Whether looking for outlets, crafts or haute
couture, a great shopping getaway is in the bag.
By Marge Peterson

Internet shopping may be fast and convenient, but online shoppers can’t try on shoes, feel the softness of a cashmere sweater or check out the drawers on an antique desk. Nothing beats gathering a couple of friends and heading out on a shopping excursion.

Since the 1920s, shoppers have flocked to Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association photo

According to the Travel Industry of America, shopping continues to be the most popular trip activity for American travelers with more than 60 percent shopping on their vacations. Here are our best 10 picks for a Midwest shopping getaway.

Amana Colonies

Travelers won’t find a Wal-Mart or a Saks Fifth Avenue in Iowa’s Amana Colonies, but they will find several merchandisers who have been producing wares for more than 150 years. The Amana Woolen Mill was established in 1857 and weaves thousands of woolen items every year, while the Amana Furniture and Clock Shop has been building handcrafted furniture and heirloom timepieces since 1855.

Other shops include the High Amana General Store, stocked with dry goods and old-fashioned toys, puzzles and tools; Erenberger Antiques, selling primitive furniture and small antiques; Fern Hill, offering handmade Iowa and antique quilts; and Ackerman Winery, selling award-winning wines.

Shoppers enjoy dining at one of several famous locally owned restaurants serving mouthwatering family-style meals and scrumptious pies.

For more information on the colonies, call (800) 579-2294.

Branson

While Branson has long been famous for live entertainment, it is fast developing a reputation as a shopping mecca.

The new Branson Landing, a 95-acre development located on Lake Taneycomo close to Historic Downtown Branson, blends more than 100 retail shops and restaurants with a river walk, town square, marinas and nightlife. Shops include Bass Pro Shops, Belk Department Store, Ann Taylor Loft and J. Jill.

The city is also home to three factory outlet shopping malls, The Shoppes at Branson Meadows, Tanger Factory Outlet Center and Factory Merchants Branson where stores include Seiko, Pfalzgraff, S&K Menswear, and Limited Editions for Her.

Other shopping areas include Engler Block, Grand Village Shops, Branson Mall, and Historic Downtown Branson.

Call the area convention and visitors bureau (CVB) at (800) 296-0463 for getaway information.

Chicago

The Jewelers Row on Wabash Avenue east of State Street is an important part of Chicago’s Loop. Jewelers Row, a designated landmark, spans two downtown blocks with jewelers from all over the world. A wide range of goods and services are available including appraisers, antique and estate jewelry specialists as well as diamond, pearl and other gem dealers.

The main attractions include the Mallers Building, a historical building with more than 30 vendors, and Wabash Jewelers Mall, which specializes in loose diamonds with prices as much as half off retail.

Another fabulous shopping experience, the Magnificent Mile, offers more than 460 exclusive stores and boutiques.

For travel information call (312) 567-8500.

Cincinnati

Downtown Cincinnati has experienced a renaissance much to the delight of shoppers. Two dozen stores occupy three floors at Tower Place Mall at Fourth and Race streets. Well-known stores such as Victoria’s Secret and Hunt Club Clothiers share space with local favorite The Shoe Haus, Cincinnati Bell and Gold Star Chili. Skywalks connect Tower Place with Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s.

The city’s museums–including the Cincinnati Art Museum, Taft Museum of Art, Contemporary Arts Center, and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum–offer distinctive merchandise at their gift shops, and they are all within a five-mile radius.

Call the city CVB at (513) 621-2142 for details.

Indianapolis

The Fashion Mall at Keystone boasts an upscale lineup that includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Sephora, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn Kids. Nordstrom will join the lineup this fall.

Circle Centre Mall, spanning two full city blocks and four levels in the heart of downtown, houses more than 100 specialty shops, dining and entertainment options. Tenants include Nordstrom and European discount design store H&M.

Beauchamp Antiques in nearby Westfield, a direct importer of European antiques, displays 18th and 19th century English, French, Italian, Dutch and other continental furniture and decorative accessories in its 20,000-square-foot showroom.

For getaway information, call the city’s CVB at (800) 323-INDY (323-4639).

Kansas City

A treasure trove of shopping experiences awaits shoppers in Kansas City. The first stop for many visitors is Country Club Plaza, which was designed in 1922 as the nation’s first shopping district designed for the automobile. The 15-block district with Spanish architecture, European art and fountains, contains 180 boutiques, shops and restaurants.

The new Legends at Village West in Kansas City, Kan., features more than 90 tenants, including the city’s first Adidas store, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Ultra Diamonds and Cavender’s Western Outfitters. The region’s first-ever T-Rex restaurant where the dinosaurs come to life makes a great lunch stop.

Other possibilities include Crown Center, offering three stories of specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and entertainment; Town Center Plaza in Leawood, Kan., an upscale open-air center with the ambiance of a European village; and Zona Rosa, a north Kansas City retail center with outdoor shopping and dining in a town-like atmosphere.

Call the Greater Kansas City CVB at (800) 422-9282 for more information.

Lake of the Ozarks

Known for its outdoor recreation and water sports, the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri also ranks high with visitors for shopping with a large brand-name factory outlet center, more than 50 antique shops and specialty boutiques.

Osage Beach Premium Outlets encompass 13 buildings with more than 110 top-name manufacturer outlets including The Gap, Polo Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer and Liz Claiborne.

The Landing on Main Street, a quaint Victorian-themed shopping village complete with wooden sidewalks, a water wheel and wishing well, features a wide selection of hand-made crafts, jewelry, apparel, candles and home décor.

Call the Lake Area CVB at (800) FUN-LAKE (386-5253) to plan a shopping getaway.

Mall of America

This city within a city that opened in 1992 is the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex. There are 520 stores, 50 restaurants, 36 specialty food stores and 14 theater screens in 4.2 million square feet. The anchor stores are Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Sears.

The mall’s newest retailers include Aerie, American Eagle’s new intimate and loungewear apparel line; and Burberry, the British luxury fashion house for men and women.

For more information on this Bloomington, Minn., getaway, call the mall at (952) 883-8800.

Omaha

From a historical warehouse district downtown to the city’s far suburbs, there’s a wide variety of shopping venues in Omaha.

The picturesque Old Market area, one of the city’s top attractions, offers art galleries, specialty shops, boutiques, pubs, restaurants, as well as carriage rides, through the area.

The Nebraska Furniture Mart, located on a 78-acre campus in central Omaha, carries appliances, electronics, home furnishings and flooring.

Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts–only Tiffany’s is larger–serves an international clientele from all 50 states and six continents.

Nebraska’s largest open-air shopping center, Village Pointe, features 60 specialty stores, restaurants and entertainment options as well as an outdoor amphitheatre.

Call the Omaha CVB at (866) 937-6624.

St. Louis

A wealth of shopping opportunities waits at malls such as St. Louis Galleria, featuring 165 stores. Some retailers–Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Z Gallerie–make the Galleria their exclusive St. Louis home. The Boulevard, located across from the mall on Brentwood Boulevard, houses retailers such as Ann Taylor, Crate & Barrel and Soft Surroundings.

Plaza Frontenac, which many consider St. Louis’ premier fashion center, features the city’s only Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as J. Crew, Williams-Sonoma, and Tiffany & Co. A cinema and spa are also here.

Visitors should know the usual route to these three shopping venues–Interstate 64–is closed from Ballas Road to Interstate I-170 until Dec. 31, 2008. For details how to get to the central portion of St. Louis, visit www.thenewi64.org.

West County Center features Missouri’s only Nordstrom, a flagship Macy’s, J. C. Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods and 150 more stores.

Bargain hunters will enjoy St. Louis Mills featuring more than 200 manufacturers’ outlets and specialty retailers.

Call the city convention and visitor’s commission at (800) 916-8938 for information.

Marge Peterson is a contributor from Ralston, Neb.

Kansas City’s gathering place, Crown Center, has a large event calendar this spring and summer.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the eighth annual Fiesta Kansas City, May 9–11 at Crown Center Square. Food, music, dancing and exhibits are part of this popular free festival sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. Hours: 5–11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call (816) 472-6767 or visit www.hccgkc.com.

A new event, Jiggle Jam Family Fest, debuts over Memorial Day weekend, May 24–25, at Crown Center Square. National and local entertainers–including They Might Be Giants–and children’s activities will be featured. Hours: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the gate. Adults are $5. Call (816) 274-8444 or visit www.kcjigglejam.com for details.

While jamming at the new festival, take the kids to MoneyvilleTM at the first level Crown Center Shops Showplace. This interactive exhibit, running May 24–Sept. 1, teaches kids about dollars and cents. It’s free.

June events include the eighth annual Antique Festival, June 21–22. More than 150 dealers with showcase anything from pottery to jewelry. Free admission Sunday and free appraisals (one item per person please) will be available in the Crown Center Shops atrium. Hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday. Call (816) 274-8444 for details.

Popular free Friday Night Flicks kick off June 27 on the huge outdoor movie screen with “The Goonies.” Admission is free. Concessions will be available, and movies start at 9 p.m.

Other offerings will be “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on July 11; “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” on July 18; “My Fair Lady” on July 25.

For details, call (816) 274-8444.