Real Life Game: Cabelas in Phoenix.

When you think of Geeks, Videogames, and other such things, you rarely think of a redneck. In fact, it almost feels like a redneck is the exact opposite of a geek, or a nerd. A geek stays in a city, while a redneck is backwoods.

This play on of stereotypes gets quite awkward for me since I have relatives from the backwoods who have PhDs in Chemistry. My grandfather can split a log with one swing, and also worked at the Brookhaven National Institute. My Mom has a minor in literature, and says things like usedacould.

You may not see it, but my Date is sitting on a Lazyboy.

In other words, the stereotypes are not as dividing as they seem. For example, if we compared a place like Fry’s Electronics, and Cabelas, we may find things both would enjoy. Cabelas is a redneck Disneyland, and yet also works to maintain a similar image that Fry’s does. Phoenix actually has both, so we will be comparing the two. Yesterday, we saw Fry’s, and today it is the great Cabelas in Phoenix.

The Majestic Elk in its natural habitat. A store front.

First off, if you play Animal Crossing, the fish pond is for you. Many of the fish from that game show up in the giant fish tanks on the right. Even cooler, most of the fish you find in these tanks are native of the area. So, if you grabbed a fishing pole, you could go looking for them. Cabelas sets that up as the theme for the entire area. You are there to find out what you can do in the wilderness. By coincidence the store also sells all the items you need to catch said fish.

On the top floor, there are several places to go and eat.

The fudge shop hands out samples of their large variety of fudge. It’s like an icecream shop, only with fudge. It was actually a really hard decision on which fudge was the right choice. The only disappointment was that the first time I ever went to a cabelas, I didn’t buy some fudge.

The grill is a great place to eat, and has good fries. The Buffalo, and Venison burgers are very lean, which makes them taste pretty awful. The texture between the two is only slight. A better choice would be the sandwich shop, or the hot dogs. The tables for the diner have interesting motifs, like animal furs behind glass.

The popcorn shop is a wonderful way to walk around the store, while looking at stuffed animals. There are animals all over the store, and some have some amazing added details.

There was an African themed area, a museum of deer, and other wildlife areas. It was a museum of things that could be found in the outdoors. Whether or not the elephant should be there is a good question. The elephant is slowly being hunted to extinction, so why is it in a hunting store? The sign says the elephant was found, but once again the moral question still shows up.

Also, I had a pet skunk once upon a time.

Anyway, the theme of hunting, and fishing continued. Before you start thinking that there were no videogames, or things a geek would enjoy check this out.

That’s right, there are videogames. An old penny press is cool, but it was right next to Duck Dynasty the arcade shooting game. There were toys, and action figures for your favorite hunters. Not only that, videogames for all of your favorite hunting/shooting games. It was a limited theme, but these were merely the entrance to the way cool shooting game.

The Deerhead talks. Seriously, it tries to call your attention to the shooting game right here. It is an old school light gun game, and was a ton of fun. There really aren’t many games like this anymore, so finding one is special. As you can see it still takes quarters, and lets you shoot robotic characters. A visit to Cabelas as a geek should have this on the list of things to see.

The center of the store is a giant wildlife area.

It had a fish pond, a little canyon area to walk through, and many many other things. It was the centerpiece of the store, and it worked very well. If you have ever played a survival game, or one that is outside, this little themed section would be a lot of fun. They try to let the light from outside shine in, so it feels just a little more real.

If you are looking for themes for a game, or what it feels like, Cabelas has you covered. The geek in you would really enjoy the stay, and view of what you saw. But what if you aren’t a hunter? You play games sure, but don’t want to kill something in real life.

Even then, Cabelas has you covered.

They have a freaking library of historical, and super expensive guns. The guns you use in all of those shooters? They are all on display right next to each other. It’s like a box full of puppies that just want to be held.

The displays range from small handguns, to really big handguns, to really big rifles. If you have even an inkling of love for guns, this section of the store will make you slow your pace, and sort of get misty eyed. Gun manufacturers have famously used videogames to sell guns, and this is where the two meet. It’s true, a lot of Cabelas would not be great for geeks, but the gun store makes up for it.

We will be discussing and comparing Fry’s and Cabelas on the next article. The style of display, and how things are set up. The geeky items involved, and the food inside. It may not seem like it, but the two have a lot more in common than meets the eye.

As for me, I usedacould Physics, but got a degree in History instead.

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