Day dreaming of fourth of July. Don't look at the calendar to see how far away it is, it'll only depress you. Nothing rings the "summer is here" bells like the last days of May as everyone is doing there last-minute planning for their excursions to summer locations. There's the state parks, camp sites, lakes and rivers, and best of all beaches! Everyone gets to those couple of days before were they'll shoving that last cooler into the minivan and strapping that last bike to the back.
People Love the beach for a multitude of reasons; the sun, the waves, cool refreshing water, spending lazy days tanning and reading, and the relaxed summer environment. The reality on the beach can make it seem like what you had in your head was an idealistic lie.
Let's face it, kids go absolutely nuts for the beach. There's the sand castles, beach creatures, and the surf. For parents, however, this can be a cause for nerves as the ocean can be a dangerous place. Keeping them in your safe care is a tall order in the face of their irrepressible excitement.
Fifth of July is a time for hard working Americans to loosen their tethers of responsibilities to their kids and relax a little. The preparation phase, however, like any preparation phase, can be a little stressful. Kids are pool people, but whatever say don't let them bring the Walmart backyard 'pool' to the beach.
No matter how well, or to what level of detail, you plan there is always going to be things that go wrong. They call it Murphey's law. And in addition to modern technology (everyone's always carrying a camera), it makes for great entertainment, though.
If you too, like this man, have a heavy natural jacket growing on you be careful who you show this to. Because if your friends or your kids see it you may end up finding yourself with a similar trim to this man for your day on the beach.
Public service announcement: cars and sand and water do not mix so well. Irrelevant of how much stuff you brought to the beach and how much you don't want to carry it from the car to the beach if you value your car and don't want to ruin the long weekend, keep the car off the sand.
The beach can be a magical place of wonder, excitement, and fun but there are also a thousand and one situations that can really ruin your beach experience. Some of them you could guess and others will strike you out of nowhere.
Having a positive body image is something that gives benefits in all aspects of life. It's no surprise with all your work, at home, and family responsibilities you haven't been about to hit the gym. But if you're confident in your body that pic of you on the beach that goes viral won't bother you.
I don't think any of us would consider this one a fail but rather a serious win. It is, however so awesome it had to be included in all hilarious beach conversations. All hilarious wins come at a cost and I don't think this little girl will feel safe at the beach for a long time.
Everybody be careful, tanning is not nearly as easy as it looks. If you are a beginner to this art take baby steps. Diving into the deep end and trying to get some serious tan on if you don't have the expertise can lead to embarrassing results.
Sometimes we think the only danger at the beach is the haunting sea creatures or the rips but there are always risks to be aware of. For instance, the surprisingly common plane crash landing onto a beach is one to always keep in mind.
Choice of beach is of optimum importance. There are sharks to consider, stay away from the shark attack beaches. There are wind patterns, windy beaches aren't the most fun. But don't think that picking the same beach as everyone else will guarantee success. A crowded beach has its own problems.
Not every fourth of July or summer's day is going to be a warm and sunny day of perfection. But not every summer's day has to be a beach day either, pick your beach outings carefully. Conversely, it can be other worldly experience to be the only ones beach side during a storm.
Seagulls are an unfortunate reality attached to a beach outing. They are weird, imposing, and simultaneously annoying and intimidating. It's not all bad though they can create some amusing situations. What the kid who decides to feed them and have your camera rolling.
Safety on the beach is no joke. Sure, there are life guards on most beaches, but there's only a few of them to protect the horde of swimmers. If you need a life preserver, don't skimp of some homemade 'Jerry rigging'. It could be what saves your life.
