by Eydie Scher
Is it bowling, tennis, baseball, football, basketball, pool, fishing, hunting, golf, snow skiing, snow boarding, water skiing, boating, archery, biking, running, camping, rock climbing, swimming, or just walking. Did I miss any? Of course, to do any of the above, you need equipment and gear. Even walking requires the right shoes and outerwear.
You could shop at a lot of different stores to find these items or you could go to the largest sporting goods store in the world. It's more like a Mall. Some of you probably have already seen this place. If you go early on any given day and are among the first 500 people, you get a free Scheels cap. How can I describe this place for those who have not yet ventured inside? Before you even walk in, you realize the enormity of the place. Step inside and your eyes fixate on the aquariums that are at both the entrances. There two 16,000- gallon aquariums, one salt water and one fresh water. I've managed to catch the fish feeding that occurs at 2 p.m. daily. There are 36 species in the aquariums.
Step back for a moment and it hits you square in the face. The Ferris wheel takes up the full 2 stories and then some. It's a 1930 model Ferris wheel that was manufactured in Jacksonville, Illinois. It has been restored in Scheels and stands 65 feet tall. Believe it or not, there are Ferris Wheels in 3 other Scheels stores but this one is the largest. It has 16 custom painted cars and gives you an idea of the store's dimensions. Rides cost $1 for kids and adults.
One of the four mini museums features the Ferris Wheel. It started with a local guy named Ferris, George Ferris. His family came out west via a covered wagon train and settled in Carson City, Nevada. That was in 1864 right before the Civil War. He built the first Ferris wheel in 1884.
In 1902, the Scheels family owned a potato farm. They opened a hardware store in Sabin, Minnesota. They added sporting goods in 1954, and in 1974 mixed in clothing and shoes. Now they have 23 stores in 8 states.
Scheels is unlike any place I've ever been. Every single sport has it own mini store, just like a regular mall. It's all here in one place. All the sports I've mentioned above have their own niche. Downstairs is mostly apparel. There are huge sections for men, another for women's, and one exclusively for children. The good part is you can shop till you drop but only pay for everything once - on the way out.
Are you looking for furniture and decorations? I forgot to mention that they also have wall decorations and some beautiful furnishings. It's called their Lodge.
Are you ready to venture upstairs? Take the escalator to the 2nd level and the Presidents meet you. Abraham Lincoln is giving a sermon to his audience. His head, eyes and arms move in human-like fashion. I wasn't sure at first if it was a human portraying him or an animation. How do they do that? He looks and sounds so real. Yes, they are animated.
In the center of the second story is a mountain complete with life-size stuffed animals. Okay, I had to touch one to see if it felt as real as it looked. It did.
Take some target practice with a rifle or a bow and arrow. The shooting gallery has 100 targets and each has its own interactive response. The design of bows certainly has changed over the years. Try your skill at NASCAR driving. Throw a football like a quarterback. No, I didn't do any of these, at least not yet!
All this working out or walking around can make you hungry. A place this size can handle those appetites. Gramma Ginna's makes fresh hot soups and sandwiches. But I bypass that for some fudge. There are 24 flavors to chose from. There are also 16 flavors of gelato. For those of you Starbucks fans, yes they serve that too.
My thanks to assistant store leader Byron Snider who gave me a tour of Scheels, located at The Legends, in Sparks.