Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World

Monday, March 2, 2009

I love camping. We used to go all the time when I was little and I just loved it. hubby? Not so much and although he is a good sport about it we haven't gone very much together. Actually I think we went once not counting the days we hiked the Appalachian Trail in 11 years. Anyway, I want to take the little one because he loves the outdoors and I think (hope) will like camping too. So, we (I) have decided that this spring we are going to go camping. It will be awesome! With that in mind we have to buy a tent. The tents we would have bought in the past are not going to work this time around given that we will need space for the little guy but he is not old enough for his own tent so we are looking for something much larger than we would have ever gotten before. This is leading us on a search for the best type or price tent we can get. I had heard of Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World stores actually there is on in Florida I had passed by a couple times but had never been inside. I look them up online and the closest one to us was Baton Rouge and since we are always looking for day trip places to go it was perfect. The best way I can think of to describe this place is Disney World for the Outdoor Man and by outdoor I don't mean "I like to go to the park," I mean "I like to hunt/fish, Sportsman's Paradise." It was amazing and disturbing all at the same time. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face no matter what was putting it there. the little one really liked it though. There were clothes and boats and grilling gear. They have an indoor pond with real fish and ducks and a raccoon living in a shack on an island in the pond. The elevator is glass and lowers into a fish tank so when you get on you are in the tank with the fish (hope that makes sense). All of the columns are decorated to be trees with stuffed birds on the branches and bears and deer and all kinds of other animals all over the place. They also have guns and bows and rows and rows of fishing gear. I was surprised and a bit disappointed by the small amount of camping gear they had but the experience was worth it anyway. I was making fun of myself because with all the hunting gear around I was telling the little one to pet the (stuffed) ducks when we would pass them in the cart, which I don't think is what that place is all about. All-in-all if you need sportsman outdoor things then this is the place for you, if you are looking for more "environmentally friendly" ways of visiting the outdoors maybe not but it was a fun day trip. Pictures 1 & 2 are us on our way to Baton Rouge, Picture 3 the little guy pointing up at picture 4 and you can see in pictures 4 and 5 what I like and then what I don't like about this place.