READY…. SET…..SHOP!!!!! /Nan Lyons

Let’s Travel knows that shopping is as much a part of the travel experience as finding that exciting little restaurant near the hotel or seeing that unforgettable sight for the first time. Most of all it’s a way of taking a memory back home in the most tangible of ways.

Viva American Express.

Here are a few of the hottest places, both foreign and domestic, for Let’s Travel-ers to flex their charge cards.

New York

Strand Books / 828 Broadway/ 212-473-1452/www.strandbooks.com

What’s hot about a musty, dusty book store that’s been in business since 1927? Well, try to move around in it’s more that 18 miles of books (actually no one ever checked this out) on the weekend. Catnip to bookworms all over the world, Strand is one of New York’s most beloved book sellers. Barnes and Noble, eat your heart out.

Shanghai Tang/ 714 Madison Avenue / 212-888-0111/ www.Shanghaitang.com

Inscrutably chic for those who prefer wearing the newest Chinese fashion rather than eating it, Shanghai Tang is the first luxury brand to come out of China. The fabrics used in either “made to measure” or off the rack creations range from the lushest brocades to the softest cashmeres. Tang’s elegant Asian designs are coveted by both sexes.

Mxyplyzyk / 125 Greenwich Avenue/ 1-800-243-9810/ www.mxyplyzyk.com

If you think that the name of this store has to be a misprint- faggeddabouttit. This is really its name. Mxyplyzyk is not just a joke for people who love consonants, it’s the name of a character that was featured in Superman Comics. Today it’s newest incarnation is a store that’s known for it’s quirky gifts and charming individuality. Totally unique in its approach to affordable design from all over the world, Mxyplyzyk is not to be missed.