Shopping in Illinois

One of the highlights of a Midwest vacation may be a visit to the shopping malls in Illinois. Depending upon where you are planning to go, you will find a number of great opportunities for shopping in Illinois. Here are just a few:

Woodfield Mall: Schaumburg Illinois

About 26 million people visit the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg each year to shop at some of the biggest department store chains in the country. These include Nordstrom, Sears, JC Penney, Lord & Taylor and Marshall Field's. There are 285 specialty shops and boutiques that surround the five anchor stores. Additionally, there are a number of interesting art galleries, jewelry dealers, shoe salons, booksellers and sports stores.

Gurnee Mills Mall: Gurnee Illinois

The Gurnee Mills Mall is huge. It consists of 1.7 million square feet of retail space that covers over 326 acres of land. With more than 200 stores, 20 eateries and the 20-screen Marcus Gurnee Cinema, the Gurnee Mills have been one of the most popular shopping malls in Illinois since the its opening in August 1991. Visitors appreciate the easy-to-read signs that indicate how to circle the complex by car and park near their favorite stores, such as JC Penney and Kohl's

Stratford Square Mall: Bloomingdale Illinois

Stratford Square Shopping Center in Bloomingdale is home to many major department stores. These include Carson Pirie Scott, JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, Marshall Field's, Sears and Kohl's. However, a unique feature of this mall is TV Land, which is a sitcom Nirvana for TV aficionados of old series like "Bewitched," "Andy Griffith" and newer favorites, "South Park" and "Seinfeld." TV Land also has sitcom-related T-shirts, trivia books and baseball caps. At Turtle Island, you can find Native American furniture, artwork, dolls and turquoise jewelry. If you get hungry, try the grilled veggie sandwich at the Great American Steak & Potato Company, located in the food court. After you finish shopping, take in a movie at the Cineplex Odeon Stratford Square Theaters. The Stratford Square is another example of the popular shopping malls in Illinois.

Shopping in Chicago

There are a variety of locations for Chicago shopping. Your choice of Chicago shopping areas depends on what you are looking for. For high end shopping in Chicago, North Michigan Avenue is definitely the place to go. Whatever your age or preference, there's something along The Magnificent Mile for everyone. Kids will adore the Disney Store and American Girl Place, while their parents or single travelers will visit Niketown and the Apple Store. North Michigan Avenue is also the place for department store shopping in Chicago. This is where you will find stores like Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's and the Nordstrom flagship store. Designer boutiques, like Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna and Tiffany & Co. can also be found on North Michigan Avenue.

Although shopping in Illinois may be an enjoyable experience, make sure that you spend some time exploring the exciting attractions in these wonderful cities.