Summer spells ice cream, bathing in the outdoor sun and summer sales.

Something truly unique about shopping in California are their outdoor malls. Outdoor malls are not like plazas, or outlet shopping centres. Instead, imagine a mall without a roof, is in the open-air and is as big as a shopping mall. This is an outdoor mall. Northern California (NorCal), where Silicon Valley is located, has the perfect climate for outdoor shopping malls. One of the best outdoor shopping centres I have ever been to is Stanford Shopping Center, located in Palo Alto, CA. Strolling through the mall is not shopping, but more like a walk in the park with fresh air, greenery, gorgeous flowers, and even dog owners out walking their dogs.

Up until 2004, West Edmonton Mall (WEM) was the largest mall in the world. It is now the tenth largest shopping mall in the world, and the largest in North America. Apart from the typical mall experience of retail stores, food courts, cafes/restaurants and movie theatres, you’ll find some special attractions at WEM:
  •   Adventure Golf – an indoor 18-hole miniature golf course
  •   Galaxyland – an indoor amusement park with 25 rides and attractions and an indoor triple loop roller coaster with 1,285 metres of track
  •   Ice Palace – an indoor ice rink where you’ll even occasionally find the NHL Edmonton Oilers hockey team practicing
  •   Sea Life Caverns / Sea Lions Rock – an indoor lake containing a salt-water habitat with a sea lion and a replica ship of the Santa María
  •   World Waterpark – an indoor watermark
  •   Wild West Shooting Centre – an indoor shooting range
  •   Fantasyland Hotel – famous for their fantasy themed rooms

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“I am not a shopaholic, I am helping the economy.” — Unknown