L.A. travelogue: A pilgrimage to American Girl Place
My family just got back from a spring break trip to Los Angeles to visit my in-laws. We'd been looking forward to it for months, and not just because we rarely get to see our California relatives. This time, I promised my daughter a visit to American Girl Place.
You probably already know that American Girl dolls are an expensive obsession for girls from, say, 5 up to 12 years old. There are historical characters with inspiring stories, dolls that look "just like me," matching girl-and-doll clothes, dolls for the dolls, and on and on.
They're mostly purchased online, but there are three stores, in New York, Chicago and now at The Grove in L.A., where you can experience full American Girl overload. Since my daughter's birthday is almost here, I told her we could go there and pick out her big present. After months of deliberation, she settled on Samantha, a well-to-do orphan from 1904 that we were told is American Girl's most popular doll.
I was prepared to pay for Samantha -- $90 including paperback book. But I was bracing myself for all the American Girl Place extras. ...
(Photos by me)
For instance, you can have a magazine-cover portrait taken with your doll, eat with your doll in the cafe (lunch goes for about $22 each); 
watch an American Girl theater production; and have your doll's hair done in a "salon" (see below).
Fortunately, Leah's grandmother and I got off pretty easily, even though our little girl was completely captivated when she first got into the store. She listened solemnly as a salesperson told her any of the outfits will fit any of the dolls (good tip I hadn't known about.) Most importantly, this salesperson informed her, "This is American Girl Place, and you get to choose."
Great.
But Leah seemed to embrace the concept of choice, and to understand she couldn't have everything. She picked out a few of Samantha's outfits for relatives to give her for her birthday, and passed on the matching girl clothes. She also decided against the hair salon and the portrait ("we can always take a picture, mom"). I was so impressed with her restraint that I bought an extra surprise or two on the sly.
We skipped the cafe -- I wasn't sure she'd eat anything on the menu -- and opted for a cheap lunch, complete with people-watching, at the Farmers Market next door. The trolley that runs from the market to The Grove is a nice, free treat for kids.
Do you have a daughter who's in love with American Girl? How do you balance her interest and your bank account?
And if you've been to any of the American Girl Place stores and have observations or strategies to share, post below.
Tomorrow, read about our trip to Disneyland.
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