taking Josh to the airport. We had to practically drag the man out after two hours. (I guarantee you he wouldn’t have followed ME around a women’s store for half that time. He’s been known to sit in the truck to wait while I dash into Target). We all enjoyed the outing.

You know this must have been interesting if I can say I liked it even though I didn’t make ONE purchase. It was an experience (one I probably wouldn’t tolerate so well —for quite so long next time or too frequently).  Josh had wondered why we needed to leave so early just to SHOP at some “sporting goods store.” (Neither my son nor I truly understood the breadth and depth of this superstore that caters to the consummate sportsman. I think Zack was even a little surprised). Josh enjoyed his buffalo burger from the restaurant upstairs, and had to admit he was impressed with the place, though his eyes began to glaze over long before we checked out. I noticed there was even a room upstairs for birthday parties. IN A STORE. This was a new concept for me. I wonder when they’ll start charging admission.

I learned from this experience that Zack CAN and WILL shop longer than 10 minutes given the right stimulus. He was in Man Shopping Heaven. I think they pipe testosterone through the ventilation system.  We saw assault rifles that looked too heavy for me to even lift. We saw knives that could kill bears. There were all manner of accessories for every imaginable manly outdoor sport. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so much ammunition in one place — or fishing lures — or knifes — or any of the other thousands of items available. I had to wonder if there are that many sportsmen in the world to use all this stuff.  

All the sales persons seemed knowledgeable. The server in the restaurant was really into the exotic fare that was available. Even the women who work in this place look like they could climb a mountain, fly fish, skin a squirrel if necessary, gut a buck, make a fire by rubbing sticks together, back a boat trailer expertly, tell one variety of deer from another, use a doe call, and live on road kill in the wilderness if the situation called for it.

I’m thinking it might be a whole lot easier in the future to drag Zack along on trips to the Metroplex, so long as we squeeze in a (two or three hour) stop at Cabelas. (Can you see where I’m going with this?)  And maybe, just maybe, he’d tolerate a stop at Northpark or the Galleria with a little more grace than usual (even when we headed for the women’s departments). 

Life is so often about compromise and balance. And sometimes maybe even a little harmless manipulation.

Gene Ellis, Ed.D is a Bosque County resident who returned to the family farm after years of living in New Orleans, New York, and Florida.

She’s an artist who holds a doctoral degree from New York University and is writing a book about the minor catastrophes of life.

Check out Genie’s blog at http://rusticramblings.wordpress.com/