Las Vegas has become quite a shopper’s paradise. There is actually something for almost everyone. Many of the Casinos have large shopping malls right on the property. The Venetian has the Canal Shoppes, Caesar’s has the overwhelming and upscale Forum Shops, the Planet Hollywood has the Desert Passage shops, now called the Miracle Mile. There is an entire shopping Mall called Fashion Show right across from the Venetian, and that is just a start. There is a decent outlet mall a couple miles south on the strip. There is even an M&M factory, just in case you could find any chocolate anywhere else! Honestly, I have started looking forward to visiting Las Vegas because I want a new pair of shoes, or some new perfume or makeup at one of the Sephoras right on the strip. Don’t even get me started on Sephora!

In my opinion, the best shopping, in walking distance from major sights, is located at the north end of the strip from about Caesar’s to the Fashion Show Mall. I like to window shop in the Forum shops. The Forum Shops also feature a highly unusual spiral escalator. As I stroll, I often think to myself, who can afford most of this crap? It is very pricey. A few big names are Juicy Couture, Coach, Judith Leiber, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Bvlgari, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana…. you get the point. I love this little chocolate shop called Vosges Haut Chocolat. I know, great name. It’s pricey chocolate, but haven’t you always wanted to know what taleggio cheese, fennel, olive oil, and kalamata olives could do to your chocolate? No, I’m not joking. And it’s actually pretty tasty. Caesar’s Forum shops is really a stunning mall architecturally as well. One thing that annoys me, however, if the stairway and the path. They force you to walk in a huge circle, even though you could cut through if it were not for a strategically placed gate. It’s obvious they want you to walk past as many stores as possible. You’ll see what I mean if you go.

After I torture myself at Caesar’s, I like to get back to reality at the Fashion Show Mall. It is honestly a regular mall, except that it is located on about $1 billion worth of land right on the strip across from the Venetian ( I made that up, but it has to be uber-valuable land). This mall has Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neimann Marcus, Dillards and Saks. It also has regular stores like Foot Locker, Apple, Brookstone, Gap, and other mall staples, like a little food court.

If I’m up to it, I might also walk through the Venetian’s Canal Shoppes. These are in a similar price category as Caesar’s, but not so huge and overwhelming. The atmosphere is also great. I love the little gondolas that float by, with the little gondoliers belting out a song… and there’s always the gelato stand. I can’t remember what the gelato stand is called, but it’s in a big open area. Try the zabaglione flavor.

If budget is your thing, visit the outlets. They have a lot of shops, including a Nike store, which I love. Just like any outlet mall, this is a great place to go for just about anything, as long as it’s women’s clothes. And you’ll want to take a cab, since, it’s about a mile past any casinos.