MercurialMal t1_j9c7ajg wrote on February 20, 2023 at 9:20 PM

Taking a gander at a tide chart would have saved y’all some heartache. I’ve lived near the coast for a lot of years and something I’ve never understood is why people pack up everything and the kitchen sink to go to the beach for an hour, two at the most.

Apply sunscreen at the car. Have each kid carry their own towel and toy. Mom and dad carry an umbrella, their own towels, and a jug of water. Done. Makes it far less of a hassle and you can easily make multiple trips back out in a day. Mid morning and late afternoon.

meontheinternetxx t1_j9cj9ua wrote on February 20, 2023 at 10:41 PM

If you're already staying/living reasonably close to the beach, you can even apply sunscreen at home/the hotel. I always prefer this over a sandy beach or a hot busy parking lot, if it's possible.

Of course, you may still have to reapply after swimming, it is what it is

shotathewitch t1_j9en23g wrote on February 21, 2023 at 10:50 AM

I agree. A wagon full of stuff is too much stuff for the beach. Just the basics, and especially if you have small children, don't stay all day long. It's way less of a headache because by the time you leave, everybody is grumpy from being over exhausted, hot, and sticky. Plus, as we just read, you still have all this stuff to drag back to your vehicle. That's the thing that gets me. If it's a hassle to get all that stuff unloaded and out to where you decide is a good spot, it's always going to be much worse hauling it all back. I get the showers not working and causing big frustration. That was out of OP's control. I've had that happen once, and that was ridiculously frustrating. Hopefully, this trip will be a learning experience for them, so next time, it won't be quite as bad. Big difference when it's a lighter load.