The Eclectic Observer

by Janet Ross

Cabela’s/Whole Foods

Up front, I’m not a Cabela’s kind of person. My idea of outdoor activity is dining al fresco at a trendy café in a cosmopolitan city. And, I’d never have walked through the doors of Cabela’s Verdi/Reno emporium if my daughter hadn’t wanted to acquire a camp cot. We started out from Sparks one midsummer morning for what should have been a short freeway ride to our destination on the west side of Reno. Ha. Road construction beginning just past the Keystone exit on I-80 had grid-locked traffic from there to Mogul, turning a few minutes’ trip into an hour of stop-and-go surrounded by 18- wheel monsters and itchy-to-gethome Californians.

We made it to Cabela’s eventually to find a sparsely filled parking lot and a trickle of customers heading for the store’s substantial entrance. Inside, Cabela’s is big, outdoorsy in theme (what else?) and, on this occasion, the staff outnumbered the clients about three-to-one. (Tip - if you want to find Cabela’s uncrowded, try a Monday morning before noon.) You’ll be greeted by a friendly face eager to send you in the direction that suits your needs. And, restrooms are close by the entrance to your right - assuming you’ve had a lengthy journey, this may be important information. There’s a café to your left, after the check-out counters; it looked dim, unwelcoming, and empty on our visit, but that’s not to say it wouldn’t be a good spot midshop to restore one’s energy and enthusiasm for browsing on an over-sized scale.

Cabela’s has wildlife dioramas, but they’re not as intriguing as those one finds in natural history museums. The same can be said for the fish tanks; they are filled with sport fish so the novice can identify the difference between pike and bass, for instance. There’s a General Store for ladies who like to browse in a cozy atmosphere. I didn’t check out the coin-operated Shooting Arcade, but it must be popular with the gun set and I’d imagine little boys find it great fun.

As for all the merchandise Cabela’s stocks, they advertise themselves as the “World’s Foremost Outfitter of Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Gear.” Since 1961, no less. Some of the stuff you can acquire includes a Fish TV Viewing System for a mere $99.99 - an ideal gift for the fisherman who has a hard time connecting with his prey. If you take your dog boating, you can get him a special canine access ladder, but it will set you back $199.99. Up a creek without a paddle? Cabela’s can set you up for as little as $10.99 for an “economy wood” model. Not into water sports? How about metal detecting? You can get started for about $149.99. Hunters will find everything they need, from firepower to fine camouflage clothing with matching accessories. And, once you’ve bagged that game, you can count on Cabela’s for smokers, meat grinders and grills.