Travelling light and laundromats
 

Having received so many great tips and ideas from the Fodors clan in my last post, I am starting a new one to get your brain cells working for me yet again. I have now got my head around driving on the right and the Pacific Highway but I need to know what to pack as I am intending to travel light.
I start my trip in NYC on 23rd July, arrive in SF on 26th July, drive the Highway for a week, 3 or 4 nights in LA, on to LV and the Grand Canyon then back to NYC for 2 or 3 nights before heading home to the UK on August 16th.

1. What weather can I expect in the above mentioned.

2. If I travel light will I be able to find plentiful laundromats to keep smelling sweet for the duration of the trip. My list at the moment includes 6 summer dresses, pair of jeans, few t shirts and a rain jacket.

Any suggestions????????

I want to save space for all the goodies I intend to bring back with me.

1. NYC should be hot and humid. SF will likely be chilly and could be foggy - might be warmish, but not hot. Expect temps in the 50s-70s (F). Same for the drive down the coast, getting warmer and less prone to fog the further south you get. LA will be warmer - expect 60s-80s at the beach, 80s and 90s inland. LV and the Grand Canyon will be HOT and dry - temperatures above 100 are common.

2. Yes, laundromats are common. They are usually found in strip malls and small shopping districts in residential areas. You can look up the locations online (using Yahoo Local or similar), look in the phonebook, or ask around. Some hotels/motels have laundry rooms too with coin-op machines. They may or may not have soap the the laundromat, but you can get that in any grocery store or drug store - many convinience stores too.

You'll want more long pants for California and some sort of sweatshirt, fleece, and/or sweater - probably a light jacket for layering. The only place you may see rain is NYC, and it will be way to hot to wear a rain jacket, so leave that at home.

San Francisco can be cold in the summer, you will want some kind of warm jacket. I might drop a few summer dresses and add capri pants instead of jeans, which weigh too much and take too long to dry. Plus the shorter length of a capri pant keeps the cuffs from getting dirty.

I can't give you good hints on packing, but I can say I like your idea of using laundry facilities. When DH and I used to go to Key Largo regularly, our hotel had washers and dryers available, so we'd get a bottle of wine to share and it put a whole new outlook on the project along with clean clothes when we got home. Do it!!

Are you flying from NYC to SF? It is possible to take 2 trains (changing in Chicago) and see a whole lot more of the country than flying over it. After you turn in your rental car in Oakland, you can fly back to one of the NYC area airports.
Don't even think of driving the whole route with a car you rent in NYC.
Ask at the front desk of your hotel about nearby laundry facilities.

A warm sweater or jacket is a must in San Francisco. You might also want it for our restaurants and other indoor venues in July and August. Air conditioning is ubiquitous and sometimes set on frigid. Jeans are fine if you don't mind waiting for them to dry, but I would add another option for long pants. You might want something that could take you from day into evening on a cool or rainy day when your sundress is too light.

We have just finished a 2 month road trip in the US. One thing I would do differently is take fewer wardrobe staples...socks, shirts, underwear...because we found laundry machines to be easily accessible in virtually every hotel/motel we stayed in. Probably I didn't notice before because I wasn't looking,and tended to stay In business hotels. We ended up buying our own detergent because we preferred it, and the quality of the machines was variable, but finding them was never a problem.

New York will be warm (80s) or hot (90s) and possibly humid. But everything - including buses and subways have AC.

You will not find many laundromats in Manhattan - since much isn't residential. And New Yorkers have a habit of having everything done for them including delivery and possibly pick up. Most residences that are too old to have individual washers/driers in each apartment have communal laundry rooms either on each floor or in the basement. Nevertheless many people simply send their laundry to the cleaners (not to be cleaned - but to be washed and folded and delivered). Your hotel will tell you where to find this service nearby. (As long as I can remember - more than 40 years - my dad dropped his shirts at the cleaners - but for washing and pressing - two weeks at a time. And we were NOT well to do. That's just how it's done.)

Or - I beleive some chain hotels may even have washers and driers for guests.

"You will not find many laundromats in Manhattan - since much isn't residential."
However, if you head to a residential neighborhood, you'll find plenty of laundromats. I live in the East Village and can think of four self-service laundromats within a five-minute walk of my home. Many of the buildings in this neighborhood are so old that there are no laundry facilities at all in many apartment buildings, so there are definitely laundromats. After you decide on a hotel, you can google laundromats in the area. ou'll have to decide if you want laundry service or self-service.

The weather reports already mentioned are accurate. I would skip the jeans as well for something maybe lighter - but then again, I'd only wear shorts if it was me :) Laundromats are everywhere and as mentioned, also available in most motels/hotels. NYC might be the only issue if you're staying in Manhattan (where many tourists do), though since you're only there for a few days before and a few days after, you may not need any laundry done.

I also suspect like many UK visitors, you plan on doing some clothes shopping while here and will probably have nice new things to wear :)

America has become much more casual in the past 15 years and almost any attire has become acceptable... lose some of the dresses, add capris and shorts and buy a souvenier hoodie when you get here... flats and comfortable shoes... if it rains, grab a trash bag... most Americans won't even notice...

Sorry to disagree with you here garyt22 but, Dresses are so pratical and versatile and they are a complete 1 piece outfit so take up less space in a suitcase.

People will notice if you're wearing a trash bag in the rain. They might not care, but they'll notice.

A lot of hotels have Washing Machine and Dryers.

I'm one who always takes a pair of jeans, I usually wear them on the plane as I don't like to have bare legs against the seat and they often have the temperature cooler there.. They will also be more comfortable on the coast road when it might be foggy or windy and cool. For shoes wear your largest pair, for me that's usually sneakers.

If people start wearing trash bags when it rains - believe me - they will look ridiculous anywhere - or be mistaken for a homeless person., If you don;t feel like bringing a folding umbrella with you - and I do on any trip - if you encounter a rain storm hop into any drugstore - they'll have them on sale near the door.

And in NYC most hotels do NOT have washers and driers. And there are very few laundromats in midtown - where most people stay. Although I'm sure you can find some places that will do it for you. And I live in a residential area uptown - and I know of only one laundromat --which is at leat 9 block away - IMHO too far to haul laundry through the street. We too have a lot of older buildings (1890 to 1900) and most have laundry rooms in the basement - perhaps since they are mostly co-op rather than rental.

It will be hot everywhere but San Francisco, which can be particularly chilly in July. You will need long pants, a sweater, and possibly a jacket in SF.

Pack enough clothes for 8 days, and just plan your laundry stops when you have time or when you need clean clothes. Bring one pair of whatever you consider moderately dressy so you can go out and feel comfortable. Try to limit yourself to two pairs of shoes, one pair of every day walking shoes and one pair that is comfortable enough for everyday wear but will do for a night out. Everything should fit in a standard 22-inch suitcase (the largest true carry-on size for most U.S. planes).

the poster is only spending 3 days in NYC and won't need a laundromat until the next portion of their trip... the trash bag was a joke... but pack a few to carry the dirty laundry... and for formal dinners...

Thank you all once again. garyt22 your trashbag comment really made me laugh - as I have infact done that many times in a rain emergency. If it keeps you dry what the heck!!! I will give the capri pants some thought tho. My jeans are not really jeans but jeggings which are a little lighter and dry easier. Most of the heavier items I will probably wear for the journey to the US.

vivid01 - yes I will be taking advantage of clothes shopping while I am there. Hence why I want to keep the suitcase contents weight to a minimum


Bowsprit - that was my line of thinking too. The dresses I am taking are really light and are one item as opposed to many tops and bottoms.
Apart from the LA beach areas where would it be appropriate to wear shorts? Hadn't thought of packing them.

Lots of people will wear shorts in LV and Grand Canyon.

I personally don't look good in shorts (no matter what, I end up looking like a summer camp counselor - LOL) so I never bring them unless we are hiking. Capris, skirts, and dresses are my go-to choices for summer (when not in SF, of course). There are a lot of cute dresses this season and they are really popular.

And I agree that finding a laundrymat in NYC should be a non-issue since you won't be there long.

Shorts are acceptable anywhere really - except in churches :) Since you are planning on shopping in the U.S., I would only bring a few days worth of clothing and keep the extra room for your new stuff. Might be worth noting that anything is more expensive in NYC and SF, save your shopping trip for the drive through smaller cities in California. If you like good fashion at lower prices, look for Premium Mall outlets online.

LA coastal areas will also be foggy enough that you may not want to wear those summer dresses. Toss one dress and pack a pair of capris.

It's true that you won't really need to do laundry during your two stints in NYC. But if you do and you're staying in "midtown west", you'll find plenty of them west of 8th Ave in Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea. They are also easy to find on the east side south of 34th Street and east of Park Ave. Plug your hotel location into google maps and then do a "search nearby" for laundromats.

In NYC, you might want to poke your head into Century 21, our discount emporium in the financial district. It's legendary! :) Dresses, skirts, short shorts and flip flops are all very popular attire here at the moment, and I'm sure will just get more so as the weather continues to heat up. (So far it's been a very cool, damp spring.) Though I'm not a fan of flip flops on city concrete, myself!

1) it will be hot (to you from UK, for sure) in L.A. It will be very hot in Las Vegas.

2) You could use lots of deodorant and perfume if you want to smell as sweet as you are and not do laundry. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a laundromat in L.A. more or less depending on where you stay.

Many laundromats in So Cal have "fluff and fold" service. You drop off your laundry one day and pick it up a day or two later folded or on hangers. The charge is by the pound, but maybe different for dresses, I wouldn't know.

and

1) It will be dry in L.A. It will be very dry in L.V.

2) If you use the fluff & fold then your clothing will probably be odorless. :( But here are some options to odorize and, not being liquid, would allow keeping it in your carry-on when flying:
http://www.divinecaroline.com/112927...soaps-scents-n

The high temperature in Santa Monica and London tomorrow are forecast to be the same.

Google "JUNE GLOOM". It persists throughout the summer. I always laugh at tourists who pay high summer rates to stay near the beach so they can sit there in the fog.

However it should be hot enough at Disneyland for the shorts and dresses, just bring the hoodie and a warm blanket to the beach.

I quite like the idea of "fluff and fold".

Thanks for the shopping advice, have heard Century 21 is a good place to go. First few days in NYC are for sightseeing, the shopping will happen on the last coupla days if I haven't already filled my case in CA. We are staying in the Washington Square area in NYC.

November_moon - i know what you mean about shorts. I normally only wear them on beach and pool hols.

Is LA really likely to be foggy too? I was hoping for some California sun and hopefully a tan to go home with.

Forever 21. Century 21 is a real estate company.

Forever 21 is a bit like H&M

You may have to go inland to find sun, it will be sunnier in Hollywood, downtown, the Valley, inland Anaheim. Try to schedule your sunning hours at the beach for the afternoon, that is the best chance that the sun may break through. But you may still want that blanket as it gets windy in the PM.

Wrong - Century 21 in Manhattan is the first and biggest of the discount clothes stores.

I doubt you'll see fog in LA, but you may see some smog. There will undoubtedly be fog in San Francisco, particularly in the morning and at night ... and elsewhere depending on where you're staying. In the places you're visiting, unless the weather is unusual, you'll see a lot of sunshine and clear skies. But I remember one July 4 when we had thick fog in NYC, so nothing is out of the question.

The nice thing is that you will be in major areas where shopping is easy. So if you find that you need more clothing on the trip, you can always buy it.

San Francisco's weather can be 'raw'. Long pants will be great or leggings under a dress will be fine.

Shorts in NYC? blech, not so much. The thought of putting bare legs onto a bus or subway seat makes me want to shudder.

About the Pacific <u>Coast</u> Highway: you might as well start getting used to calling it "the PCH".

Average HIGH temps for July:
Santa Monica Pier - 71 F
Santa Monica - 74 F
Los Angeles UCLA - 77 F
Los Angeles - 83 F

according to weatherbase. I would wager that the temps at SM temps would vary less from the average less than LA.

Jeans are fine to take. I took 2 pairs of jeans on my last trip and a pair of pants that I never wore.

Instead of dresses, you may consider taking just a couple of skirts and tops. It would offer you more options. You're tees would go with jeans and skirts. A nice sweater or fleece for SF.

Are you hiking into the Grand Canyon? Or just standing at the rim?

Ditch the rain jacket.

How many shoes are you taking?

<i>Forever 21. Century 21 is a real estate company.</i>

This is not incorrect. However, as sf said, in the NY metro area, Century 21 - unrelated to the real estate market - is a famous discount store. (Forever 21 is also unrelated, another clothing store chain geared to, you guessed it, young women.)

Staying near Washington Square is a great area to be in, a real neighborhood. Lucky you!

Thank you for the clarification ggreen. I can imagine someone in LA asking for the nearest Century21 office and being greeted by the yellow jackets.

We are having a very gloomy summer so far. The weather in San Francisco is better! I have played golf in early August in Rancho Palos Verdes and had the fog so heavy that it drips from the golf cart. But the natural air conditioning does keep the temps cooler near the coast.

MLB, since you're a golfer, you've probably seen the Open on TV, and can see that we're having spectacular weather! In fact, we're in Tahoe this weekend and OMG it could not be more gorgeous -sunny and 80s.

Lsky - I will be wearing deck type shoes to travel (lighter than sneakers), Berkanstock type sandals and 1 pair of "strappy" sandals with heels. Not hiking if we make it to GC, just a touristy look around the rim. Also in a quandary as to whether to do the West Rim and Skywalk or the South Rim.

I was thinking of flying from LA to Vegas and then coach trip to GC but I have seen that you can do a coach trip from LA to GC. Methinks LA to GC would be a long long coach trip.

So from what most people have said I should be looking at stopping off at Monteray, Pismo and Santa Barbara for a coupla nights each on the way to LA?

Do the South Rim, hands down the better option. West Rim is a tourist trap, expensive and not worth the time/money to get there just to walk on the Skywalk.

LA to the Grand Canyon is at least 8 hours. Vegas to GC is 5 hours. So definitely the trip from Vegas is shorter but you'd have to factor in the flight to Vegas and time spent sitting at LAX before your flight. Overall I think total travel time would be about the same whether you choose to take a coach trip from LA to GC or if you flew from LA to LV and then took a coach trip to GC.

sf7307 I have been kicking myself for not buying tickets.

I agree with Bubba, that golf course is too hard. I played once at the Presidio course shortly after it opened to the public and that was enough for me (and the two better golfers that I was paired with).

Sorry to hijack your thread lynntigon.

I am not sure if I would spend several nights in Santa Barbara AND Pismo. They are quite close to each other. For me one night in each is enough!