We went back in to Cabela’s to find the aquarium that we totally missed the day before. As we were looking around we also spotted this target shooting setup. That looks like fun.

Target Shooting at Cabela’s

The aquarium was tucked away behind the huge fishing supplies department. There were some nice big fish in there!

Cabela’s Aquarium

Cabela’s Aquarium

Today we moved about 40 miles east to Bethlehem, PA. We are staying overnight in the parking lot of the Sands Casino there. We’re way in the back of the farthest lot. Can’t see the casino from here, but we were impressed by the steel stacks behind us.

Bethlehem Steel Stacks

Bethlehem Steel

We followed a road back behind the steel works and discovered the Bethlehem Visitors Center.  There’s information in there about the demise of the Bethlehem Steel, once this country’s 2nd largest steelmaker and largest shipbuilder. After 122 years of steelmaking it shut down in 1995. At one point, around 1957, it employed up to 165,000 people.

The visitor center is the restored 1863 Stock House. Other buildings are currently undergoing restoration. This is a massive facility, much of it is gone, but the city is making great efforts to restore and re-purpose much of what is left.

Bethlehem Steel Stacks

The Sands Casino Resort is built on part of the old Bethlehem Steel site and the huge sign over the road to the entrance is made from the old ore crane of Bethlehem Steel.  The Sands includes an outlet mall, several nice restaurants including Emeril’s Chop House and two others with the Emeril name, and, of course, a very nice casino.

Sands sign on the old ore crane.

The Sands Casino installed a LED lighting system on the stacks in 2009.

LED Lights on Bethlehem Steel Stacks

• Gasoline: none
• Lodging:  free