travelling to Miami in August--what to bring?

[Finona]

i've never been to the east coast of america before. how different is it from california? what type of clothes should i bring? i'll also be travelling up the coast all the way to maryland. do i need to bring a coat even if its summer? help me naman. :)

[Morty101]

Hey! I'm also leaving for Miami to visit a friend this July. I'll be there for a month, and then I'll be proceeding to New York and LA after.

On what you should bring, or should I say what I'm planning to take with me...a lot of shorts and shirts (since Miami is really known for its beaches). I just surfed yahoo and checked out the weather, and medyo mas mainit pa yata don than here in manila. It would help if you bring a coat (as in raincoat?), coz medyo umuulan din naman don, and besides, you mentioned that you'll be proceeding to Maryland right after, where it's colder. It really depends on how long you'll be there. If you think nandon ka hangang september - december, then definitely, you have to bring some winter clothes. Where to buy? marami sa surplus shop. Cheap lang don tapos oks naman ang quality, especially those for winter kasi ala naman tayo non dito sa pinas (di ba?). That's where I got mine during my winter trip before. Just last week, I was able to buy a cool trench coat for a mere P2000 bucks (lucky me--fit na fit).

have fun...

[YaYiN]

if you're just gonna be staying for the summer, i'd suggest a light jacket (preferably with a hood) just in case it gets chilly at night. and don't forget to pack at least 1 pair of jeans and a pair of sneakers. oh, and maybe your swimsuit!:)

[Q]

A coat??? In Miami??? Are you kidding?

The weather in Florida can sometimes be worse (heat and humidity) than in the Philippines. Take it from me, I've spent most of my life (20+ years) in the awesome state of Florida. Bring shorts, nice summer clothes, and nice party clothes, especially if you're headed to the ever-popular South Beach area. You ladies don't forget to bring the t-back bikinis. ;)

Actually, I'm headed that way (South Florida) later this month. Leaving for home (North Florida) on Monday. Wanna hook up?

East Coast rules!!! :)

-Q

[m'saia]

i don't think you need to bring a coat or light jacket to miami. you probably just need to bring some bikinis, sun block, and alcohol tolerance. you definitely have to go to south beach. that place never sleeps.
maryland is also nice. try going to the harbor. it's pretty over there. for some site seeing just drive over to DC. it's like 30-45 minutes from the harbor.
summer in the east coast gets pretty hot and humid. be sure to bring some "breathable" clothing and anti-frizz for your hair.

[Finona]

Thanks everyone. I'll be staying there a while... hanggang autumn. maybe even winter. As i said, i'll be going up the coast, maryland, ny, nj. i'll be back in fl for the winter... takot ako sa lamig. hehe. but i definitely want to be up north for autumn... i love watching the leaves turn gold. :) sooo romantic.

thanks for the tips. lalo na about the anti-fizz for the hair. oh my god. the hair! hahaha

what kind of jacket for florida? yung tipong pang baguio, pwede na ba yun?

i am soooo excited about this trip.

[Q]

For Miami and places south of Orlando, you probably won't need a jacket at all, regardless of the season.

For places north of Orlando, you'll need "Baguio wear", esp for the evenings and early mornings. The past couple of years, the winters have been unusually mild, perhaps the effects of global warming.

As you go further north, you'll need heavier apparel. Coats are in order as far south as Savannah starting in November.

Overall, the weather is Florida is wonderful, hence its popularity with retirees. However, there's something to be said for the four seasons. Yes, autumn leaves in Upstate New York/Vermont can be quite spectacular.

If you plan on visiting the Orlando attractions (Disney and Universal), I suggest you avoid the months from June to early September. The lines can be really bad. Long lines, bad heat, intermittent rain: not a good combination.

[Finona]

*bump*

[YaYiN]

i'm not sure what you mean by "pang-baguio" but pwede na siguro.:)

like i said, try to bring a jacket with a hood, because it's not only cold, there's also a chance of rain. better yet, bring a windbreaker or something made of waterproof material. the only thing worse than being cold is being cold and wet, believe me!

if you're really worried about being cold, pack a light front-fastening sweater. you can wear this under your jacket during bad-weather days. pwede ren na pullover sweater, but personally i prefer the ones with a zipper down the front para mas madali in case i get too warm, like when i'm in the mall or in the car. layering clothes is a more practical way of staying warm in cold weather.

maybe you can look up last year's temperature to figure out exactly what you'll be needing where, during the dates you plan to be there. technically, winter doesn't start till about the third week of december, but it usually starts to snow in the northeast by late-november. hassle naman kung hindi ka makalabas ng bahay just because the weather's not good!

hope you have a nice trip!:)