I love the beach. I used to go to Cape Cod every summer with my parents before my mom got sick. Cape Cod has wonderful beaches!

Last year I was feeling like I needed a good beach visit so I researched what’s good in the area that’s not so far, where there are good waves (CT is close but there are not good waves due to Long Island being off the coast). I came up with a wonderful beach in Rhode Island. There are not many chain hotels in the area, just mostly local ones (which, I always feel, can be hit or miss). The one chain hotel in the area was a Hampton Inn and it was over $250 a night. Now I googled for August (which is when we went last year) and it’s over $300 a night. I really would like to do a few days there, like a long weekend, but it just kills me to spend that much on a hotel. I’m torn between feeling like I should just do it and feeling like over a thousand dollars is a lot of money to spend on a long weekend, just for lodging alone.

There are beaches in CT and we may do a day or two here and there. I went last year with my daughter on a week day and it was almost eerie, the beach was so empty. I really like waves so a beach without waves is not much fun, to me.

Yes!

I had a beach vacation in Mexico. Lots of swimming and snorkeling.

I have also been to the beach a few times in Northern California, but haven’t gone in the water. Too cold!

I live a mile from the ocean and have been to the beach about 4 – 6 times so far this summer which is somewhat less than usual. Weather is great this week; I was down yesterday and plan to go again later this afternoon.

I love oceans and beaches and have visited them multiple times this summer, but I think it’s been years since I’ve swum in one.

Having lived either on Long Island or in Florida our whole lives, dozens of Atlantic Ocean visits were always fun (even though I am not much of a ‘beach guy’).

Last week, while visiting our daughter’s little family in Chicago, we went to the beach on Lake Michigan for the first time. Very nice. Our little grandson played in the sand, and we only put our feet in the water….well…..just because…..

Those Chicagoans seem to have a high appreciation for the beach this time of year, probably because of those bastard winters they all must endure…..

The less direct sunlight I have to expose myself to, the better.
Also most people have disgusting bodies. No need to subject myself to that kind of aesthetic abuse.

Yes, I love the beach, but I’m very fair skinned and blonde haired and skin cancer runs in my family, so I have to be covered head to toe when I go. When I was a teenager, my friends and I spent most days at the beach and were tan all year round. At least 2 of my friends have already had cancer. I used to swim back then, but I pretty much stay out of the water now. Even the strongest sunscreen doesn’t do much for me, plus I always find the water to be way too cold, even on the hottest days. A couple of my friends and I love to walk on the beach, though. I’m the one wearing long pants and carrying an umbrella.

I love the beach, but haven’t had access to a salt water beach since I was a kid.
HOWEVER we found a lake in Oklahoma that has, and I’m not even kidding, SAND down by a lot of places by the water. It’s natural sand, too. Man. What a relief from the the pebbles and rocks we have by the water in Kansas.
It was so great to walk through that warm sand and wiggle my toes.

I’ve walked on the beach twice since winter.

@Kardamom

I’m extremely fairskinned as well, but sunscreen still works for me. Do you still get sunburn even if you use sunscreen?

Nope just trying to get back to some kind of normal after being evacuated, then returning and seeing all the mountains around our town still on fire.
The beach just feels like a distant dream.

I’m at the beach now.

@rockfan, I get sunburned after about 10 minutes in the sun, while using #50 sunscreen : (

Also, sunscreen makes my face break out.

I have to wear a hat and sunglasses and long sleeves and long pants whenever I go out in the sun, and often use an umbrella.

I like looking at the beach and walking on beaches, but not swimming in the ocean. I can’t remember visiting a beach since the start of the year. I’m sure I’ll visit lots over the coming weeks.

Went to a ceremony in San Diego last week and spent time on the beach.

Been to a pool a few times with the grand kids, but not an actual beach. Too damn far to drive, nearest decent beach is South Padre. Drive down there with a car full of kids? This is a joke thread, right?

@Earthbound_Misfit

How hard is it to find a beach in Oz, that doesn’t have venomous creatures lurking offshore?

LOL! There are lots of beaches, with lots of people swimming, surfing and doing other aquatic sports and there really aren’t that many shark attacks, or stone fish (one unconfirmed death in 1915), blue-ringed octopus (3 in last century), box jelly fish stings (60 over past 100 years), or other venomous creature attacks. There have been 10 shark incidents this year, only one fatal. There have been 41 snake bite deaths since 1989. Nobody has died from spider bite since 1979.

So all in all, I think we’re pretty safe. I still wouldn’t go swimming in the sea at dusk or dawn. No need to tempt fate. And there do seem to be increased numbers of sharks in some places. Perhaps that’s to do with the changing ocean temperature.

Come on over @Brian1946. I promise not to let any of the nasties bite you.

I’ll never go near a beach again, after reading that. Rather go camping a grizzly country, with dear sausage hanging over my tent flap. At least bears aren’t slimy and poisonous.

We’re tough! That was only a taste of our scary critters.

There are scarier creatures in the White House!

The ocean? One time for just a few minutes. I live kind of “far” from the beach. It’s almost 2 hours to a beach I would want to go to, while the closest ocean beach is probably 1.5 hours. 20 minutes from me there is a lake beach, but I wouldn’t go in a lake here.

I have yes, get the occasional funny look when Carstairs dries my bottom but put that down to jealousy…mostly.

No, sadly not. I’ve pretty much been a beach girl for 40 years. It’s been a bad summer this year in Scotland. To me, it feels more like winter back home.