Trip to the USA

[Chalet School Fan]

I'm off to the USA on Monday taking a group of 6th Formers to New York and Washington to visit art galleries and museums. I know - school trips have changed since a walk along the local canal for Geography was the height of excitement!! They will have the opportunity for retail therapy and I'm wondering if anyone knows if there are any craft shops in the central area of those cities - it is a first visit for me as well as most of the girls! Thanks.

[Deefersmum]

Lucky you! As you say, how things have changed. Can't help with shops I'm afraid - perhaps you could Google a few? Do let us know what their shops are like (kid in a sweet shop comes to mind!!!!).

[Little Jan]

I have had a quick google
Never realised how big New York is and so many districts
Found one forum but it seems that New York is more art than crafts
And paper craft places can be expensive unless you go to the poorer districts
I would google the areas you will be going
And have a map I would get lost with all the 2nd street on the corner of 45th street opposite 95th street lol
Washington has a big store called paper sorce
That has discount codes
Again it has loads of districts so I would check them out before you go
And see if they are near where you will be
Have a great time

[Chalet School Fan]

We haven't got a lot of time for shopping and when I googled nothing came up in the areas we are visiting. I had hoped for a multi-purpose shopping mall, like the ones I went to in Los Angeles and Dallas where I bought crafty bits and pieces. But the shopping mall in Washington we are visiting only has fashion shops for young people. My husband is paying to come on the trip as some girls dropped out ...... guess which part he isn't looking forward to?

[Julie]

A friend was on his hols in LA recently and stumbled upon a Michaels. Knowing I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to craft stuff he rang me and said I will buy you whatever you want whilst I am here. I made a quick wish list and off we set round the store him with his phone in hand.

Oh boy, was I disappointed. My first choice was Anna Griffin goodies but he couldn't find any. Found a member of staff and asked whereabouts her stuff would be and they had never heard of her. In fact there wasn't really anything I wanted in the end so plumped for ribbons. They did seem to have a fair bit of Cricut stuff. Prices for ribbons seemed to be on a par with the U.K.

Hope you find somewhere nice to shop and have a great holiday.

[Victoria]

Hope you all have a great trip (not really a holiday because you're on duty) and that you find some shopping outlets!

[Chalet School Fan]

Thanks for your good wishes - I've got far more crafting stuff than I really need, so I won't be devastated if I don't find a craft shop. But I am hoping to find some different Halloween or Christmas goodies.
The rest of the trip will be exciting - amazing art galleries and museums plus meeting a civil rights veteran from the 60s. Although school trips are hard work as you are looking after other people's children, I always learn a lot when I go on them.

[Julie]

Gosh I shouldn't have said holiday, should have said trip !

As someone who went on all the foreign school trips I remember what a handful we all were. It possibly wasn't helped by the fact the holidays always included wine regions.

Have a a wonderful time.

[Victoria]

My two youngest daughters went on school trip to New York two years ago and had a fab time. Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Grand Central Station, MOMA, a Broadway show, Bubba Gump, Empire State Building etc. They simply loved it and their teachers said that it was the easiest trip ever as they were all 'sensible' 16-18 year olds!!

[Little Jan]

Times have changed with school trips
Although I went to Paris when I was 8
Only because the school did not have enough upper school children to keep the trip going
So 8 of the better behave lower school were given the chance to go
Mum and dad could not really afford it but thought it would do me good so managed to save up
It was only for three days I loved every second apart from sharing a double bed with wee wee Amanda who would wet the bed and then try to get on my dry side ,one if the teachers took me into her room as she had a posh twin room with a bathroom (teachers would be in trouble doing that today)
The food was not good so the school complained and was given a refund in cash there and then
I was a fussy eater before I went
But when I came home I was grateful for anything lol

The best trip was to Austria when I was 14 we were all allowed out in the evenings if shaparoned by the 6 formers
Which meant we went off they went in the pub
I had a crush on a boy in my year and one evening he gave me my first kiss
:love:
And told me that he had to do it then or it would be never as after the trip he was moving to New Zealand where his parents came from .
We remained pen pals for years even when he got married his wife would write too


the food but no one liked it

[Waterlily]

We didn't have school trips abroad in my day, I think the furthest we ever went was somewhere like Brighton lol. My sister who is 6 years younger went to France.

Hope you have a good time CSF

[Chalet School Fan]

Thanks for your reassurance Victoria. The girls are a nice group and I have taken several of them on trips abroad before with no hassle, so hopefully all will go well. Hearing about your daughter's experiences has made me really excited at the things we will see in the USA. ��