Cabela's has its one and only Washington store in Lacey, which means people travel far and wide to get here. It's definitely what I'd consider a ""destination"" store, even if you don't buy anything on your visit, there is enough to see and do to keep you entertained regardless.
This place is HUGE, like the size of a Costco, minus the warehouse feel. Its decorated ""lodge style"" with an emphasis on hunting and fishing. Right in the middle is a big display of mounted taxidermy animals and a tank with live fish.
As far as products go, the selection is enormous, but there is surprisingly not a lot of crossover with the products you may find at REI, which I would consider another outdoor ""superstore"".
Where as REI has a lot of higher end stuff focusing on lightweight hiking, cycling, and kayaking, Cabela's is more middle-of-the-road. You're going to find more stuff geared towards car-camping, like big coolers, family sized tents, and trailer and RV supplies. Not necessarily a bad thing at all though.
more