Today I finally made it to the Manteca, California Bass Pro Shop. Was it cool or what? I spent a quick 1-1/2 hours there and could easily have spent 4 hour going up and down every aisle.

I will be going back as it is only about 40 minutes from home.

If you didn’t know, Bass Pro Shops offers equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more for the entire family. They have a huge shoe department with almost any shoe or boot imaginable for rugged outdoor pursuits or just being casual and comfortable. That’s where I am going next time for shoes. The clothes are really great too and just what you need to get ready for that Alaska trip.

Sleeping bags (what we use zipped together in the bus), coolers, knives, lots (that’s an understatement) of fishing gear - you name it. They even had a life preserver for Presley! And of course, since I just bought a hatchet a couple of days ago at a hardware store, I see a much better one here.

And the boat section. I love the 4 stroke Mercury outboard and they have some perfect small boats to pull behind the Sprinter (shhhh, don’t tell Debbie) and give us more excuses to camp near lakes. Well, maybe when the economy gets well, Pig Fever is not a worry, and I get the government bail-out I need . . .

Manteca Bass Pro is opening Wednesday and they will be 37.85 miles from my driveway. That’s what I’m talking about!

This is a serious event. Even though I don’t hunt any more and fish a lot less than I did when I had the bass boat, just the camping part is likely to pull me into the new store. Hopefully I can get over there in the next week and I will give you a report.

The Manteca store is designed as a tribute to Yosemite and California’s Central Valley. With 3,500 area artifacts, and a 20,000 gallon fresh water aquarium, the 120,000 square feet store is like a magnet for me and many others. I think I will see lots of Sportmobiles there.

I need to find out how long I can hang out in the parking lot . . . this sounds like a multi-day trip and a great place for a meet/greet get2gether. You betcha!