Shopping Center Stuff

The Bellevue Collection is a group of three enclosed shopping centers, Lincoln Square, Bellevue Place, and Bellevue Square, in downtown Bellevue, about 15 minutes south of us. There's even free parking! Read rave reviews of the mall here. Too bad Joe and I don't enjoy shopping or even window shopping. In December I spent quite a bit of time in Bellevue Square taking classes at the Apple Store. 

The Christmas decorations were amazing. Everywhere you looked - up, down, and sideways - you saw plentiful and beautiful displays. Rudolph with his blinking, red nose led the rest of the reindeer in pulling Santa in his sleigh. 

This small display in McDonald's window brought back memories of the much larger displays in the Lazarus windows during our childhood. Read about Lazarus and Christmas here and here. I don't recall how many times we made the trek to Lazarus to see the windows and visit Toyland and Santa. I do remember the beautiful windows with all the animated figures. 

Downtown Bellevue doesn't have animated window displays. They do, however, have Snowflake Lane. Every night from Thanksgiving until Christmas, downtown Bellevue is turned into a magical place with "dazzling lights, music, dramatic drumming from live toy soldiers and snow. Winter characters join in the Snowflake Lane fun including a Snow Queen and King, Sugar Plum Fairies and Mice!" Bellevue Collection website 

It snows every night in downtown Bellevue during Snowflake Lane. This picture was taken as I came out of the shopping center at the end of a long day of classes. I was a bit disoriented because the one way I knew from the Apple Store to the parking garage (there are many parking garages with the three shopping centers) was blocked. I was concentrating on being able to find the car when I crossed a bridge over the street and was hit by light and loud music. I realized Snowflake Lane was in progress. I stopped to enjoy the spectacle and waited for the snow to fall. (Then I found the car.)

We love Apple Stores - even when we're not buying. Apple Stores are one place we do like to window shop. We like the energy, the interesting variety of people who work there, as well as the enthusiasm of the staff and the customers.