Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

If you are born and raised in Southwestern Michigan, there’s more than a fifty-fifty chance that you love the outdoors. And, if you love the outdoors, there are even better odds that you have been to Lunker’s in Edwardsburg.

Now I wasn’t born or raised here, and I have what you might call less than a nodding acquaintance with the outdoors. Oh, I garden and rollerblade and walk when the weather’s nice. But you’ll never catch me sitting in a tree stand with my bow and arrow waiting for some unsuspecting deer to come along. Nor will you find me in an ice shack on a frozen inland lake trying out different lures. (And I don’t mean lipstick here.)

However, you will find me at Lunker’s, the sport enthusiast’s favorite store for fishing rods, rifles, boating accessories, camping gear, tents, lanterns, knick-knacks, footwear, you name it.

Why, you might ask? Because Lunker’s is simply a fascinating place, even for people who prefer indoor sports like reading or crocheting. It has a crazy restaurant that can only be described as a primitive jungle. The ceiling is covered with vines and trees; bird sounds are piped in; and every so often thunder and lightening add to the ambience, although I’m not sure ambience is the precise word I’m looking for.

The menu is exotic too. I’m mean how many places have you been where alligator tail is listed as an appetizer? Or the ostrich burgers compete with the other kind? The food is actually good too.

Then there are the fish tanks that ring the restaurant, each one with its own clever description of the types of fish inside. And the green moray eel, how does that thing actually move around anyway? The taxidermied bear is a Black Russian, the live iguanas are Costa Rican, and the real alligator’s background is unknown. A sign above its head isn’t very informative either, other than to ask that you not pitch pennies into its pond.

I suppose these attractions probably are not what draw the true outdoor enthusiast, but I submit there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Lunker’s is a great place for people of all persuasions to come together, learn a little about each other, and possibly garner some understanding of opposing interests in the deal.

Republicans, Democrats . . . are you listening?