Mar 17 2010
From the Archives: Stores as Destinations
We’re not big shoppers; in fact, we rarely even buy souvenirs when on vacation. It may seem strange, then, that we have several stores that we’ve explored as destinations. Sometimes a store is big enough or unique enough to merit a special stop, however.
We’ve been to several Cabela’s locations; often my husband has a piece of gear that he’s seeking, but the kids and I go along to watch the fish or see the animal displays. They can be entertained at Cabela’s for quite a while.
Once kids are potty-trained, IKEA can be a nice escape for the adults. The kids can play in the Smaaland play area while their parents explore the rest of the store. It’s a nice way to keep everyone happy.
For the younger set, especially those who love trains, Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store in St. Paul, Minnesota, is an excellent destination. In addition to a wide variety of supplies for both model railroaders and kids’ train sets, they have two play tables for tots and some working electric trains sets in the store. My kids loved watching and playing with the trains, as well as looking at all of the items for sale in the store.
The American Girl stores are another place that’s fun to visit even if your intention isn’t to take home a new doll. A snack or lunch in the cafe, watching the doll hairdressers at work, or just seeing all of the dolls and their accessories on display can be fun for kids.
Do you ever go to a store just for the fun of it? If so, which stores do you visit?
Definitely Cabela’s! My two boys love looking at all the fish and the animals inside, and when they get bored, the one we go to in Michigan has a huge statue outside that they climb all over. By the time we leave the store, they’re wore out and usually fall asleep in the car.
For days when we can’t make the trip to Michigan but we just need a distraction, we go down the street to a little toy store called Berwyn Trains and Toys. They have two small train tables for kids to play with and a few working model trains that the kids can activate. It’s locally owned and very friendly.
[...] Summer, Day 2 This morning, we left Sidney, Nebraska, sad that we hadn’t had time to visit Cabela’s flagship store. We headed south through Nebraska and Colorado, sticking to the back roads in true [...]