Cabela's Taxidermy Hamburg, Pennsylvania

In the hills of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, there have been sightings of 30-point deer, large black bears and even lions!

Located in the mountains of Northern Berks County, Cabela’s leaves its presence known. While traveling I-78, you can see the store from a few miles away. At 250,000 square feet it’s their largest store.

From what I understand, this is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Pennsylvania. This was always something that somewhat irked me with all this great history in the state. I completely understand that we’re an outdoorsman state. I have never been a hunter nor much of a fisherman myself. So why would I write about this place? Well, I can tell you this is the only store I’ve ever entered with a camera in hand and didn’t feel the least bit odd about it.

What Cabela’s has in this store can only be described as a hierarchy of taxidermy. There are deer mounts that line the entire store. These aren’t necessarily your normal whitetails either. There are racks from all over the country, many unusually large. I myself never knew a deer could have over 100 points. Well, they do and if you ever wanna see a rack from one, this is the place to visit.

Right in the center of the store is a huge display of all different animals, from foxes to wolves to bears, all set up in different sceneries with various ecosystems. This setup is definitely a sight to see. It looks like something you would spot in a museum.

Amidst the largest supply of fishing gear I’ve seen in my life, is an African desert setup complete lions, tigers, a rhino and even an elephant. From my understanding, all animals were donated to Cabela’s and none were hunted in an illegal manner or even from the sole purpose of being in Cabela’s itself. If you are an avid hunter or outdoorsman, this is definitely a place you should check out. If you’re into different, or an animal lover, this is still a place you’ll definitely enjoy. After all it’s not every day you can go into a store and see lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!

Father's Day in Berks County Pennsylvania

For the upcoming June zine we're gonna celebrate Father's day. As we climb the mountains in Berks and Schuylkill county, we'll show you some Outta the Way places every Dad would enjoy. First we'll take you to a sporting goods store that's sure to impress any outdoorsman. Even if Dad's not a hunter, he's sure to be impressed by all the animals on display, and by what I can only describe as a hierarchy to taxidermy. With deer mounts surrounding the walls, some as massive as 30 point deer. They are certainly see to believe.

Afterwards we'll climb higher into the mountains to a sanctuary specializing in raptors of all sizes. Overlooking the beautiful vistas of the mountain you'll be spotting hawks, eagles, and other large birds of prey. Besides being a conservation area for these magnificent birds, the area also has quite a horrid past. Even if your father enjoys ghost hunting this is a place you'll wanna visit.

Finally we'll stroll up into Schuylkill county and visit America's oldest brewery. Here Dad can take a tour of this historic beer making facility and learn how this wonderful beverage is made. Later he can wet his palette with their variety of free samples, even Root beer if so desired. All this should make for a great outta the way day for Dad and the entire family. So get outta our way, we're going Outta the Way!