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I could be wearing a T-shirt that says “ I survived the Tanger Outlets in Mebane,” but since we didn’t go until the week after the grand opening, there was not much reason to boast about surviving.

After hearing news reports about how busy the inaugural weekend was, I was glad I delayed my first visit until the following Thursday afternoon.

When I learned Tanger was going to build some new outlet shops in Mebane, I felt a pang of sadness because I saw it as perhaps a final nail in BMOC’s long-ago dominance in the outlet shop world.

I was not excited about this new project but was curious what it would be like once they completed the construction project I had observed rising from the dirt as I passed Exit 154 on the interstate.

I was surprised upon arrival to see that Tanger Outlets in Mebane was a doorless, open-air mall with a roof to shield it from the elements.

Its design took me by surprise. I assumed it would be more like Alamance Crossing, BMOC and Tanger Outlets of Blowing Rock, where you can drive to the individual store and walk or drive to your next destination.

The weather was nice the day we were there, but I wonder what shopping in this open-air design will be like when the weather turns cooler or gets hot.

What happens when the rain falls or those few times a year we have snow or ice?

I guess the design will cut down on any loitering during those extreme seasons.

One big advantage is the number of benches placed every few feet throughout the walkways of the mall. Any time we wanted to rest, we found a clean and comfortable place to sit.

Our plans upon arriving were to eat and then shop. We were amazed to learn that the outlet center had only Subway, Auntie Anne’s and Fruit-O-Rama. At the time we were there, Jake's Burgers had not yet opened.

Every place that sold food had lines out the door. We decided to eat a soft pretzel and get drinks to tide us over for a while. The outlet center definitely needs to add more eateries throughout the shopping area.

It was interesting to see the shops in this new location. A few were old favorites such as Bass Outlet and Van Heusen. We enjoyed walking through new places such as Sketchers, Gold Toe and Soffe Outlet.

A visit to the larger, nicer Hanesbrand Outlet Store reminded us of the size of the warehouse store in Winston-Salem off Stratford Road. It seemed to have everything in all sizes, colors and styles.

While we were in the Hanes store, we began to smell the bread baking in Subway next door. Its aroma lured us until we finally succumbed and ordered sandwiches. Thankfully, the line had died down, so we did not have to stand in line long.

Overall, our experience was a positive one that day, though I am not sure how often we’ll drive 25 minutes when we have so many places to shop within 10 minutes of our house.

Perhaps this will be a place to visit every now and then when I am looking for a specific brand I cannot get nearby.

Until then, I will file the memory under “experiences had” and continue to be glad I did not go the first day it opened.

Linda Vestal lives in Gibsonville. Contact her at lindavestal@triad.rr.com.