Travelogue

Being passionate lovers of the great outdoors, we couldn't possibly drive through Nebraska on Route 80 without stopping at Cabela's in Kearney. It was also a very good way to break up a long, monotonous drive.

Like us, the people in Nebraska must take their outdoor recreation seriously because this place was huge, with every type of camping, fishing, or hunting gear you could possible dream of. We had hardly even entered the store before Andrew zeroed in on a singing mounted deer head called "Buddy Buck"--along the same lines as "Billy Bass." The good news was it was on sale for $8; the bad news was, it was big and we were traveling in a small RV for the next 3 weeks. Knowing Herb would disapprove, Andrew decided to buy it and sneak it into the RV, confident that Herb would probably never know and if he did, he would eventually learn to love "Buddy". It probably took Herb about 45 seconds after entering the RV to discover Andrew's find in a large box on their bed above the cab. Andrew was right, Herb did learn to love Buddy Buck. We mounted him in the back of the RV until we got sick of him singing such favorites as "Born to be Wild."

Oh, one more thing. Not wanting to leave the store empty handed, Tommy bought a blow gun that shot suction cup darts out of it. As you'll see later, the usage of this blow gun almost got him ousted from the family when we got to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Description

Cabela's is the world's foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear. It began in 1961 when Dick Cabela ran an ad in a Wyoming newspaper trying to sell hand-tied flies, 12 for $1. From those humble beginnings, Cabela's has grown into an organization with 11 retail stores, a huge mail order and internet business, and 7,000 employees. The founders have kept it a family-owned business and still play a very active role in the organization.