For anyone not paying attention {or new to the site} I am the lonely girl amongst my two boys & my husband. So when it came time for our next adventure, I was, hands down, out voted.

After a great evening with CW {Cousin's Wife} & a few bottles of wine later I headed to bed, only to be awoken at the crack of dawn by DS#2

{no, not that crazy rooster!}

He could barely stand it! Today was the day we were going to go to Cabela's!!!!!

Woo-hoo!

Considering that I drug them along on this hair-brain idea of a road trip across our state, I felt a little more compliant to give them a day filled with testosterone.

{FYI ~ I drove ... we took the scenic route, yet again}

When we pulled into the parking lot I promptly stopped at the entrance & snapped the above picture ~ they were all mortified as men in camouflage jackets sped past us to park :o) I wasn't phased.

Let me tell you, I could not get the car parked quick enough though & DS#2 along with DH were practically falling out of the car to get into the store.

Is this what we look like when we are desperately trying to hide our excitement about the "clearance deals" at our favorite store?

Before we even head in I can see the allure {& genious marketing} of this place. They have a gentleman out front with a smoker the size of a semi-truck getting things prepared for the lunch rush {we arrived at 10am} & along the exterior wall there is quite the assortment of canoes & ATV type vehicles.

The entrance was ... in a word? Overwhelming! I immediately headed for the ladies room {where I found a bear drawing embedded in the tiling as if it were a fossil - seriously???}.

Once we made it past the glitz & glamour of "entering Cabela's" we were met with the smells of the candy section ~ set up like a store from the old west, where something was being created & wafted into the main shopping area {again, brilliant marketing}.

From that point on the entire store was set up like one experience after another ... a shooting corral where the fair style target practice took place {only you didn't win obnoxiously large stuffed animals, you just had bragging rights from your high score shown on the counter} the aquarium where the fish were bass, salmon or monster suckers, the "gun library" {where DH says "there you go honey" & I look down to see what appeared to be a broken shotgun, at my confusion he gestures toward the tag behind the glass hanging off the trigger & I gasp at the $40,000.00 price!}

And don't you worry your pretty little head about having to leave for lunch! They have a cafeteria style restaurant with menu items like bison burgers & chili cheese fries!

About now I'm realizing, this is the man version of the American IKEA!

Once all boys have had the fill of trying out every possible interactive opportunity we decide to move on.

T-shirts bought & confident that everyone is shopped out {these are guys for crying out loud} I ask who's ready to head to the park & some fresh air.

DH sheepishly admits that on our scenic route he noticed a Salvation Army style hole-in-the-wall shop he thought would be fun to stop at. {I've really got to work on getting from point A to point B more directly!}

He & the boys convince me due to the looming storm that seems to be sitting over the direction we would be heading, I agree only if we don't take long.

No sooner do we get in this place & you can hear the down pour of rain on it's metal roof!

GREAT.

As we're walking around DS#2 & I find a few gas masks, canteens {pre WWII I'm sure}, tons of BDU's, mismatched gloves, black military issue boots ... alright, it was interesting.

As he heads another direction I continue on my path {more concerned with not physically touching anything} when I hear some college aged guys laughing it up. OK, I can lighten up! This is just another adventure on our family trip right???

As I round the back corner & notice the wall of sleeping bags across from the racks of uniforms one of the college guys says "wow, look at all these sleeping bags" while he looks up. I'm sure he thinks I'm one of his friends & will probably apologize stating the obvious {oh, I thought you were someone else}.

But no, he then says {loud enough that DH can hear a few aisles away} "Well I guess you can always use a sleeping bag, huh?" Half mortified & half shocked I smile, shrug my shoulders & move past him in the opposite direction. I look over in time to see DH paying enough attention that he knows where I am & what has been said, but allowing me my own space to handle my own situation.

It's not until I'm across the store that it sinks in ... a college kid just hit on me!

With the inventory inspected by all parties we are ready to head out. In the process we are drenched by the time we make it the 10 feet between the store & the car doors!

Once in the car I joke "man, I've still got it!" & DS#1 is pretty sure he's grossed out by the idea!

More to come...

TOAM