Downtown Seattle's Pacific Place

The beautiful city of Seattle has a lot of great shopping, but Pacific Place Mall, located in the heart on downtown, just has it all. For a resident or a tourist, Pacific Place is the spot to head to, whether you need a gift, a wardrobe update, or just need some serious retail therapy. Although some of the stores may be a little on the pricey end, the four story indoor mall boasts plenty for those on more of a budget. Pacific Place is great to go to when you want to have a New York moment, but you're on the opposite end of the country.

The courteous staff at Tiffany's welcomes walk-thrus (even the kind that obviously won't result in a purchase,) so put on your black dress, and saunter in through the huge, revolving door for a Holly Golightly moment. Cartier is a little less inviting, and operates on a strict by-appointment basis. But the window displays are enchanting, and feel free to linger a bit in awe, before moving on.

The basement is home to the main section of Barnes & Noble, and is open until 11 PM. This is a great place to buy a cheap book, and sip a latte from the in-store coffee shop (a branch of Starbucks, but they do not accept Starbucks cards-sorry.) In the mall, you'll also find J.Crew, retailer of upscale American looks, excellent leather shoes, and a great sale rack. Go to Victoria's Secret and fulfill all your lingerie needs. The Pottery Barn might be mass marketing to the nth degree, but you'll have to admit that you wished your home looked the way that the store is merchandised. And they sell some fun cocktail paraphernalia.

Williams & Sonoma briefly inspires you to use your kitchen for more than just storage. Make sure to go there during the Christmas season for some holiday cheer, the smell of cinnamon, and free samples of mulled spice cider. It'll make you go straight home and place a call to your grandparents. Take the 3rd floor skywalk over fifth avenue into Nordstroms. Look down at all the busy shoppers and workers bustling around the city streets from your bird's eye view. Grab an espresso and a pastry at Nordstrom cafe. Or meet a friend for dinner at one of Pacific Place's delicious restaurants.

Thai Ginger works magic with any of their dishes that include eggplant, and their cocktail list is inspiring. Gordon Biersch is a fun place for a date, and a good place for appetizers. Head to the forth floor AMC movie theatre and finish off a perfect day by checking out a new film. Pacific Place is a good place to do all the shallow things that make you feel good. Every now and then, a person just needs a day of shopping.