I love the Bloomingdale's Home store and Jayson Home & Garden in Chicago.

I would plan trips that over lap when the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA is going on (first Sunday of every month)!

You already said it, but I feel very fortunate to live by the Room & Board outlet. It's truly wonderful.

*sigh* ikea...just ikea. if only it weren't 4 hrs away.

i can sadly say i've never even been to a DWR, room & board, west elm or crate & barrel. alas, there is nothing worth frequenting in des moines.

E. DeHillerin for virtually everything imaginable in copper cookware. Who knew there were such rarified and particularized pots and pans? No doubt they've made a special peacock roaster for a full display of tail feathers. [51, rue Jean- Jacques Rousseau - 75001 Paris] The store is a journey into 19th century commercial “etiquette” and once you’ve been shown your options you’ll procede through about 4 or 5 courteous exchanges in the purchase process before you retrieve your handsomely knotted paper parcel. It’s as if the confer upon every piece of equipment the magic to transform the dishes you’ll cook with it.

My husband and I made a trip to San Francisco to visit Room & Board. Of course while we were in town we saw other stuff, but R&B was our first stop. Now I can't go into other furniture stores and not think, "Wow this stuff kinda looks cheap..." Visiting the outlet in MN would be heaven I'm sure.

I haven't been in a while, but there is a GAP (i know it's clothing!) factory outlet in northern Kentucky. Not sure where exactly it is anymore though.

When I plan my travels there's usually some kind of time set aside for shopping, art, and food. My favorite destinations for big city shopping are New York, Toronto, London, Paris and Buenos Aires and because part of my professional time is in food I make sure to tackle every food shopping option that I can find (especially for chocolate).

If you're coming to San Francisco, my favorites here are two of the flea markets (Alameda, Candlestick, if you have to choose just one go for Alameda since it's bigger), H.D. Buttercup, and Big Daddy's Antiques. Worth mentioning that both Buttercup & Big Daddy's have outposts in L.A. as well.

@Honest Day: Dehillerin IS wonderful, as is M.O.R.A., both are don't miss stops for me when in Paris!

I make regular trips to ikea, which is 3 miles from me, though i don't buy much, I just like looking at the displays and new products. XD I live in Philly, but am willing to drive as far as NYC for craigslisting purposes. Sometimes I'm able to roll that in with window-shopping at other furniture places in the area, though it's harder in NYC due to parking. But there are homegoods and furniture stores in places I go a-craigslisting outside NYC, of course.

We live in San Francisco so almost everything is accessible here...but cheap thrift stores.

We travel to Mendocino County for their fantastic thrift stores and ALWAYS score something amazing that would cost 1000 times as much at a goodwill here.

I wish ikea was only 4 hours away! But we don't have anything around here. Just local furniture stores nothing fancy or nice, I have an hours drive just to go to Target! To buy clothes I have a 20 minute drive cause the town I live in has nothing but walmart. Nebraska sucks! Thank goodness for the internet!

I live in Los Angeles and have the same issue that Mama Gigi faces- thrift stores are over priced or picked over. I love visiting my family in Salt Lake and doing some major thrifting and always try to hit up out of the way towns on car trips.

There is nothing more exhilarating than scoring something amazing at a thrift store.

Every two or three years I take a holiday in Melbourne to scrounge my way through the thrift shops and vintage clothing stores. Most of my best stuff comes from there.

Ahem, Nebraska does not "suck", thank you very much "bluepuppybites". Either come to terms with your choice to live where you live, or you can always go somewhere else. I grew up, moved away, and came back to live in Nebraska and find great thrift and antique stores in every town I have been to. Plus, "most" of the people who live here are friendly, creative, and down to earth.

tokyo and copenhagen!

I'm sure I wouldn't be the only Brit to say New York!

I don't feel the need to hit up Minnesota any time soon, but every time I go to London I come back inspired. I unfortunately can't buy a lot while I'm there, but it's so fun to wander through all the shops and markets and see what's for sale.

South Texas lacks much. Need to travel to 3-4 hours to visit Ikea, West Elm, DWR, C&B.

While I usually would say Ikea, because I will honestly say that I have been known to drive 6 hours to "visit friends" in order to make a trip, I have recently found Black Dog Salvage near where I live. http://www.blackdogsalvage.com/
It is about 45 minutes away but I follow them online and they have set ups where you can get great ideas and I bought great fabric remnants that I used to recover a chair that I now love! I now follow them on facebook so I don't have to visit as often I can just look at the photos :)

Oh and Black Dog is going to be on some talk show ...Nate (somebody who used to do something with Oprah) next week.

Well, I already live in the Twin Cities Metro, so those Minnesota locations aren't really travel for me. :/

Mine, though? Christmas Point Wild Rice Company in Walker, Minnesota. When I go up to my cabin and it's not summer, a trip to Christmas Point is de rigueur. They've got wild rice (obviously), a little room that, all year, is dedicated to delicate and lovely Christmas ornaments and decorations, and some of the cutest "up north" items I've ever seen.
http://christmaspoint.com/

I just got back from an Ikea road trip to MN, and will be stopping at one in Chicago when I visit over the holidays. I also try to hit West Elm, Container store, and C&B, as well as local spots everywhere I travel.

Inside Design in Minneapolis. Higher end but amazing furniture, and home accessories.

There's a Restoration Hardware outlet in Wisconsin?!? ACK! I've lived here for 6 years and never knew... I'm looking it up now. HolyMoley.