Illinois Next Great Adventure Beckons At New Outdoors Store 8-28-2011

Illinois’ Next Great Adventure Beckons At New Outdoors Store
East Peoria, Illinois -From its earliest days of Native Indian inhabitants, to the coal mines and brick yards of the late 1800’s, culminating with its establishment as a suburban manufacturing community today, East Peoria residents have made their success the old fashioned way—through hard work, perseverance and good old-fashioned American ingenuity. That same spirit still pervades the area today.With the abundance of water from the Illinois River, and rich natural resources from the plains and rolling hills, Central Illinois is host to many wonderful outdoor opportunities and attractions. Beginning September 21st, outdoor enthusiasts will discover their next great adventure begins at the new Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in East Peoria.

The 145,000-square foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Illinois’ third, is located on the north side of I-74, opposite of Riverfront Park. While you’ll find a huge selection of outdoor gear, Bass Pro Shops stores are also part museum, art gallery, antique store, aquarium, education, conservation and entertainment center. The Grand Opening is set for Thursday, September 22nd but a special “Evening for Conservation” to help benefit area conservation groups will be held Wednesday night, September 21st beginning at 6 PM. This exciting, celebrity-packed event is free and open to the public.

The entire store is a tribute to the vast diversity of the Illinois landscape, its history and the culture of its people and, like other Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World stores, takes on the flavor and atmosphere of the region in which it is located. The East Peoria store incorporates two main themes-that of the Illinois River Central Flyway and the area’s vast agricultural and industrial heritage. Using more than 3,500 area artifacts, antiques, period pictures, state and record wildlife mounts and memorabilia, the store becomes a living museum of Illinois’ hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor legacies.

Hand-painted murals from renowned artists such as Denny Burkhart wrap the store’s interior and depict familiar scenes of the region. One gets the sense of traveling through the Illinois countryside as the murals transport the viewer through a series of panoramic vistas. From the bluffs of the Illinois river, to rich, verdant farmlands; picturesque Kickapoo Creek and the extraordinary rock formations in Shawnee National Forest’s “Garden of the Gods”; to the wetlands of Banner Marsh and the bison and tall grasses of the area’s prairie heritage-all are beautifully replicated with the stroke of an artist’s brush. And, through the use of special lighting techniques, the murals take on a living, breathing quality.

The murals are unique in the fact that what starts out many times as a simple painting extends into an actual fish or wildlife mount or some other property creating an exceptional 3D effect. For example, an agricultural scene depicts a painted windmill, vintage barns, corn cribs and fence rows but features an actual pioneer Illinois wagon on a cantilever platform. Overhead, upland birds, both painted and mounted, complete the scene. A mural of Kickapoo River shows canoes pulled up on the banks while turkeys stand at the water’s edge and wood ducks rise overhead.

Given the fact that Illinois is the “Land of Lincoln”, one prominent mural/diorama features a full-size log cabin set amidst tall sycamore trees with 7-9 whitetail deer leaping over split rail fences. The Banner Creek Marsh scene has loads of ducks flying out of flooded timber and Sandhill Cranes, who are making a comeback on the Illinois River, along with big river bottom bucks are also displayed.

Massive log and rock work frame the Grand Entrance where, inside, rustic wood floors, antique pine wall finishes, and vaulted post and beam construction ceiling make up the front lobby which salutes the grand tradition of Illinois River decoy carving and famous carvers such as Otto Garren, Robert Elliston, Bert Graves and Charlie Perdew. A decoy maker’s vignette is presented with bench, cork, basswood blanks, carved duck heads in a wooden barrel, drawknives and spokeshaves, paint cans, brushes-all tools of the trade-and, of course, finished decoys.

Elsewhere in the store, an old Illinois River duck hunter’s camp sits atop stilt pilings just like the ones that dotted the river banks for years before time took its toll. A Labrador retriever relaxes on the porch scattered with dekes and old chairs and a vintage duck boat rests among reeds and snow geese.

Celebrating the agricultural and manufacturing history of the area, a huge diorama arches over the inside entrance to the store and features a vintage 1943 D2 Caterpillar, (donated by Caterpillar), overgrown with vines and weeds resting in a field surrounded by old fencing and corncribs. Flanked by Sycamore trees, big Illinois bucks stand guard as pheasants fly up and over as though just flushed from the field.

A replica of the famous Mel Johnson Buck-World Record in Archery–is also displayed in the Lobby. Johnson, a retired Caterpillar mechanic, harvested the record holding whitetail in the fall of 1965 in Peoria County.

Giant, exquisitely crafted outdoor themed chandeliers, made by Bass Pro Shops’ own artisans, hang throughout the store. Elk, deer, raccoon, rabbit, turkey, bobcat and bear tracks are imprinted in the concrete floor. Bear, elk, moose and wolves in natural and action settings are set amidst boulders on top of the 27,000 gallon fresh water aquarium. The multi-story waterfall cascades down rocks and into the aquarium which will be stocked with more than 400 fish native to the area including largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, channel cats, northern pike, muskies and smallmouth.

Museum quality wildlife exhibits and dioramas are seen throughout the store. At any moment visitors could expect to come upon a covey of quail being flushed from farmlands or a brood of turkeys roosting in timber. In other areas, visitors can walk ‘under a duck marsh’ and look up to see a fish-eye’s view of ducks diving and swimming on the surface. Waves of waterfowl along with geese, pheasant and eagles may be seen flying and roosting throughout the clerestory.

Wildlife collections featured at the store also include taxidermy from the trophy game collection of Peoria area archer and bow maker, William E. Kallister.

Bass Pro Shops’ dedication to detail is evident wherever you look as their artisans work to create a visual style unique to that store, including handcrafted ornate metal fire screen doors, iron railings, sconces and more. With a nod to Illinois’ great rail road heritage, still prevalent today, restrooms are disguised as an old Victorian train depot complete with a wooden platform, large overhang, windows, oak doors, brass kick plates and hardware and even a water tower. Vintage signs, steamer trunks and other travel paraphernalia complete the scene.

Bowling like you’ve never seen before will be offered at the Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl and Grill. This 15,000 square-foot nautical-themed entity, located within the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store, features a truly unique atmosphere and design geared for family fun and dining.

Offering an outside as well as an in-store entrance, visitors will approach a wooden ship-like desk to obtain shoes and a lane. Twelve lanes, divided into two separate areas of 6 lanes each, offer customers the chance to bowl ‘under the ocean.’ Dock wood lanes feature beautiful under-water scenery of sea turtles, sharks, stingrays and other saltwater species which will also glow in the dark during cosmic bowling. Hand-painted murals depicting oceanic life line the walls and fish, like a 16′ long giant squid, hang suspended from the ceiling.

Casual family dining will be available in the Grill which is capable of seating 90 in the main dining room and has additional seating for 48 in a separate area. Customers can select from a menu featuring a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and burgers. A private room can host up to 36 and is the perfect spot for a private lunch or dinner, seminar or even a fun birthday party.

An island-theme bar area, which has seating for 20, offers visitors the experience of feeling like they are underwater exploring the skeletal remains of a sunken ship. Looking up, visitors can see the battered, barnacle and coral-encrusted wooden hull, an old rusted iron chain and the iron rail around the bow. A host of exotic fish swim in and around the wreck while Dorado and sharks, suspended from the ceiling, appear to swim overhead. The bar features a 750-gallon saltwater aquarium with scores of beautiful, tropical fish. It is elevated to provide views of the bowling action while serving up your favorite refreshment.

But the attention to detail doesn’t stop with store design and imagery elements. The same consideration is given to merchandise selection. Visitors will have the area’s largest array of freshwater rods, reels and fishing accessories to choose from, all hand-picked and specially selected for the area.

The White River Fly Shop, featuring antique and collectible fly fishing memorabilia, has a vast selection of the latest in fly fishing gear. Experts will continue the art of hand-tying flies on site and assist customers in making the perfect selection.

In the hunting department, customers will find an equally impressive array of hunting clothing and gear. The archery department offers a bow set-up shop and a 25-yard archery range that is perfect for testing new bows or sharpening necessary archery skills.

More than a hunting and fishing store, visitors will also find items perfect for camping, hiking, outdoor cooking, bird watching or whatever your outdoor pleasures may be. A gift and nature center offers a variety of items from artwork to lamps, to bird feeders and furniture, to home decorating items and gifts for the holidays. Cooking accessories include cookbooks, spices, grills and jerky making items.

The store also features a General Store and a Fudge Shop. Visitors can hearken to an earlier day while they wander through the General Store patterned after many of the 19th century mercantile store facades in Illinois with brick and period trim and signs. A large collection of foods and gift items are available for country, outdoor and lodge living as well as some of the best homemade fudge around.

A wide selection of men’s and women’s footwear and apparel, featuring popular brands including Columbia, North Face, Woolrich, Bob Timberlake, World Wide Sportsman and RedHead are also available.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the Laser Shooting Arcade outfitted with some 56 moving targets themed after an early outdoorsman’s favorite campsite site along the Illinois river. The site has a running stream, duck blind, great views of the river and lots of great hunting. The camp has been taken over by black bear, mountain lion, deer and beaver.

A front wall near the checkouts displays the logos of the national conservation groups Bass Pro Shops partners with. A company hallmark, their dedication to conservation is apparent through the many groups and organizations whose ongoing efforts and continuing outdoor education they support.

“The people of our company believe very strongly that the future of our industry, the sports we serve, and the sports we personally enjoy are absolutely more dependent upon how we manage our natural resources than anything else,” says Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “It is far more important than any catalog we mail, any new store we open, or any new product our vendor creates.”

The marine and boat center displays a full range of boats from Tracker Marine–the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing boats. From big water boats to small fishing boats, canoeing and even kayaking, customers will find exactly what they need to have fun on the water with selections from Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Sun Tracker, Mako and more. An on-site, state-of-the-art boat service center with 4 service bays will also be available for customers’ convenience for boat rigging.

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World has hired associates from the East Peoria area that have a passion for the outdoors so customers will be assured of getting local skilled, knowledgeable assistance with questions and selections. The store will also offer free Outdoor Skills Workshops for adults, kids and families that will help maximize outdoor fun by teaching new skills and improving existing ones.

About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -57 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.

Tracker Marine Group - Manufactures and sells Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe and Mako boats through Bass Pro Shops retail stores and over 400 dealers worldwide. Visit www.trackerboats.com

Resort Group - Big Cedar Lodge and other resort properties including restaurants and golf course. Visit www.bigcedar.com for more information.

Photo Caption:
D2 in Illinois corn field. November 1941. El Paso, Illinois. In this photo, two Caterpillar D2 Tractors pull corn combines to harvest hybrid seed corn for the Pfister Hybrid Corn Co. Extremely muddy conditions required the use of wooden cleats on the tracks to provide extra traction and supporting surface. The four D2 Tractors in Mr. Pfister’s fleet of 44 tractors were the only ones that could successfully move through the mud to harvest the corn.