Shopping Trip to the States.

G

GREENJACKET

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Feb 23, 2000
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A couple of friends and I thought we would put two fingers up to the Terrorists and get on a plane for a Gadgets and Gear shopping trip to the States in November.

There are three of us: a game fisherman, a shooter and one big fat b'st. We are all wetland shooters and often seen freezing our b'ocks off on the washes of East Anglia, Great Britain; but where should we go for a three/four day shopping trip in the States?

Priorities are:
Got to be able to get cheap - very cheap - flights to the place.
A few huge Outfitter shops in town where in three days you could get nearly anything.

We probably won't break the bank and end up not buying a lot, but its the adventure that counts (Peter is a gundog trainer and I think has only ever been abroad a couple of times). We also haven't gone into training on light American beers yet. I've been to the States often enough and thought a pitcher was a pint mug until I was given some glasses to go with it ;)

All sugestions welcome.

PS: if there is a knife show in town then even better. Star Treck convention probably not so good.
 
Greenjacket,

I'd venture to say that Cabelas is about as good as it gets here in the U.S. as far as outfitters are concerned. The very first retail store they ever opened is located in Sidney, Nebraska, and, by all accounts, it's a sight to behold. The only down side is that its location is somewhat remote and otherwise boring, (unless you wanted to try and coordinate a stateside upland game hunting in conjunction with your shopping trip).

Check out "Retail Stores" in the "About Us" section:

http://www.cabelas.com/

Orvis is another upper end purveyor of upland game hunting, flyfishing and dog training gear which has retail stores in many locations across the U.S. They also have several stores in the U.K., however, so this may not be as attractive an option for you.

http://www.orvis.com/

I might also mention Bass Pro Shops as a possible venue worthy of consideration. Here again you have a large selection of retail stores scattered across many states.

http://www.outdoor-world.com/

I mention these in particular because so many of our other "outfitters" are merely glorified clothing stores. Good luck.
 
Bronco, many thanks for the sugestion. Cabela's, Detroit?!! was one of the boys idea (flights £250 return). Is this the way to go?

I've always wanted to go to the Shot Show, February in Las Vegas, but is there fishing kit there or is it just Shooting stuff? However, the boys want to go November.

We are open to sugestions.
 
My pleasure, GJ. Yeah, that Dundee, Michigan store outside of Detroit looks like a good one.

I apologize for not being more familiar with the city of Detroit itself, but I bet we could find some forumites who would be able to recommend other points of interest in the Detroit area besides Cabelas.

You won't be far from Ann Arbor, which is the home town of the University of Michigan. I don't know if you're a fan of American style football, but witnessing the Wolverines play on their home field is a spectacle not to be soon forgotten. Tickets are usually not easy to come by, but once again our forumites are a pretty resourceful bunch when put to the test.
 
You can come to NYC. The NY custom knife show is Nov. 2-4. Its a great show and you can go to Paragon Sports afterwards. They have lots of fishing gear and almost everything else besides shooting stuff. Fights on the domestic level have been cheap, although I'm not sure if that's the case internationally.

Frank Q.
 
Originally posted by Bronco
Yeah, that Dundee, Michigan store outside of Detroit looks like a good one.

I bet we could find some forumites who would be able to recommend other points of interest in the Detroit area besides Cabelas.
Click to expand...

GJ, Bronco;

The Cabela's in Detroit is their largest store so I imagine they have more merchandise to choose from. There's a Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World in the Detroit area. It's in the Great Lakes Crossing mall (http://www.greatlakescrossing.com/) in Auburn Hills. Not quite as spectacular as the original Cabela's store in Nebraska, but it's still neat. They have just about anything you can imagine, with the exception of non-PC guns. Bastids. There are also several Gander Mountain stores (think mini Cabela's and Bass Pro) in the area and I can think of two or three "manufacturer's outlet" centers in the southeastern quarter of Michigan where you can get deals on brands like Columbia, etc.

The Gibraltar Trade Center (http://www.gibraltartradecenter.com/)usually has a gun and knife show once a month. Lots of guns, not much in the way of knives in my experience, but a great place to go white trash watching or add a tattoo to your collection.:p

If you want adventure, you could always walk through the 'hoods of Detroit after dark.:) It's OK downtown, in Greektown, Mexicantown and in any of the other "*towns" in the city.

You could watch the Red Wings kick some a$$ (if you like hockey and can lay your hands on tickets) or you could watch the Lions and Pistons stink up the joint. Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn are awesome. Detroit Institute of Arts, Motown Museum, the world's largest tire made from an old Ferris wheel, etc, etc. Lots to do around here, it all depends on how much time you have and what your other interests are. Hunting season is going strong. Small game and bow season are the main attractions right now and the last half of November is firearm deer season. Three quarters of a million guys running through the woods with guns... God Bless America!:cool:

Bronco mentioned visiting the original Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska and combining it with some bird hunting in another post. The place rocks and Nebraska has some great hunting but IMO, it's only good for one day. On our way back from elk hunting in Colorado in October of '97, my buddies and I were stuck in the Comfort Inn right next door to Cabela's in Sidney for two days because of a nasty blizzard that rolled through. Talk about a mind-numbing place. In my journal I wrote on Sunday, October 26, 1997, "My God, this state is worse than Ohio." (To fellow forumites in OH and NE, no offense meant.)

Sorry for rambling. If you have any questions post a follow up. I'll give you an email address in case we have to take it off-line.
 
If you do make it in to New York, there are a few good places in nearby New Jersey--Campmor and Ramsey Outdoor(gun stuff as well as fishing) within ten minutes or so of each other, off Rte 17.

There's a huge outdoor-stuff show in Harrisburg PA next Feb, in 2002, that has it all, from what I've heard. Gear to guided trips to dogs(for sale, I mean):)
 
Thank you all for your input. The boys seem to be edging towards Detroit whilst I'm thinking NY. I'm pretty sure I'm going to The Shot Show, Febuary, next year for business and pleasure anyway. (Unless I'm called up because the Middle East goes pear shapped. Its the getting fit again in someone elses time that scares me.)

Thank you all again.

PS: flying is still one of the safest forms of transport, so help your economy, take advantage of the prices and fly - go and see your Mom.
 
There are some fishing items at the SHOT show, also a great custom knife show at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Classic Knife Show runs Feb.1-2 2002, so great timing with the SHOT Show in the same city.
 
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