KIDDOS: The Wildlife Wonders of Cabelas

My baby girl, Alice, is obsessed with taxidermy. She seriously considers these stuffed wild creatures her friends, and talks to them lovingly in her toddler gibberish, petting them softly. And she can pick them out in the oddest of locations, even mounted to the highest most obscure spot on a restaurant wall. Lucky for her, she's growing up in Idaho. And we have a new, lovely, FREE taxidermy museum to take family excursions to called Cabelas.
Conveniently located near the Boise Towne Square Mall and Hooters, Cabelas is a haven for sportsmen and sportswomen of all types, which pretty much covers, um, everyone who lives in Idaho. If we weren't on The Compact, we'd be probably be splurging on all sorts of cool gear, like the lounge camp chairs with sunshades for $49.99. However, it is still a great place for adults to look around, too, while your kids have a wildlife experience to remember.

Lucy took this shot of the African animals display at Cabelas, and you can see more (crisper) images of the store here on their website. There are three of these large exhibits, and many other taxidermied birds and large game animals hanging above your heads throughout the super store.

My girls were mesmerized, and I think Alice thought she'd died and gone to heaven with all the other lovely dearly departed animals of her dreams. Both girls also loved the fish aquarium, which I didn't get a photo of, but rivals the aquarium at any zoo in Idaho. It's well worth a trip with the family - they have great old fashioned candy treats as well, and it's cheap fun. You can teach your daughter how to spot a rainbow trout while picking up some Smartwool socks for camping and get your shotgun cleaned all in one stop. You can't beat that!