Two and a Half Hours
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121482)
Gainesville, Florida
November 13, 2016 12:08pm CST
We just had a new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Center open this weekend in our city, their 11th store in Florida, and one of only a little more than 100 stores in the United States. For those of you who have never heard of, or been to, a Bass Pro Shops, they are an outdoor enthusiast's "Disney World." Bass Pro Shops is quite a sight to behold, and more than just a shopping center. It is a destination until itself!
During the grand opening celebration on Friday (in which 3,000 people stood in line to visit the store when the doors first opened), the company representatives on hand mentioned that it's average shopper drove 55 miles (88.5 km) to get to the store, and spend an average of 2.5 hours inside shopping.
While I understood why people would drive from so far away to visit a Bass Pro Shops, I found it hard to believe that anyone could spend two and a half hours inside the store, most of which are around 50,000-60,000 square feet in size.
So, imagine my amazement yesterday when my girlfriend and I stopped by to visit Bass Pro Shops, and ended up spending....you guessed it...two and half hours inside the store!
I swear we were only in there for 15 minutes! But I guess once you get inside, it's like being a kid in a candy store!
11 people like this
10 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
13 Nov 16
I always liked Cabela's better and now that BP bought them they rule the USA!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 16
BP bought Cabela's? Wow, I didn't know that! I have always heard great things about Cabela's, but I've never been to one. Before Bass Pro opened here in my city, I had to drive 45 minutes south to another city where they have a Gander Mountain. That was the only other option.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
13 Nov 16
@moffittjc Gander Mountain is small potatoes comes to BP or Cabela's. When we used to go back and forth from TN to NJ we always stopped at Cabela's in PA - the original one...huge - you had to get there when it opened or you had to park in the next county. I usually went in for a while then went and sat in the car it was too much store for me.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 16
@AbbyGreenhill The Gander Mountain we have about 45 minutes away is a huge store...as big at the new Bass Pro Shops that just opened here, but I can already tell that I like the Bass Pro Shop better (and not just because it's a 5-minute drive from my house)!
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
13 Nov 16
Wow =O
That's a lot of people! The first 100 get anything? Were there any deals?
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
14 Nov 16
@moffittjc That's amazing =) I usually skip on those because I don't like going alone! My boyfriend hates lines! What'd you get? =)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
I think they said the first 300 people in line on Friday, Saturday and Sunday all got mystery gift cards and other prizes. I was there yesterday afternoon, and both my girlfriend and I received a $5 gift card each when we walked in the door.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
@infatuatedbby I'm so proud of myself...I didn't buy anything!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
13 Nov 16
That will be fun for my hubs, we have to drive about an hour and a half now and usually end up going to the one in Savannah on our drive down to Florida, this will be only 45 minutes or so.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
13 Nov 16
@moffittjc I think Gainesville is actually closer to us since we are way on the west side of Ocala.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
@BelleStarr Yeah, it will be a straight shot up I-75 to get to the new Bass Pro Shop. Do you ever shop at the Gander Mountain in Ocala?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 16
They are building a Bass Pro Shops in Daytona Beach. It will be store #12 in Florida.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470432)
• Switzerland
15 Nov 16
@moffittjc I love reading books too, but after 3 hours I want to see something different.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 16
@LadyDuck I could keep going indefinitely! Once I get into a good book, I can literally spend an entire day reading it! And if I finished or got tired of reading one book, I can then move on to another one!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
A book shop is another place I could easily spend an entire day in! I love reading books!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
That happened to me when I was in New York City this past summer, we went over to the Museum of Natural History, and next thing I know the entire day was gone. I think we were in the museum for close to 7 hours!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338373)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 16
@moffittjc I guess you really got your money's worth then. :)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
@JudyEv I'm glad I did (although I didn't plan on spending that much time there), because it was pretty expensive to get into the museum. But it was well worth it!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
13 Nov 16
We have a Brass Pro Shop in this area and I have yet to go to it. It is always busy though.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 16
I though for sure when I went that it would be all men there, but there were actually more women than men visiting the store! And surprisingly, my girlfriend was also excited to go! I guess they have something there for everyone (well, at least everyone who's an outdoor enthusiast!)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Nov 16
@Happy2BeMe If nothing else, it's a great place to shop for holiday gifts for the man in your life!
1 person likes this
@Happy2BeMe (99380)
• Canada
13 Nov 16
@moffittjc oh I am sure I would find lots of things. I may go some day.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 16
Now that would be fun, to get locked into a store like that overnight!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
16 Nov 16
@moffittjc Definitely! Ttyl. Goodnight! It's been a blast!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 16
I have no idea if we have any Cabela's in Florida. I don't know of stores here. I guess I could look it up, but I'm too lazy! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Nov 16
@just4him The nearest store to me is probably in Orlando or Tampa, if there are any in Florida. I've seen a lot of Gander Mountain stores here, and a few Bass Pro Shops, but I haven't seen any Cabela's.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317012)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
15 Nov 16
@moffittjc With all the fishing and beaches and things of that nature you have there, I would be surprised if you didn't.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (19862)
• United States
15 Nov 16
We have one here well actually near Charlotte and it is huge. But I'm not really into that kind of store though.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Nov 16
It's definitely a kind of store that you either love and want to shop in, or hate and want to avoid like the plague.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121482)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Nov 16
I'm the same way...I love reading, so I could easily spend an entire day in a book shop!
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
15 Nov 16
@moffittjc Not just the actual reading but I love the smell of book shops - all that fresh print. I could sniff it for hours!
1 person likes this
