America really is Diverse

I recently went to Kansas. I have family from back there and am going to go hunt there soon. Let me tell you right now in case you were wondering, California and Kansas are very different. VERY. Yet, I also found Kansas totally beautiful and the people were really friendly. It was just different. I mean besides the no ocean part. There actually is a lot of water there. But there are no natural lakes or rivers in Kansas. All man-made. And oddly of those there are a ton. they spot the fields and give the for-ever view a kind of idyllic perspective.

Also, the town I was in had 2,000 people and many towns we went through had much less than 1,000. We ate breakfast in a town called Gas and we discovered that when you tell people that you are from Los Angeles California they stop eating and everything is still for a second. The first question is inevitable: “What are YOU doin’ way out HERE???” People don’t understand why someone who has “all California has to offer” would spend time coming to their neck of the woods. But, let me tell ya, once we told ‘em, they TOTALLY got it and were enthusiastic because that was a BRIDGE we had. Something in common. Almost something they could BRAG about to someone from Los Angeles.

Kansas has a great deal to offer that is good. I know we see headlines making it seem scary and almost fanatical at times. But, I am sure they too see headlines that make California look that way too. In fact I am positive cause, it looks that way to me much of the time!

Kansas is a place where high school kids still work as bus boys in restaurants, where towns have a “Square” in the middle with stores around it and the county seat (Local Government Building) along one side, where the high school football stadium is JAM PACKED on a Friday night and where people refer to the shop someone is looking for as “Leonard’s” as opposed to the real name of the shop. AND sure enough, Leonard is in there when you get to the West Side Bait Shop.

America is always surprising me. Here in LA you meet a lot of folks from elsewhere all trying to be “LA TYPES” so it’s hard to really get a feel for the folks from around the country unless you go AROUND THE COUNTRY! And when you do you realize why the rest of the world used to really like America so much. Our MASSIVE country is so diverse and has such unique cultural and geographical identities and yet, there is a spirit in almost everyone that is so American. Pretty cool.

I went to Kansas last week. More on that later. While in Kansas, we went to Cabelas. Being an avid bowhunter, I have ordered from their catalog for a good long time now. They really have an excellent selection of pretty much everything anyone would need to get a hold of to enjoy their outdoor experience. BUT why would they have an outlet in Southern California? They don’t sell tennis rackets and their sunscreen usually has Deet mixed in.

But, they do sell TONS of guns…….

They also have a huge archery section and fishing section with some of the finest fly rods on the planet for sale as well as beginner’s equipment. The benefit of going to the store is that they have really knowledgeable people there to help out with questions. The other part is they have like tree stands and blinds for hunting set up so you can get in there and try them out before someone like me buys a little tiny blind that would work for a small person but for me would be like a sweat lodge. Not good for pulling back a bow string.

The other cool thing about it is the displays……

These are actual mule deer and some are world record holders and most are very impressive. They have a so many in there the place is the size of a Vegas casino. It sells tons of gear and really is something special. Go to InknBurn for your t-shirts and custom garments but, hit up Cabelas for your bass boat or shotgun or tent or ice chest or…..