bigger and fancier

You might think you live near a big fancy mall.  But no matter how big and how fancy your mall is.... well, I'm pretty sure mine is bigger and fancier :)

I'm hardly one to take pride in my mall.  I'm not much of a shopper, or a movie watcher, or a foodie.  So I like this one mainly for the wow factor.  First up, it's huge.  The mall is part of the second largest building in the world.  This is the atrium area.  The building also houses an indoor water park, two hotels (or maybe three?) and who knows what else.  It's just enormous.

It's also fancy.  Or gaudy.  Pick your adjective.  The gold plated escalator with aquarium scenes running up the side takes you directly to the fourth floor.

At the top you can walk a glass bridge and peer down - way down - on the shoppers below.

The mall is home to our new favorite indoor play land.  We visited for John Paul's birthday and returned with Grandma and Grandpa.

I really like this play land because it appeals to all of my kids, the olders and the youngers.  One ticket in and you have unlimited access to everything.  Including the carousel

and bumper cars.

At ten a.m. on a Wednesday we were their only customers.  Pretty sweet.

Down in the basement is a yummy western restaurant.  We ate lunch together and then walked around some more "big and fancy" before returning to the play land for a few more bites of fun.

And then that evening, just to show that we're not "all big, all fancy, all the time", we ate dinner across the street from our complex.  This restaurant isn't big, or fancy.  It isn't even heated (temps in the mid 40s and the windows are open! hello!).  But it is yummy.

And you can't beat the location!

{Yes, I am cooking while Grandma and Grandpa are here! But we've been eating out more than normal!  It's fun to show them some of our favorite restaurants and let them taste a little local cuisine too!}