Proof

That the Brady Bunch and the PeTArds aren’t winning.

Cabela’s newest location, Lacey, WA, opened up this weekend. I went down to look around and truly liked what I saw.

The store is within 5 miles of the home of The Mom and Ken, the Step-Dad, which will put my inheritance in danger, though I will probably still get some cool stuff in the deal. I stopped by their place and swooped up Ken and off we went to get in line. (all pics are click for bigger)

If you look on the right hand margin, you’ll see from where in line I snapped this pic

And I actually started out in line over by the doors underneath the Cabelas sign.

This line shows a good deal about what is good about this segment of the American populace. No pushing, no shoving, no whining and lots of camo (RealTree). Everyone knew they were going to get inside and were patient about the whole process. Another thing that would probably be surprising to the gun-bigots, but not to RNS regulars, was the number of wives and families there. A number of the other pics I have would quickly disprove the bigot myth that firearms and hunting, etc. is all a bunch of men running around trying to prove their manhood to each other. Dads watching the kids while moms try out a new shotgun. The kids over at the laser-shot range hunting boar on the big screen.

The store “Officially” opened on Friday, though those who have spent big-bucks with Cabelas in the past got in a day early. I am not one of those folks, and I had to stay very late after the Friday night/Saturday morning workshift for a “Department Meeting”, so I had to wait until Sunday morning to go. A couple of my co-workers were much luckier, they not only got in on opening day, they took their fifth-wheel trailers down and camped it.

However, it being the last day of opening weekend did not make a difference in the size of the crowds, as you can see in the first couple pics. Cabelas has told the local media that even their expectations were exceeded.

Once inside, it was a full-on realization that I could live here. And I wanted to. This is the centerpiece of the store.

That pic doesn’t really do it justice, so let’s try this one taken from the second floor above the entrance

That pic doesn’t really do much more for it either, so I have a 30.6MB file I’m willing to email to folks if you want to drop your info in the comments. There are about fifty pics in there of everything on that centerpiece plus a number of other mounts in the store, each 2048×1536.

The centerpiece has a trout pond on one corner of it and an aquarium inside, both filled with Rainbow, Silver and Cutthroat Trout.

Those are some big’uns too. None of the fish in that pic were under 15 inches.

Of course, I had to get a pic of the firearms section. Eighty feet long if its an inch.

There are more racks behind me to the left, plus four more double height floor ranks as an island to the right of that picture. Every brand was for sale, and not just Weatherby and Winchester and Remington. One entire section of that rack was dedicated to Bushmaster, with Springfield Armory’s rifles making an appearance alongside Barrett .50s.

But I had to turn around and stop into The Gun Library

Inside the Library are the cream of the crop rifles and pistols. A goodly number of which cost more than cars. Merkel .410 SxS shotguns for $8999. A Special Edition Belgian Browning Hi-Power for more than I make in a month. A matched pair of Browning semi-auto .22LRs, one rifle and one pistol, in case, #43 of 50, for $1500.

But the one “out-of-range” firearm that really caught my eye was not inside the Library, but just there on the left hand display out front.

A Merkel K1 Jagd Stalking Rifle with a Mannlicher style forestock in .308Win. with a Swaravski 3-9×40 scope.

Only a mere $3999. No, I didn’t cry.

Btw, the one below it would probably be one of David’s faves. No Mannlicher stock, but it’s in .257 Weatherby Mag. Same price.

Like I said at the top, a person could live here, and I’m willing to prove it to Cabelas if they’d care to let me try. There is everything a shooter would need, from guns, ammo, parts, accessories and reloading equipment and supplies. Metallic cartridge and muzzle loader. Everything a camper would need, from tents, cots, bags, to camp cookware and maps. Everything an archery hunter would need, up to and including an indoor archery range. A who wanted to go fishing could be outfitted to catch anything from one of the Trout in the pond to a Marlin, from boat to tackle, without having to go to another store.

The in-store restaurant serves Beef, Pork, Chicken, Buffalo, Elk, Ostrich and Wild Boar. Want some venison or Bison Brats? Step right up to the counter and place your order.

If you’ve never chanced a stop into a Cabelas, make time. I’ve got this one within 45 minutes of me, as well as one in Post Falls, ID, just between Spokane, WA and Cour D’alene, which will be opening sooner than later.

Double trouble for my wallet, and maybe yours too.