Orlando, Clear and Humid, Granola

Don't shop at the Florida Mall. OK, compared to the UK, prices are great but compared to other malls nearby it's expensive. Now, this is entirely subjective, I haven't gone to all the Macy's in the local area to do a proper survey but our girls say it's expensive and even I can see the few shops I visit seem more pricey. The only places more expensive that I've seen are the tourist shops on I Drive.* Anyway here is my top 4 guide to shopping in Orlando.

4 - Mall at Millenia. Typically American mall, all the big players and nice boutique shops. Not to far from the top of I Drive*.

3 - Prime Outlets. At the very top of I Drive*. Still under re-construction from when it was Beltz, a good selection of the usual players - Timberland, RL, Gap et al. The main building has a wacky shop full of all those things you see on informercials at 3am. I wish I could remember its name but it's near KB Toys. It's one of those shops you get in outlet malls that masquerade as outlet shops but are really just full of tut.

2 - Premium Outlets. At the other end of I Drive just south of Sea World. Same as Prime really but slightly more shops. Of course, it's always a gamble at all of these places that they'll have anything in your size. Their website has print-off vouchers.

3 - Walmart. Mecca! Open 24 hrs (well the one on Sandlake and John Young parkway is) so you can go shopping at 5am when the body clock wakes you. Ok the clothes are George at Ada but for cheap stuff the kids'll wreck anyway it's perfect. Cheap DVDs (Region 1, of course), cheap games, cheap electronics and all sorts of boringly domestic stuff. Great for stocking up of food and domestics if you're self-catering and want a break from Denny's et al.

I've been to 5 in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and all have Brit food aisles so you can stock up of Weetabix and Marmite and English tea.

If you do go at 5am you'll probably find me practicing my quick draws in the power tools aisle or trying to work out if I can get a printer into my suitcase.

* - I Drive. I will have to have had a truly boring trip before I venture to that Kissmequick hell hole in search of a blog. Unless I'm off to Maggiano's Italian. Good.