West Edmonton Mall

Feel like a trip to the beach to do some sunbathing and surfing? Would you like to play a round of golf? How about a submarine trip through a coral reef? Do you like eating at Parisian cafés? Does watching a National Hockey League team in training seem like a good way to spend the afternoon? Do the kids like dolphin shows? And at the end of the day, would you like to sink into a hot tub, surrounded by a lush tropical forest? All of these activities are possible under one roof at West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping and indoor amusement complex in the whole world. Calgary may have the greatest outdoor show on earth, but Edmonton has what can surely be billed as the greatest indoor show on earth, a place that is visited by 22 million people annually. Much more than an oversized shopping mall, Edmonton's top tourist attraction is a shop-and-play four-season wonderland, where many visitors check into the 355-room luxury Fantasyland Hotel, stay a weekend, and never set foot outside the mall's 58 entrances.

Shopping is only one part of the mall's universal appeal. Prices are no less than anywhere else in the city, but the experience of having more than 800 stores (including more than 200 women's-wear stores, 35 men's-wear stores, and 55 shoe shops) under one roof is unique.

Aside from the shops, many other major attractions fill the mall. Galaxyland Amusement Park is the world's largest indoor amusement park, with 25 rides, including "Mindbender"--a fourteen-story, triple-loop roller coaster (the world's largest indoor roller coaster)--and "Space Shot," a thirteen-story, heart-pounding free fall.

Off to one side, Galaxy Kids Playpark offers the younger generation the same thrills and spills in a colorful, fun-loving atmosphere. Admission is free, but the rides cost money. A Galaxyland day pass, allowing unlimited rides, is adult $29.95, families $74.95, senior or child $21.95.

In the two-hectare (five-acre) World Waterpark, you almost feel as though you're at the beach: the temperature is a balmy 30°C (85°F), and a long, sandy beach (with special nonslip sand), tropical palms, colorful cabanas, a beach bar, and waves crashing on the shore all simulate the real thing. The computerized wave pool holds 12.3 million liters (3.2 million gallons) of water and is programmed by computer to eject "sets" of waves at regular intervals. Behind the beach are 22 water slides that rise to a height of 26 meters (85 feet). The World Waterpark also has the world's only indoor bungee jump, Blue Thunder Bungee ($79.95 including general waterpark access), three whirlpools, and a volleyball court. On the second floor of the mall is a water park viewpoint. Admission to World Waterpark is adult $29.95, families $74.95, senior or child $21.95.

At the same end of the mall as World Waterpark is the world's largest indoor lake and a series of attractions, known collectively as Deep Sea Adventure. You can gawk at the area along its entire 122-meter (400-foot) length from either the main or second floor of the mall. The most dominant feature of the lagoon is a full-size replica of Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria. It was built in False Creek, Vancouver, and shipped across the Rockies to its new indoor home. You can descend into the depths in one of four self-propelled submarines cruising the lake, passing 200 different types of marine life, including real coral (adults $12, families $30, seniors and children $5). The lake is also the site of scuba-diving courses, canoe rentals, and an underwater aquarium with seals, penguins, and sharks ($6). Beyond the Deep Sea Adventure is the Playdium (780/444-7529 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              780/444-7529      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, 10 a.m.

-midnight.), opened in 2000 as part of the mall's Phase IV development. This state-of-the-art entertainment center offers more than 150 attractions, from "reality" sports to test your athletic prowess against the professionals to a "Speed Zone," which is filled with the latest racing games. It's open

Other major attractions in the mall include Xorbitor, a hydraulic capsule that simulates on-screen movements ($8 per ride); Professor WEM's Adventure Golf (adults $8.50, seniors and children $6); and, smack in the middle of the mall, the Ice Palace. This NHL-size skating rink is the second home of the Edmonton Oilers, who occasionally practice here. It's open to the public year-round; adult $5.50 per session, senior or child $3, skate rental $3.

Other sights include an aviary with various exotic birds, a Chinese pagoda that was hand-carved by four generations of the same family, replicas of the British crown jewels, bronze statues commissioned especially for the mall, and a couple of aquariums. Three theme streets, Europa Boulevard, Chinatown, and the glitzy New Orleans-style Bourbon Street hold some of the mall's 110 restaurants and eateries.

HOURS AND OTHER PRACTICALITIES

Shopping hours vary seasonally but are generally Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday noon-6 p.m. Hours of the various attractions and restaurants vary. Many restaurants stay open later, and the nightclubs stay open to the early hours of the morning.

Mall maps color-code each of four phases to make finding your way around easier (shops and attractions use a Phase number as part of their address). Maps are widely available throughout the mall. The two official information centers are both on the Main Level near the Ice Palace—a booth on the east side and Guest Services north toward Entrance 8. Staff will answer all commonly asked questions while the tech-savvy can download a Mobile Mall Map to their Palm PDA; both are open regular shopping hours. When your legs tire, scooter rentals

are available near the information booth; $6 for the first hour, $4 for each additional hour.

Parking is usually not a problem, but finding your car again can be, so remember which of the 58 entrances you parked near (a parking lot along 90th Ave. at 175th St. is designated for RVs). From downtown, take bus number 100.

FANTASYLAND HOTEL

Within West Edmonton Mall is the 355-room Fantasyland Hotel (17700 87th Ave., 780/444-3000 or 800/737-3783, www.fantasylandhotel.com), famous for elaborately themed rooms that are way over the top. The hotel has 118 themed rooms, as well as over 200 regular rooms ($179 s or d) and a few extremely spacious Executive Suites with jetted tubs ($199 s or d), and three restaurants. But it’s the theme rooms that this hotel is known for. No catching a cab back to your hotel after a day of shopping here--just ride the elevator to the room of your wildest fantasy. Each floor has an over-the-top theme: the choice is yours--Hollywood, Roman, Polynesian, Victorian, African, Arabian, Igloo, Waterpark, Western, Canadian Rail, or Truck--where you can slumber in the bed of a real pickup truck. Each theme is carried out in minute detail. The Polynesian room fantasy, for example, begins as you walk along a hallway lined with murals depicting a tropical beach, floored with grass matting. You'll walk through a grove of palm trees before reaching your room. In the colorful room, an enormous hot tub is nestled in a rocky grotto, and the bed is shaped like a warrior's catamaran, with a sail as the headboard. This escapism comes at a cost, but maybe not as much as you’d expect--$239-309 s or d. (The theme rooms are very popular and are booked far in advance, especially on weekends).