West Ed Mall

I've heard about it all my life.
The West Edmonton Mall.
This far away, fantastical, magical, mystical place.
Not no more!
I finally go the chance to go this weekend.
Dad and I drove from the Fort to Edmonton on Saturday morning,
and as soon as we hit the city, I was incessantly asking to go to the mall.
(some things never change)
So I dragged dad there. Though I can't say surprise was the emotion he
was feeling. (Is surprise even an emotion??) I figure with 4 daughters and a wife
who can hold her own in shopping marathons, he was expecting this repeated request, and simply resigned to going.
We parked and wrote the Section on a peice of paper which was put safely in my handbag.
I was like a tourist in NYC.
Taking pictures.
Stopping and gawking.
Getting in people's way.
The mall is absolutley amazing.
Wanna hear something weird?
Its smaller than I'd imagined.
Its not small by any standard, in fact, you'd need a full day for the shops,
and a full day for the indoor fun stuff.
But it turns out, I guess I was somehow imagining something bigger.
Its filled with your everyday Smart Set, Reitmans, Body Shop, etc, but then you see stores like,
Rolex, Zara, Coach, Apple. The stores us East Coasters only see in Mag ads. (until of course, we venture outside the New Brunswick border!)
So having said all that, and I know you've seen picture of the place a million times,
but you have to see it to believe it. (descriptions are below the pictures)
This is the lounging end of the wave pool. The whole thing is encased in glass.
So theres at least some privacy from the general mall.
Check out the red slide in the background.

They're packed in like a Tokyo Train. And the waves would
randomly come and the kids would be toppling over each other.
It was so congested in the middle it made me feel weird.
I fear I am getting quirky as I age ....

The skating rink where the Oilers practice sometimes. V. Cool.

I laughed. Then instantly starting singing (to myself of course!!) "Chimpanze Ridddddding on a Segway".(go to youtube and enter Chimpanze riding on a segway)! Tooooo cute)
For $10, you strap on a helmet and go around this course and
voila! You're certified.

Maybe my favorite part. (besides Zara and Coach and Lululemon and ....)

It's like you're in a European Village. I must go back and spend a day.

And a fortune. With Iris. We can spend fortunes together. Barry doesn't know

it yet .... We'll just distract him. We'll yell "Theres Ozzy" and run the other way.

Cute little family on a aquatic bumper car. Or whatever its called.

The "something Maria" I think. Regardless, its very cool and you can rent it for parties and wedding (ugh, seriously?? you're saying forever on a boat in a mall??).
The Sea Lion was so much fun. I'll post video of him later.

More to follow .....

As Ever,

Leanne