When you feel the call of the ocean, you know what that means: it’s time to start planning your next seaside getaway. But you don’t have to be at sea to enjoy a vacation near the water. You can play at the beach, visit maritime museums, walk around a commercial boatyard, hang out at the hotel pool, or jump into a flurry of water sports on or near shore.
Here are 5 ways to enjoy your next seaside escape with or without the kids and grandkids:
1) Go fly a kite. Sure you can sit and watch the waves roll in, but to kick the fun factor up a notch:
- Bring your favorite beach toys.
- Build a sandcastle.
- Finally learn how to launch and land a kite. Oh – and keep it airborne, too!
- Go beachcombing.
- Join in a beach volleyball game.
Whatever you do, make sure you go barefoot and squish the sand between your toes.
2) Visit a maritime museum.
You can wander through the exhibits or join in the interactive activities. You might even get to:
- Explore the inside of a pilothouse or the engine room of a tugboat.
- Listen to mariners tell their tales of harrowing adventures at sea.
- See ship models and artifacts.
- Blow a ship’s whistle.
- Try your hand at boat building.
3) Explore a working boatyard. If you don’t normally hang out in a boatyard, you’re in for a real treat when you wander among the works-in-progress. You might:
- See search-and-rescue vessels docked nearby.
- Watch a boat crew lower their yacht into the water to test its seaworthiness.
- Ask a crew member how they came up with the name for their wooden classic.
- Observe a boat crew rebuilding their salmon troller.
- Order fish and chips at the mariner cafe.
4) Be a lounge lizard at the hotel pool.
Dip your toes in or dive deep when it’s time to cool off.
- Swim.
- Take a nap.
- Catch up on your reading.
- Have an appetizer and a frou-frou drink.
- Join a water exercise class – although that sort of defeats the purpose of being a lounge lizard.
You are wearing sunscreen, aren’t you? Don’t forget your sunglasses and straw hat, too.
5) Plunge into water sports: Choose a sport to match your desired activity level. Scuba diving, anyone? Alternatively, you could:
- Go horseback riding on the beach.
- Hug the shore in a kayak.
- Rent a beach cruiser bike or boogie board. (I didn’t say you have to use it.)
- See how long you can stay upright on a stand up paddle surfing board.
- Why not go for the gusto and try parasailing?
A seaside vacation has something for everyone. What’s your vision for the perfect seaside getaway, Wanderboomers?
