Bradley Fair offers more than just shopping in Wichita

A shopping center with a lake and an island? Bradley Fair shopping center in Wichita offers visitors that view.

The island was decked out for Christmas. So, does that make it Christmas Island? Are the misfit toys there? Will Rudolph and Santa make a stop there Christmas Eve to pick up the toys? If they do, maybe they can pick up some last-minute gifts at the shopping center.

Bradley Fair is an outdoor mall featuring almost 50 retails shops and restaurants. Jason’s Deli, Newport Grill and On the Border are among the dozen or so eateries there.

We checked out Cocoa Dolce on a recommendation. The shop was packed with people. If you are a chocolate fan, you’ll love this store. All types of chocolates and treats are available.

Cocoa Dolce also supports the local college with a bar. The Shockolate Bar is available, with proceeds going to support programs at Wichita State University. The Shockers are among the best college basketball teams in the NCAA Division I. The baseball team has been a longtime power in the Missouri Valley Conference.

We tried some Tahitian Vanilla gelato while we were in the store. It was delicious.

We left with some chocolate goodies.

As we strolled along the outdoor mall, we stopped to take in the 45-foot Christmas tree near the center of the stores. It proved to be a popular attraction, as several photographers used it as a backdrop for photos.

We checked out a store we don’t have in Omaha – Backwoods. It’s an outdoors store. I liked a couple of things I saw: an ice cooler called “Yeti” and some nice backpacks. Lisa really liked the section of all things Camelbak water bottles – new tips, tubes and cleaning supplies.

The shopping center had some of the usual suspects for stores – Barnes and Noble, White House/Black Market, J. Jill, and Banana Republic.

It was a nice area to spend a couple of hours during our visit, and I can see us stopping here again…for more than just chocolate treats.