The Great Indoors

After enduring the frigid blast of cold this past weekend at the agility trial, I decided I needed some warmer gloves and socks. Where to buy such as that in Mobile? I checked on line for some items from a large outdoor chain, but remembered there was another one right across the bay. I decided to take a ride over and see what they had. A big advantage would be to actually try some gloves on to see if I like them.

So I piled in the van and at the last moment I threw in the camera in case there was something interesting to photograph on the causeway - usually lots of birds out and about in the water and marsh.

Seems they'd all gone down the bay by the time I got going, but the Bass Pro Shop is a very interesting photo op in itself!


It has a simulated marsh/stream area out front by the restaurant that has waterfalls,

...and meanders along under some bridges....

...to a mini-pond with boats and a fisherman statue.

Loved the iron Alligator door pulls...

The lobby is a huge atrium with a fireplace on the right and this wall of native members of the deer family - moose, elk and white tailed deer. (If you don't like seeing mounted animals, then quit now. In their defense, Bass Pro Shops supports many wildlife programs, etc through the sale of hunting and fishing equipment.)

They have dioramas galore! All around the upper floor are all sorts of wildlife, like these wild hogs.

A bobcat and a opposum were hanging out on this tree branch up on the second floor.

The view above the fishing center with schools of all kinds of fish...

At the back of the store there is a huge fish "pool" tank with live fish and a diorama around and above it. Lots of rock, trees and waterfalls surround it and the stairs to the second floor are behind it making a grotto with view points down to the pool and into the pool. Here is a part of it... a bear peering through some branches.

Going down, there was a bear appearing to climb a fallen tree to get at some..

turkeys, who were nestled into a niche with rock and ferns.

A mom and her little boy followed me down the stairs and he was fascinated by the fish in the pool. (That red shirt and the green glow of the pool made a great shot!)

Looking up the diorama at the front of the grotto/staircase, I snapped this photo and didn't see there was a bit of "real life" in it until I looked at it on the computer....see that guy's hinny just below the deer on the right and right above the waterfall. LOL!

Couldn't resist this shot of a hammerhead and friends on my way to the checkout. Yes, I did find some nice, warm gloves, some socks and a jacket on sale, too.

Oh, and I forgot to add that the store is pet friendly, so you can bring your dog and walk around inside, too. There was a family with a Vizsla leaving when I arrived.


Went back across the bay on the old causeway and snapped this photo of the Mobile skyline just passed Battleship park.... looking from the east side of the Mobile river.