Hi, I am currently planning my trip to the states in November, but I will only be there for about 10 days to visit my sister. So, I don't have a lot of time and am starting to plan out my time. My BIGGEST QUESTION is: Where can I find cake decorating stuff in that city? Is there anywhere I can ask my sister to take me where I can find stuff even remotely connected to cakes. Please rack your brains, bombard me with info (incl adresses if possible) What about the coupons I have been reading about, any place where I can find them?
Sightseeing, what is really important to see? I already have my ticket for the flight and am sooo excited. What is the temperature in November (will be there starting 6th of November) Hopefully I won't have to take a lot of warm clothes, as I want to keep my suitcases relatively empty going to the states, so I can fill them up with loads of goodies. Unfortunately I cant raid my sisters cupboard for clothes, as she is a lot shorter than I am, but I definately will be using her washing machine to save suitcase space.

I live about 5 hours from Virginia, in Pennsylvania and here the two popular craft stores are A.C. Moore and Michael's. There's another place called JoAnn's, too, I think. I'll do a search for you to see if there are any in Williamsburg. They have great coupons in the newspapers every week. Not sure of the expiration dates...

Tori

temperature likely will be moderate, but it could be cold. average around 60 (farenheit) during the day, maybe in the 40s at night?

I'm sure you have seen this, but : http://www.history.org/


Kitchen Collection
Berkeley Commons, Route 60
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Phone: (757) 565-1695

hope this info helps.

I'm originally from VA. If you can even find just a regular "Michael's" or any craft store, you'll be able to find Wilton Products.

As far as sight seeing, there's "Colonial Williamsburg" which has the history of when the fist settlers came to VA. (IE: John SMith...think pocahontas). AWESOME boats/ships, pilgrim outfits, indian villages. Very nicely remade.

The weather in November is fairly nice. It's not blisterly cold. But bring a sweatshirt or two.
Something to think about when packing, buy some of those space saver vacuum bags. You just use a regular house hold vacuum and suck the air out. You can pack SO much more if you use them!!

Good Luck and have a safe trip. I know this wasn't MUCH help but I hope it's some! I know of a great cake supply store, but it's further south than Williamsburg, in Norfolk (A Navy town).

If you go to michaels.com, there is a section on their home page where you can sign up for their weekly specials to be sent to your e-mail. There is a Michaels craft store in Newport News, VA - reportedly about 15 miles from Williamsburg.

Have a wonderful time!

My brother is a police officer in Fairfax County, Va. (let's hope you don't need to run into him!) Tee-hee!!!

Tori

If you have time there is an awsome place called Party Cakes N Thing in Chesapeake VA about 45 miles away. There is also Wine And Cake Hobbies, INC in Norfolk 35 miles away. These stores have everything you could need(tons more than Micheals or AC Moore). I can send directions if you want.

sightseeing:
colonial williamsburg and it's auxiliary sights
jamestown restoration
washington DC (about 3 hours)
mt. Vernon (George Washington's house)
monticello (Thomas Jefferson's house)
Navy base in Norfolk

and just for pure fun: Busch Gardens, the Old Country! (love those coasters!)

Bayougrl, oh yes please. i will be printing out this whole thread, before I come. There is just so little time, but I just can't imagine leaving my daughter for much longer. i know, she will be ok, my friends will be taking more than good care of her during the day until my husband comes home, but I don't think I can survive without her. My niece and nephew will just have to suffer my hugs. It's horrible, I'm soo excited about the trip, but at the same time I already have such a guilty conscience, at leaving her here, but she cant miss that much school.

Thanks to all who already have answered, I hope a lot more of you will.

I second Party Cakes N' Things. That is where I spend most of the little bit of money I have to buy cake things. Also, as much as people hate to hear it, Wal-Mart carries some Wilton items. I am not sure if there is one in Williamsburg, but there is one right off of Interstate 64 in Newport News. Your sister should know which one I am talking about if she has lived in the area for a while. The local paper for her Williamsburg is either The Daily Press or the Virginian Pilot. Have her look in the Sunday paper's advertisments for the Michael's coupon. I am not sure there is a Michael's on the Peninsula (Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton area), but there is one in Chesapeake which is about 45-60 min from Williamsburg. If you decide to go there tell your sister it is the Greenbriar South exit. It will be way back in the shopping center immediately to your right. I think there is a furniture store in the same strip mall.

Weather in this area in November can either be really cool/cold or pleasantly cool/warm. You could probably live without a coat, but will def. need a sweatshirt and some long sleeve shirts.

Have a great visit in the area. Washington, DC is a day trip away but there is so much more there to see than what can be covered in a single day.

Joan

Hi, here is the address for Party Cakes N Things
5350 Kempsriver Dr.
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
(757) 420 5628
It is a little expensive, and also, as Washipaper said, try Walmart and Michaels. Go to Michaels.com for store locations. I live about 30 min south of Williamsburg and it is beautiful. Also go to Busch Gardens, Prime Outlets and all the historic places. Virginia Beach is about 40 min south of Williamsburg. Also, what I would do is order the goodies online and have them shipped to your sister's house (as most of them don't have interational shipping) I believe that is the BEST way to go!! Order them ahead of time so you'll make sure you'll get them. Good luck and hope you enjoy your stay in Virginia. PM me if you have any other question or driving directions. I'll be more than happy to help you! Good Luck, Gabby

I PM"d you the info.

Wine and Cake is the best. It is located on Tidewater Drive South, Norfolk. If you are lucky enough to get there, plan on staying for a while...they have so much!!

Party City has some things that you might be interested in.

Thrift Stores, Goodwills and Salvation Armies are great also.

Welcome to Virginia...hope you have a blast

Great, thanks a lot. My sister's been there for a couple of years, but she does not quite understand my addiction to cakes. She loves them, but I guess one in the family is more than enough, although she's been doing them for her children. They look great but she doesn't have the time nor the NEED to do as many as I do. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and her family, as well as seeing the place she now lives in.

another idea for you is to check out Countrykitchensa.com and order stuff from them and have it shipped to your sister before you get there. You don't have to pay the international shipping and they have tons of stuff. That is an option. It could be there waiting for you.

Yes I already thought of doing that, but with some stuff, it really helps me to see it. Living out here, it's really difficult to know how to order from small pics. I will definately order some stuff beforehand, but with others, I wanted to see it first

Totally off topic, but can I just say Annabelle's (Excuse me: WINE AND CAKE HOBBIES) is the BEST!!!!!! i moved away from home a year ago, before I started doing cake decorating, and I MISS IT!!! MY father took all his clases there and bought all his supplies there. They have EVERYTHING you'll ever need or want and then some! Believe me, the next time I get back home, she'll be seeing me. She's very familiar with my family. I walk in there and say "oh I'm Bob S.'s daughter: and she freaks out LOL. Apparently he spent all his spare money there lol. I can see why!

Have a great time in VA!

Thanks I fully intend to enjoy myself. I'm already dreaming of all the goodies I can get over there. Fortunately we just had a sweetsexhibition over here and an american company was so nice to give me loads of halloween chocolates for halloween, otherwise I would have been really disappointed to have missed being able to shop for those. I get there one week after halloween. As it is I've got something like 8 big bags full and now can't wait to see the children's faces when they come trick or treating. Some of them, no more like most of them, have never seen anything like them. But this way, more space for cake stuff, yeah