These boots are made for walkin'...

And my unsolicited West Virginia cultural immersion continues. This weekend I entered Gander Mountain, an outdoor superstore where the employees wear hunter orange vests and Thomas Kinkade paintings hang outside the restrooms. At the front of the women’s department stands a rack of apparel labeled “Trendy camouflage sportswear for women and girls – Look good killin’ it!” I wondered how a selection of Meat Treats brand dog chews, nuggets and sticks fit in until I realized the merchandise was actually intended for human consumption.

But thanks to my Gander experience I now own a new pair of Gore-Tex-fortified Vasque hiking boots (retail $130 but marked down to $60). Although one day I hope to upgrade to high end Italian footwear of another style (heels, maybe?), I’m pretty pumped about my camping and hiking excursion this weekend and am already daydreaming about exploring Patagonian landscapes next year now that I’ve got the gear. Now excuse me because I'm off to trek around my New London Commons subdivision in an effort to break them in by Friday.