If you're driving on US-23 in southeast Michigan, you might be tempted to ignore the signs for Cabela's and their claim to fame of being the "world's foremost outfitter." But if your a nature lover, camper, hiker, hunter or love to fish, then you would be remiss to drive on by. Not only does Cabela's carry a huge inventory of recreational outdoor equipment, but the store itself can be a fun and educational opportunity for your family or even the place to hold your next party.

Cabela's has a bit of everything. Even if you aren't too keen on hunting, you'll find fishing supplies, camping and hiking gear including clothing, tents, cooking and heating supplies, lighting and more.

And what about hunting? Cabela's carries firearms and ammunition, archery supplies, calls, hunter's clothing, knives and everything else you will need to make your hunt complete. There's even the Bargain Cove where you can find sale items.

So what makes Cabela's in Dundee a tourist attraction? You can buy hunting gear closer to home right? You can, and honestly, in some cases it might be less expensive. But Cabela's has several attractions that draw visitors in besides the outdoor gear. Here are just a few:

• The giant wrestling bears sculpture which is touted as one of the largest outdoor bronze wildlife statues in the world.
• The "mountain" with a waterfall which is 48 feet high and includes museum quality displays of wildlife and fish.
• A 65,000-gallon aquarium.
• More museum quality displays throughout the store as well as hunting mounts along the walls.

As you can see, Cabela's can be more than a trip to pick up some gear.  It can be a family trip geared toward fun and education.  Young children especially will enjoy the aquarium and mountain.

Dick Cabela didn't have a master plan for opening one of the larest outfitters in the world. Like many entrepreneurs, he started out small. In 1961, he and his wife ran a mail-order business from their home. The company had grown so much by 1963 that Dick's brother joined the company.

Cabela's now operates out of a 250,000 square-foot building in Sidney, Nebraska. They have over 25 retail stores and continue to open new ones. Their catalog and online business is booming too.

Well why not? Cabela's in Dundee has a restaurant and deli that serves wild game sandwiches, grill items and old standbys like hotdogs, french fries and pizza. So there is something for the whole family. If you aren't in the mood for wild game, there are other restaurants in Dundee including Bob Evans, the Wilderness Sports Bar and Grill, Applebee's, Lonestar Steakhouse and several fast food joints.

Cabela's offers classes and seminars at many of the their retail outlets including the one in Dundee. Some of them cover such topics as:

• Food storage
• Hunting calls
• Jerky making
• Instruction in deep frying a turkey
• Gear needed to process deer
• Food sampling
  

They also hold contests such as the Buck Pole and Big Buck. Cabela's is definitely a place that a day trip can be planned around. You can even host a birthday party or banquet at the store. They have rooms for rent which include scavenger hunts and fishing in the trout pond.

I've listed some of the best reasons that millions of people visit Cabela's in Dundee every year.  For people who make the trip, it's so much more than just a store.  You can drop in or if you want to plan a trip based on store events, visit the official site linked above to learn more about Cabela's.