Beach Behavior

I love beaches but I don't visit as often as I would like. When I am on a beach, it becomes an interesting study in human behavior. We picked a week day to go to the Delaware State Park beaches on the Atlantic Ocean side so it wasn't as crowded as the more popular beaches to the north. We found a place to settle on the sand close to the water because watching the water is what I like to do. The beach was a wide white stretch of sand with a kind of platform that has a slope down to the water. We like to sit at the edge of the "stage" to watch the waves crash. I noticed that a lot of people turn their chairs at an angle to the beach rather than facing the beach. It looked like rows of seagulls facing the wind. The sun was everywhere so you didn't need to face the sun for maximum rays. I wondered if it is considered correct beach etiquette not to face the water so that one doesn't appear to be leering at those going into the water. 

People take their beach umbrellas and sit in sand chairs but not many lie on their towels for the sun to toast them. Some read, some appear to be sleeping, but since most people are wearing sunglasses and hats, it is hard to tell where their attention is directed. I don't mind people watching and I do my share of that. I don't consider it staring or leering. It is understandable that parents of little kids would be ever watchful of their little ones and anyone paying them undue attention. I'm a grandmother and little kids are cute and fun, but I am cautious about appearing to be too interested in them because I am also alert to unsavory characters. 

 

Thankfully, we found that people are considerate enough to leave plenty of space between where their groups settle and they give each other a little space to enjoy the beach in a circle of privacy. It seems to be an unwritten rule that people occupy about a 20 foot diameter circle between themselves and other beach groups. That seemed to be the minimum norm on a weekday. On that particular beach, people entered the beach at the facilities/concession stand/parking lot and kept walking until they found an uncrowded area to settle. Walking in the sand is such good exercise, you can feel the muscles jumping to attention.

 

I saw no one smoking and it was discouraged even outdoors. No one brought a dog to leave poop underfoot. I didn't notice if they were banned, but they probably were banned on that beach. It was a state park with a gate stand, admission fee, and park rules were posted. We didn't hear any loud music and saw people with their earbuds enjoying their music privately. I enjoy the sound of the waves and leave the music for other places. It is nice to visit an area where people are considerate of other beach visitors.

 

beach umbrella + surf board = sailboat

I didn't observe anyone feeding the seagulls even though they were scavenging as usual. People kept their food covered until it went into their mouths because a french fry waving in the air would have been snapped up by an opportunistic gull. It was interesting that there were no garbage cans that anyone would have to keep clean or that would attract scavengers. It was understood that you take away everything you bring. It was a clean beach and I saw no garbage--plastic bottles, cigarette butts, glass or anything other than seashells. I was very appreciative of the clean, white sand. We had scouted down the coast for an hour before we decided on a place to settle. It was a good choice and worth a return visit. The whole idea is to have a quiet, relaxing day and it was that. We spent five hours enjoying the sand, surf, and water.

 

I wish I could live in one of those houses.

Where's My Beach?

Aruba

Every year before spring hits, I start thinking about beaches. I love beaches and I would love to live on a beach. I don't know if it is because they remind me of vacations and I like vacations, or if I just gravitate toward the water and surf. Maybe something primitive in my ancient brain wants to crawl back into the ocean.


"All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea -- whether it is to sail or to watch it -- we are going back from whence we came."
    John F. Kennedy, Speech given at Newport at the dinner before the America's Cup Races, September 1962


 

Magen's Bay, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Unfortunately, I would have to face all of the disadvantages of owning beach property if I wanted to live on a beach--storms, property damage from weather, or vandals if I didn't live there year-round. I know people who live near the ocean and ignore it--huh? I love the salt, the sand, the seashells and the hot sun. My collection of big brim hats and sun screen keep my skin happy. It is worth a few discomforts to relax in a beach chair under an umbrella and drag my feet through the warm sand.

 

Atlantic City, New Jersey

As much as I dislike having to get on a plane and check baggage to fly to a beach, I've done that countless times. We have sat on beaches in a lot of countries, but I like to drive to a beach. I just don't like the traffic because a lot of other people like to drive to beaches too. It is fun to pack up the sand chairs, umbrellas, hats, coolers and drag all of it from the car to the beach. I have to give some quality time to considering where I want to sit on a beach first this season.

 

Labadee, Haiti

My special beach would have dramatic, crashing surf; clean, coarse, white sand; and miles to walk along the beach in the surf. My favorite beach would have some people, but crowded beaches don't appeal to me. I'm okay with a little leisurely tropical music coming from a straw hut beach bar, but I'm okay without it. I'd rather listen to the seagulls. I like beaches where I can read, or meditate, or watch the surf and feel peaceful.  

Cape May, New Jersey

“You can tell all you need to about a society from how it treats animals and beaches.”

-- Frank Deford

August in Atlantic City

We day trippers in my region find this month to be a great time to drive east to the coast and Atlantic City is the closest shore point but not as the crow flies. Southern New Jersey is expressway-challenged in the east to west directions so we Pennsylvania natives cross the nearest bridge over the Delaware River and head south-east on the Atlantic City Expressway. When traffic is good, which isn't guaranteed in the summer, it takes about an hour to drive to the coast.

 

Atlantic City offers beautiful, wide, well-tended beaches and is one of the few free beaches in New Jersey (Some charge for beach tags). The Atlantic Ocean has beautiful surf and nice crashing waves at times, for anyone addicted to the sounds of the shore. We like to look at beaches but find the boardwalk and the mall to be fun also. Atlantic City is very crowded during the summer with tourists on the boardwalk, in the casinos, on the beach and in the mall.

 

The three floor mall that stretches far into the ocean on a pier located across the boardwalk from Caesar's Hotel/Casino contains some unique shops(LeSportsac) and restaurants(Phillips Seafood). Along one side of the mall are floor to ceiling windows to overlook the ocean and the boardwalk. 







Visitors can have a sanitized beach experience in air conditioned, bug-free comfort by sitting in the Adirondack chairs and sinking their bare feet into the sand. Restaurants are located behind this area so diners can enjoy their lunch and the ocean at the same time.

 

Entertainment is as close as the end of this mall/pier with an outside deck to view the ocean and the rows of casinos. Also at the end of the pier is an indoor dancing fountain show stretching three floors up, complete with colored lights and lively music for about seven minutes beginning every hour. Restaurants also line the boardwalk and our favorite is Pickles, open only in the summer. They serve bowls of assorted pickles for appetizers, and ten-inch tall slices of cakes for dessert. Who cares about the main course!

 

The casinos are a big draw for tourists, and a small part of the Atlantic City experience for us. We like to spend a half hour to an hour on a few of our favorite slots. There are so many different casinos and interesting sights, it is just part of the variety of the day. The music from the beach bars drifts up to the boardwalk and the long walk up and down the boardwalk is a never ending parade of people just walking and enjoying the weather. That is about all of the activity we can pack into a day but not the end of the many activities available with beaches and communities stretching north and south. It is never boring at the Jersey Shore.

Beaches Well Loved

As springtime segues into summer and Memorial Day approaches, the need for a beach becomes a craving to be satisfied only by grainy sand and warm, salty breezes. The sounds of the seagulls and the crashing waves from far away storms at sea echo from years past.

It's time to find an old swimsuit that fits, or find a new one that reminds me that I can still wear a swimsuit without inciting a trail of giggles. The lure of the waves is too compelling to avoid. Fill the beach bag with the latest thriller plot, sunscreen smelling of coconut oil, a bag for seashells, and a beach towel bigger than I. Those over-sized, Jackie O. sunshades are a must.  A dermatologist-approved sunhat, sand chair, and umbrella complete the supplies. 

Hours must be spent gazing at rolling waves of surf. Walks in racing foam on hot sand yields shells of mysterious sea life. Thinking of nothing for days on end renews the spirit more than a good night's sleep. The lazy days of lounging, napping, reading and sun gazing are rewards for a year well-spent.