A ha...
Now *this* is what Las Vegas shopping is supposed to be like. The Forum Shops are over-the-top, gorgeous, high-end, and damn fun too.
You can tell from the minute that you walk in, that the Forum Shops are dressed to impress. Wander in from its grand entrance facing the Strip, and BAM -- you're greeted by a massive atrum, lovely fountains, statues galore, frescoes all over, a surprisingly realistic-looking "sky" painted on the ceiling, and (the pièce de résistance) spiral escalators winding round and round like DNA. For a brief moment, you forget that you're there to shop.
Is this a mall or an amusement park? A little of both.
If you think it's more of a mall, then it's a home run. The selection of stores is outstanding. I probably wasted an hour trying on designer sunglasses that I can't afford. I also had way too much in that multi-story mega-H&M. And those Burberry trenchcoats were awfully tempting -- until I realized (1) I'd rather put that money toward my retirement, (2) it barely rains in San Diego anyway, and (3) I haven't totally lost my mind (yet).
As an amusement park, it's more of a mixed bag. I love the mini aquarium, because pretty much any day when I get to see manta rays is a good day. As for that animatronic "Fall of Atlantis" show in front of the Cheesecake Factory -- skip it. I'm baffled at why thousands of people crowd past one another to watch some awkward-looking animatronic gadgets spout gibberish at one another. (Maybe there is actual dialogue, but there is way to much audience-generated background noise to be able to decipher it.)
Oh -- the Forum Shops are home to Max Brenner. For chocolate fiends, if that's not enough of a reason to visit, then I don't know what is.
There are plenty of other delicious restaurants at the Forum Shops, most of which have patio seating. Does anyone else find the idea of dining "al fresco" inside a mall and under a fake sky kind of self-defeating?
Whatever. I still love this mall. If you want quintessential Las Vegas consumerist extravagance, the Forum Shops are the place to find it.