Somewhere a dog barked as tumbleweed rolled across the deserted town's street. The cowboy's finger twitched tentatively on the trigger. He pulled. Suddenly, a series of chirps, whistles and squeals erupted as the pistol-wielding raccoon twirled and spun around in the old-west themed laser arcade. "I hit the target!," yelled the boy. "Hey Mom! I hit the target!"
The laser arcade featuring some 55 animated targets is just one of the many features of the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World opening in Pearland October 18th. The 150,000-square-foot store, located at the crossroads of two major freeways-Beltway 8 and 288, is the company's fifth retail store in the Lone Star state. While you'll find a huge selection of outdoor gear, Bass Pro Shops stores are also part museum, part art gallery, part antique store, part aquarium, part education, conservation and entertainment center. The Grand Opening is set for Thursday, October 18th but a special "Evening for Conservation" to help benefit area conservation groups will be held on Wednesday night, October 17th beginning at 6 PM. This exciting, celebrity-packed event is free and open to the public. The entire store is a tribute to the vast diversity of the Texas landscape and its people and, like other Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World stores, takes on the flavor and atmosphere of the region in which it is located. Using more than 3,500 area artifacts, antiques, pictures, mounts and memorabilia, the store becomes a living museum of Texas' hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor legacies. Hand-painted murals from renowned artists depict scenes that could be taken from the East Texas Piney Woods, Texas Hill Country, south Texas ranches or the Texas Gulf Coast. State record wildlife mounts are displayed alongside local historical prints depicting early Texas residents enjoying sporting adventures. Massive log and rock work frame the Grand Entrance where inside, knotty pine wood timber and chink walls and vaulted post and beam construction ceiling make up the front lobby reminiscent of one of Texas' many hunting lodges. A fire crackles in the large stone fireplace authenticating the lodge-like feel complete with overstuffed leather furniture and museum-quality wildlife mounts. Inside, giant, exquisitely crafted outdoor themed chandeliers, made by Bass Pro Shops' own artisans, hang throughout the store. Deer, turkey, pheasant and duck tracks are imprinted in the concrete floor, and other wildlife in natural and action settings are set amidst boulders on top of the 18,000 gallon Bass Pro Shops and Texas Parks and Wildlife Educational aquarium. A cave structure surrounds the aquarium, which will be stocked with more than 200 fish native to the area including largemouth bass, striped bass, catfish, carp, perch, longnose gar and crappie. Twin elevators rise up from the aquarium offering riders a bird's-eye view of the 3-story waterfall. Other water features include a 5,500- gallon-touch pool and an 11,500 saltwater aquarium in the store's restaurant. Museum quality wildlife exhibits and dioramas are seen throughout the entire store and at any moment visitors could expect to come upon a covey of quail being flushed from grasslands or a sentinel of turkeys standing guard in a thicket. A feature diorama is comprised of elk which were, once, only present in Texas in the Guadalupe Mountains. Now, five small herds of wild elk roam the Guadalupe and the Glass, Wylie, Davis and Eagle mountains. A special display in the store's fishing department features more than one thousand fishing lures and reels from the collection of the late Dr. Bill Shelton. There is also a pictorial and memorial tribute to the prominent cancer physician who fished in more than a thousand tournaments all over Texas. Bass Pro Shops' dedication to detail is evident wherever you look as their own artisans work with local craftspeople to create a visual style unique to that store, including handcrafted ornate metal fire screen doors, iron railings, sconces and more. But the attention to detail doesn't stop with store design and imagery elements. The same consideration is given to merchandise selection. Visitors will have the area's largest array of freshwater and saltwater rods, reels and fishing accessories, all hand-picked and specially selected for the area, to choose from. The White River Fly Shop, featuring antique and collectible fly fishing memorabilia, has a vast selection of the latest in fly fishing gear. Experts will continue the art of hand-tying flies on site and assist customers in making the perfect selection. The attention to detail continues to be evident in the hunting department where cabinets are adorned with hand-carved animals. World Class record deer mounts grace the walls. Customers will find an equally impressive array of hunting clothing and gear. The archery department offers a bow set-up shop and a 25-yard live archery range is perfect for testing that new bow or sharpening necessary archery skills. More than a hunting and fishing store, visitors will also find items perfect for camping, hiking, outdoor cooking, bird watching or whatever your outdoor pleasures. A gift and nature center offers a variety of items from artwork to lamps, to bird feeders and furniture, home decorating items and gifts for the holidays. Cooking accessories include cookbooks, spices, grills and jerky making items. A first-ever for the Bass Pro Shops Pearland store is the addition of a Conservation Room celebrating the local conservation groups. A Bass Pro Shops hallmark, the company's dedication to conservation is apparent through the many groups and organizations whose ongoing efforts and continuing outdoor education they support. "The people of our company believe very strongly that the future of our industry, the sports we serve, and the sports we personally enjoy are absolutely more dependent upon how we manage our natural resources than anything else," says Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. "It is far more important than any catalog we mail, any new store we open, or any new product our vendor creates." The room will accommodate 100 people for various civic, educational or conservation functions. The store will also house an 8,000-plus square foot Islamorada Fish Company restaurant serving up a wide variety of fresh seafood and steak entrees that are sure to tempt any taste bud. An 11,500 gallon saltwater aquarium, located directly behind the bar, will be home to scores of colorful, exotic fish. The restaurant seats 200 inside and also offers an outdoor dining patio capable of seating 72. The patio area will overlook the Water Lights District Canal system that is being developed to open in 2009. A marine and boat center displays a full range of boats from Tracker Marine--the world's largest manufacturer of fishing boats. From big water boats to small fishing, canoeing and even kayaking, customers will find exactly what they need to have fun on the water with selections from Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Sun Tracker, Kenner and more. An on-site, state-of-the-art boat service center with 4 service bays will also be available for customers' convenience for boat rigging. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has hired associates from the Pearland area that have a passion for the outdoors so customers will be assured of getting local skilled, knowledgeable assistance with questions and selections. The store will also offer free Outdoor Skills Workshops for adults, kids and families that will help maximize outdoor fun by teaching new skills and improving existing ones.
