Beach Bums | Pad Patter 6.15.18

I grew up in Michigan, which means lots of water and LOTS of shoreline (only Alaska beats MI in miles of shoreline). It makes you blind to what a "normal amount" of beaches might be. Anyway, we would go to my aunt and uncle's cottage on a lake or take our boat on Lake Michigan or just on the private lake where my parents live (they aren't on the water, but have access to it). IDK if I'd call myself a beach bum, but growing up my summers did revolve around water.

Now, I've been once to a beachfront city here, but we went for lunch lol! We didn't even touch the water, but we did walk along the beach.

@jenn mccabe Go get screened! I don't want to tell you what to do, but I am telling you what to do lol! It's better to get screened now so your dr has a baseline. Your dr can also tell you what moles/freckles/etc to watch, or what shouldn't be a problem. I go every year and it's easy peasy. I've had a few things removed--my first when I was 11. Not because I worshiped the sun, but because apparently my body likes to grow funky-looking moles. Super fun...

 

I love the beach! So much so that we are planning to move to Sarasota, FL next year. My husband grew up there and has always dreamed of moving back when he retired.

 

I love the ocean and beach, but hubby is not a fan. We have vacationed at the beach many times and I am doing good to get him down to the shore once per vacation for a hour or two. We live 2 hours from the ocean, so many people here drive to the beach for a day. We also have a lot of nice big lakes in the area with beaches - I rarely go to those too.

Several people mentioned Myrtle Beach - we like to go off-season (Fall) or early-season (March). Water is not warm, but there are a whole lot less people. The Outer Banks are also very cool, but very busy during the summer.

Overall, I probably like the mountains better than the beach. The closest ones (Appalachian) are 4 hours away.

 

I know!And I appreciate you saying this! TY

 

I am all about "studying". I have lived in South Carolina, most of the time within an hour to the beach and enjoyed going. My in-laws are in SC, so every visit we would head over to Myrtle Beach for a day with the kiddos, but it was always a chore. Get everything together, spend a few hours at the beach, and then worry about all the sand in the car and the tired, hungry, and now cranky, kiddos. That all changed last summer. We rented a house a block and a half from the beach in North Myrtle Beach. I LOVED IT!!! I was so relaxed on the beach with my kiddos, we spent hours building sand castles and sculptures, and I was present the whole time because I was not worrying about packing everything back up and all the sand and dinner. We could just walk back to the house and there was a lovely shower outside on the ground level to wash all the sand off before we even went in the house. If someone was tired or needed the restroom, they could go back to the house. I am a beach person now. We are headed back to the same house this summer.

 

I'm a water person - Beach, Bay, River, Lake, LOVE it all! Even a pool! While I may not swim in it a lot, I love the atmosphere, air, and it usually reflects fun and downtime. Sign me up!

Good thing I'm in NJ, and there are oodles of beaches, bays, lakes and waterways! We visit often!

 

My ambition in life, as a teenager, was to become a Beach Bum in Tahiti! Then I met Dave, and plans changed! Growing up in the Seattle area, I have always been surrounded by water. Once or twice a year we'd drive over to the ocean beaches for our "fix." But, of course, too cold for being IN the water. Love the eternity of the sea. I surfed a couple of times in Hawaii, and could have gotten hooked on that. And I never thought I could be happy without an ocean beach nearby. But that all went out the window when I discovered Arizona...DRY heat...very little rain (remember, I'm a Seattle girl!), and the most gorgeous golf courses. Who needs the ocean when you've got sand traps and water hazards on a golf course?

 

We are 20 minutes from the Beach here, just like we were when we were growing up on the East Coast on Long Island. Unfortunately I too burn regardless of sunblock and I had Melanoma 12 years ago so I stay out of the sun..

the beach is not for me unless it is the fall or sundown! I can get sunburn in the shade so unfortunately I am a hermit alot during the summer.

 

lol story of my life! Both kids schools are a few blocks from the beach & they go regularly. DD did "beach games" for sport for a term last year & brought the sand back home in her shoes every week