A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Where Shopping and Entertainment Meet" is from the November 2002 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
These new malls north of Atlanta combine recreation with bargains for fun
holiday outings.
One of the newest shopping areas near Atlanta, Discover
Mills welcomes you with mall neighborhoods that focus on fashions, home
accessories, and the outdoors. Drop in to Sun & Ski Sports at Discover Mills to
scale the climbing wall.
Christmas shopping is easier in Georgia. Two new megamalls in Gwinnett
County, only a half hour northeast of Atlanta on I-85, offer just about
everything Santa could need. Within 6 miles of each other, Discover Mills and
Mall of Georgia provide as much shopping as any elf could want--plus enough
nonshopping activities to keep everyone entertained the rest of the year.
Shopping as Sport
It's a full mile around the oval track that makes up
the hallways of 1-year-old Discover Mills. If all you do is simply walk around
it, you'll encounter stores with climbing walls and snow skiing machines, a
sizable kiddie playground, sports and music hall of fame displays, an indoor
skateboard park, a mammoth boat store, specialty retail shops, as well as dozens
of outlets. But you'll want to do more than stroll. There's Off 5th--Saks Fifth
Avenue Outlet, Last Call From Neiman Marcus, LEGO store, Off-Broadway Shoe
Warehouse, and Kenneth Cole New York Outlet, just to name a few.
The
130,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World keeps anglers and adventurous
folks outfitted. You can see an enormous aquarium filled with bass, bream, and
crappie native to Georgia. Over in the fly shop, experts know what's biting in
North Georgia streams. Elsewhere in the store, try your hand at the shooting
arcade, take a trip up a climbing wall, or simply watch the waterfall.
