Tuesday, June 5, 2007

LL Bean Building Outdoor Adventure Center?

WetDawg.com has a news story posted that says L.L. Bean is planning on building an outdoor "adventure center" in Freeport, Maine with the hopes of attracting thousands of visitors to the area.

The plan is to build a facility that will allow visitors to hike, bike, play golf or cross-country ski on the grounds, or go kayaking, seal watching or fishing in nearby Casco Bay. They'll also build a large "flagship" store on the premises to get customers to spend their cash on L.L. Bean products. Vistors will be able to camp over night as well.

While the prospect of a "Disneyland for outdoor enthusiasts" sounds great, I'm not sure L.L. Bean is the one I'd like leading the charge and building the place. Does anyone think of their clothing or gear when they set out to buy real outdoor equipment? They've become yuppie, suburban gear in my mind, and are right up there with Eddie Bauer as "outdoor gear" that people buy because they've heard the name, not because it's quality stuff. Why can't Mountain Hardware be in charge of building our Disneyland?

No comments:

Post a Comment