Im sick of the extreme forced positivity around beach vacations. “Wow, you are really in heaven” “You must feel so relaxed and happy!” Actually I’m not, I’m bored and uncomfortable, my family is driving me insane, I have a headache from the sun and I just want to go home.
I keep trying to please my family who want to go on vacations with me that don’t involve camping or a nice hotel in a beautiful city, but I can’t keep up the charade. I think beach vacations are the worst of all worlds.
There isn’t really much to do and the activities that are available often involve a lot of coordinating people, pressure to really ENJOY, getting dehydrated and/or sunburnt. The elements are just kind of harsh and there is so much out of your control around the weather which impacts your day so totally. Also beach tourists are truly the worst people in the world – everyone is totally self absorbed in their own pleasure and extremely entitled to a fabulous time oblivious to those around them. Things are either very crowded or difficult to get to with few shade options/food options.
When I’m camping in my van I am self contained and the forest mellows everything and there isn’t much to do or plan because your options are pretty limited – go on a walk, make some food, clean up, make a fire, etc. but everything feels peaceful and remote. Also camping neighbors are usually good neighbors.
Alternatively, when you are in a city there are lots of good options no matter the weather or your mood and ways to stay physically active and comfortable. The people around you in the city are a big part of absorbing the culture and getting to know a place.
When you go on a beach vacation you pay a lot of money to fly and stay somewhere beautiful, there is a lot of pressure to ENJOY THE BEACH and then if it’s rainy or cold or you got sunburnt or your stepmother truly won’t stop needling you then it’s fucking annoying. Camping the stakes are so low, you pay 35 dollars a night for a reservation and I have so much more control over my experience – everything is simple and any small joy is appreciated. Everyone is dirty and no one cares.
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Camping is just homeless cosplay. Beach vacations are legit
Don’t forget cancer.
Since British people started taking beach holidays in the Mediterranean in the 1970s, rates of skin cancer have increased x7.
I’m with you. I can do maybe half a day at a beach, max. It gets dull.
>there is a lot of pressure to ENJOY THE BEACH
I just go to the beach, sit on the sand and drink/eat whatever I like without causing inconvenience to anyone.
If I’m bored I just go to a different place in the same town and occasionally use the long windy beach walk.
What’s wrong with that?
Even if we’re in a beach resort, we only spend maybe two half days lounging on the beach during the trip. We do a lot of other stuff in whatever location it is including exploring the city, doing outdoor activities, sightseeing, and seeing nature/wildlife. Boat tours and snorkeling can also be a lot of fun.
I hate camping so I have to disagree with you here lol I just feel bored, uncomfortable, itchy from bug bites, and dirty and want to go home. At least on a beach vacation, if I’m sick of it I can go jump in their fancy pool or hot tub, go back to my air conditioned room and shower, go to the spa, have amazing food prepared by chefs, cocktails, etc.
I have to say, after a couple of days, it does get boring and repetitive.
I love camping and the beach. Maybe you would feel differently if your family wasn’t “driving you insane.”
Huh… you know what I’m with you on this one. Swimming in the ocean is nice but everything else is just sort of a headache.
So the beach is terrible because there’s not much to do (wild, but whatever), but camping is great because there’s basically nothing to do. I don’t know man, be a little more proactive with your vacation and maybe you’d enjoy it more.
Or you can visit Versatile Islands.
For example, Puerto Rico has beaches, but theres mountainous cool regions where you can solo camp with a camper. It’s all about location.
I could say the same for St. Maarten
Agree. Thats why i never do it
My coworkers hear me complain about my upcoming yearly beach vacation’ every year.
We go to the beach on vacation twice a year. We hardly even step on the beach. It’s the boardwalk and pool for us.
Kids love messing with the sand and the water. Kids happy, I happy.
I enjoy sitting on the beach for short periods of time, but I would not center a vacation around it. I’m in Piran, Slovenia right now. I plan to drink a beer on the beach sometime today but my trip to the country is mostly focused on seeing the cities and hiking in the alps.
100% agree. Beaches never seem exciting. Just sand and water. Also I live next to a small beach on a river, so it’s nothing new to me. But I like to go with friends, and I get enjoyment out of their enjoyment.
It surely is if you have a lot of long hair. Sand gets everywhere, looks dandruff and may take more than a few days to get it off.
I think this is an unpopular opinion. For majority, beach vacations are fun, relaxing, a no-brainer, and easy. But, it also depends on who you go with. I have always gone to beach vacations with a boyfriend.
Pros – Need less clothes, less packing/ luggage, outdoor activity friendly weather, more water sports, can sleep in late, have more time in the night, enjoy beer, sunsets, flipflops work, and you are not freezing, indoors, and trying to survive after sunset.
Cons – It is hot, and you get tanned ( in strange patterns/ depending on the clothes you wear)
For me it kinda depends — some days the beach feels perfect, other times i just want trees, quiet, and no expectations
different trips for different moods.
I hate the beach as well. It gets old after ten minutes. I hate being hot and I hate sand and in general, I agree, beach culture is lacking. Sorry babe, you’ve got yourself a popular opinion
Why don’t you try going on a beach vacation that is fun?
The beach is great when you surf I think
I don’t like sand
I feel your pain.
The only reason I go is because my toddler adores lake and seaswimming.
Living so close to the beach honestly has made me forget about the concept of a beach vacation
At least on the beach I won’t be dirty and smell like shit unlike camping
Man I’m so sorry your family is stressing you out this bad. Nothing sucks more than using vacation days just to be miserable in a different place.
Maybe try all inclusive where you can lay near pool or even in hotel if you want and just do nothing.
It being boring is kinda the point. No responsibilities, no schedule, no rush. Just go with the flow and enjoy being bored. You’ll kinda start missing work and then it’s nicer to go back.
I’m with you, OP. I don’t like the heat. I don’t like getting dirty. I don’t relax around other people. The beach is not for me. I don’t understand why beach people are so desperate to get non-beach people to like it.
L take
I live in Hawaii and I agree with your comments particularly for the beaches that are crowded by tourists. But the nice “local” beaches are not too bad.
When I have in-laws over we don’t go to the beach all the time, gotta break it up so it’s not all same-same. We can go to one beach with the intent of grilling food together, as if we’re camping. Next day, beach would be touristy with good snorkeling spots. Next day, take a break and do your own thing. Then go to another one that’s more beach park and people watch. Next time they come over, FIL wants to rent a boat and fish.
I assume you’re talking about the nice resort type of beach vacation. Maybe find other spots nearby that has some other activity like beach volleyball, snorkel, or even camping by the beach! Though as others said, seems more like you don’t like the company you’re with rather than the beach itself. Good luck!
Do you read? I could very happily spend a day or two on a beach reading, drinking and snacking. My husband doesn’t read so he gets ‘bored’ that I’m not playing with him. Different strokes for different folks
As somebody with a lifelong, completely irrational, but overwhelming fear of the sea, beach vacations have been a hell for me since I was a kid. I also burn easily and hate crowded places, so beach is the opposite of relaxing to me.
Are you just beached like a walrus while on the shore?
When I vacation with my gf and dog at the beach in say, Croatia, we often hike to the beach, drive to nearby little villages, check out little harbors and so on. Just going to the beach and lying there for hours is indeed boring if there are no other activities involved.
I think ‘relaxing in the sun’ is the default idea of a good time and if you don’t like that, you can sound crazy. People can have some really fixed ideas. Someone thought something was wrong with me for wanting to go to Canberra for my honeymoon – it’s inland with all museums and monuments and shit, they said.
Well, I’m an aquaphobic history geek, so you’re describing a win-win for me. Gp to Tahiti for your honeymoon.
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I really think it depends on what your regular environment looks like, who you travel with and what your hobbies are.
I have a forest once I step out of my front door, including various hiking trails and some beautiful lookout points. While camping is a different experience of course, anything forest-like is completly uninteresting for me due to the fact of seing trees literally 24/7 when looking outside.
I like beach vacations. I go outside at around 8AM with my kindle/book, read for 3-4 hours, take a short swim, grab a light lunch and then continue this the whole afternoon. Next day is basically a repeat.
My day to day life and job include a lot of mentally exhausting activities, so “just relaxing all day, every day” is my way to go.
the beach sucks for adults ..boring as hell…
I feel like a good book and a big umbrella would help this scenario.
I’m with you, dude. At least 2 weeks on the beach every year and I would rather be at home. The sun and I don’t get along, I have no interest in being wet. We’ve pretty much run out of reasons to go to the beach.
I sit under an umbrella in a lawn chair drinking gin and tonics and scrolling my phone for hours. I could sit in my house in the AC and do that on my PC in infinitely more comfort if that’s how I wanted to spend my time.
Beach vacations ain’t it.
Then don’t go?
I hate camping, but that doesn’t mean that I am unable to fathom that others like it.
Ps I dont particularly like beach vacations. I like skiing. But that is not for all either and that is ok. We are just different.
I always hated getting sand in my buttcrack so I’m kinda with you here
If you don’t enjoy the beach then you don’t know how to relax and find joy in doing absolutely nothing
Sounds like the beach isn’t really the issue here
Having a pretty stressful job in a place with above average humidity and below than average sunshine hours, I enjoy doing nothing much in the sun on a beach for about 2 weeks in a year.
I’m with you in this…I don’t love most beach vacations. At least not ocean beach vacations. Blech.
But I DO love Great Lakes beach vacations, but we usually spend like half a day SITTING at the beach and alot of days NEAR the beach like on a boardwalk or a hike.
Yes I see your point absolutely. It’s a good place to lounge take nice sun. Enjoy the ocean breeze. You cant get that anyways else to be honest
Others than that ya there’s not much else to do there. But that’s sort of the point. People go to beach vacations to do very little because they come on vacation from busy lives doing so much
If your main focus is the beach, instead of seeing what the location has to offer you’re doing the holiday wrong, make every day a unique experience and even if some of the days you do nothing but go out to the beach for an hour or two, that’s perfect.
I cannot stand the beach. Sand in every piece of clothing and sticking all over you, getting tossed around by waves, sun burnt to all hell, dehydrated, exhausted, etc.
I just dread any type of beach vacation.
„Forces positivity“ of beach vacations? Where are beach vacations being pressured and forced down your throat? I am very curious to know.
Seems like OP is just trying to fight issues that they create for themselves.
I love nothing more than to park myself on the beach by 10am and waste the day away. I go to the Caribbean every year. There is a Puerto Rican concept/term (the name escapes me) that translates to being an old person and standing in waist deep ocean water, gossiping with your friends. That’s my ideal life.
I loved the beach as a kid, but cannot stand it as an adult. Luckily when my family goes on beach vacations they usually stay at resorts, so I’m able to stay at the pool all day. I am fine taking a nice sunrise/sunset stroll on the beach, and that is IT. For me, it’s fully a comfort thing. I just want to lounge on a chair, read, eat snacks and drink iced coffees or fancy beach mocktails, nap, and play in the pool with my nieces and nephew. I love having basically nothing to do. None of these things are nice to do at the actual beach. I don’t want sand in my food or drinks. I don’t want to go into the water and have a wave throw me down, sandpaper my entire body, and fill my mouth full of gross salt water. I don’t want to have to worry about a wave taking out my little nieces and nephew, they’re all 6 and under. I don’t want to come out of the water and have all the sand stuck to my feet and legs. I dont want sand or salt water in my ears. I don’t want to be accidentally touched by a crab or a stinging jelly fish. I don’t want to step on a jagged seashell.
Also what do you even do in beach water? As a kid I liked being attacked by waves and body surfing and horsing around, but as an adult I can’t stand being knocked under water so I just stand there. In a POOL I can throw my nieces and nephews in the water, I can play with giant beach balls, I can spin the kids around and just in general have so much fun. I don’t feel safe doing any of that at the beach. Also, and I know how easy the solution to this is, I don’t have a beach chair. Pools come with chairs, beaches don’t. I don’t like laying on a towel on the beach and having my face so close to the sand. I just really, really hate sand. And I don’t want to buy a beach chair or rent one. I would rather just have a free lounger at the pool, thanks.
A nice upside though is my entire family fully disagrees with me, so I get plenty of space and alone time on vacation during the morning, and then in the afternoon when they’re over the beach, they all come join me at the pool. Its a very nice set up.
Sounds like it’s your family you hate, not the vacation.
Did you try camping beach vacation?
I support you, OP. I even grew up at the beach, like, was a full time local resident, and I’ve never been able to stand it. Then I married into a big family that expects a yearly weeklong beach vacation and I genuinely do love my in-laws but I just can’t do it. Maybe if there was anyone else (aside from my spouse) interested in exploring or doing different activities with me but they’re the ‘arrange beach chairs in a circle to chat or just sit in the sun and day drink in various amounts’ type of beach people. Which I can enjoy for like, an afternoon. I cannot do it for a whole week. If I could just sit and read a book I might be able to cope with it but I can’t because I know it’s perceived as lightly anti-social and I’m not trying to ruffle feathers.
It’s a sensory nightmare for me. I don’t like: being sandy/finding sand everywhere, dried salt on my skin or in my hair, getting hot and being unable to properly cool down, risking sunburn/having to continually think about sunblock or moving around to stay in the limited shade, the constant chatter of the thousands of other people on the same little patch of land. At a certain point I’m even sick of the sound of the waves on top of everything else. Also why is everything you bring with you to the beach always hot and or sticky to touch. Throw in some mild body confidence issues around bathing suits and therefore being the only one in a baggy coverup, and baby you got a stew going.
One year the trip was in October which was much much better for me but everyone else hated it because they wanted the sun and warmth. Growing up at the beach, the fall was my favorite. Gimme sweatshirts and jeans at the beach, cool sand to dig my feet into, no crowds, no noise, grey skies… so much easier to connect with the environment in the off season.
Anyway sorry for the essay here but as the comments are kind of showing, this really is an unpopular opinion and it’s rare to find someone who understands!!
I love the beach but I’ve only gone with friends or same aged family I love. I wouldn’t go with children or old people.
Are you staying at a resort? If so As your lawyer I recommend you get yourself a bucket of cold beers with ice sit under an umbrella and drink as many as you want, order some food, then take a nap. Maybe give one to your your wife and mother in law, it might mellow them out
Agreed
Though it depends what flavor of beach vacation you decide on
I’m from central europe and the default beach vacation where i live is 1 or 2 weeks in italy at one of those tourist beaches (Jesolo, Bibione, etc)
It’s hot, boring, too people-y and you got nothing to do besides beach bc the only things within 30 minutes are tourist traps, restaurants and dated hotels
If it’s raining you essentially got nothing to do
This type of beach is my personal hell – tried again last year with my mum and it still was a very underwhelming experience
Though it can be great if you have kids
On the other hand, I also went to the Ostsee (northern germany) and had a blast – spent some time at the beach, went through the haven town we were staying at and visited lots of interesting museums and places nearby
What I haven’t tried yet was one of those proper beach resorts, they usually have scheduled events, excursions and indoor activities incase of bad weather
I absolutely despise the beach – 100% agree with this take
I enjoy beach vacations.
I like just sitting on the beach listening to the waves crash, especially at night.
Swimming and snorkeling are good too.
We set up a canopy and establish a “base camp” early in the day. Gives you a place to retreat to during that time around noon when the sun is really strong.
I’m a naturally pale guy, and I haven’t been sunburned in a long time.
Plus a lot of beach towns are easily walkable/bikeable, which is a huge positive.
Go diving. Now the ocean becomes the best place ever. The beach is the least interesting part of the ocean.
Lord save me from people who can find a way to be miserable on a sunny beach.
I don’t love the beach either, but my kids do. So I suck it up sometimes. Fortunately, they also like to camp and explore new cities.
I agree. As an adult, the beach is as boring as it gets.
How do so many people enjoy sitting there like an egg all day? Walk into the water for 15 minutes, get the knees wet, go back, drink 2-3 drinks, sit there like an egg, repeat.
I just laugh at the people that say they do activities every day.. No you do not lol
I agree 100%. I have learned to compromise with a 4 days at the beach and 3 days doing something I enjoy which is visiting big cities. The beach is boring to me. I can’t sit there doing nothing for 7 days. I can do 4 days max. Now we do 4 days at the beach and 3 days in Washington DC on the way home.
Beach camping is horrific.
Staying right on the beach in nice, more private lodgings, fantastic.
Its funny. My wife and I like to choose beach vacations because a majority of my family aren’t beach people or city people.
We live in NYC and noone visits us, expects us to always travel to the suburbs to have any interaction, we choose beaches because we can sit and nap in the sand for hours and literally love having zero thoughts while sitting watching waves crash.
I think because we are always so stressed out or 100% go mentality; it almost makes us calmer watching other people freak out over things.
Example: im sorry your rooms not ready. Us: o.ok, let go have a mimosa and kill an hour outside, just give us a call if anything changes no rush. VS
Hotel: rooms not ready, im sorry. CUSTOMER: That’s literally the worste thing you’ve ever we told us and we will file a complaint. What do you expect me and my family to do for an hour while we are forced to wait….
I make a smirk to the lady at the desk, roll my eyes and make a face.
O wow….. our room was ready first and we got an upgrade….. you bet we said hello every morning and were super polite to staff.
Its almost impossible to get my angry on vaca, you gotta try.l – its like I can flip a switch in my brain everytime
I love the beach but I totally get your position. Every time I’ve done a beach trip with other people there’s always at least a few who are totally adamant that every possible second must be spent baking in the sun and it’s maddening. Lots of beach areas have great things to do. You don’t just have to sit in a chair and burn!
I agree with you 100%! Beach holidays can be fun for a day or maybe two, but after that I need a change of settings.
My husband and I solved this problem by leaving the kids at home and camping at the beach. Now it’s a wonderful experience
I live in a quiet beach town; for us, the holiday season is truly the worst!! Traffic, insensitive people everywhere, malls overcrowded, beach extremely packed (we’ll leave the discussion for another day how irresponsible holiday makers are around their dogs on the beach… 🤢😡) and so.much.noise! From house parties to all manner of get-togethers!
So I’m inclined to agree with you, but only around holiday season, otherwise, living by the beach is excellent!
Beaches suck ass
Spoken like someone who needs a margarita and a really good beach book
You’ve got issues with your family, not the beach.
Yeah I’m good. Water is nice but that’s about it
Couldn’t agree more lol.
I can go camp and rock climb all weekend for 20 bucks and be relaxed and centered.
A lot of this sounds like you just don’t want to be around your family and would rather be alone in your van.
I love camping, I love swimming, I love the sea.
An ideal beach day for me involves finding a secluded spot at the sea away from other people where I can swim, relax, swim some more, and then swim some more. An ideal vacation has relaxing beach days as well as some hikes and walks through some small cities/villages as well.
I live in the mountains so I get my hiking and climbing fix at home, and I like vacations where I just relax at the sea sometimes.
Now my nightmare vacation would be a big resort/hotel and a beach where people lay next to each other like sardines. But I don’t do that, so it’s all fine.
I live within 30-45 minutes from 6 different beaches. Fuck the beach.
You’re not totally wrong. It depends on the beach/circumstance:
If I’m at a beach resort where I can walk out of the hotel and just pick a lounge chair and relax – great! Even better if it’s an all inclusive and I don’t have to worry about packing a lunch.
If it’s a beach town rental and I have to lug all our chairs and tent half a mile (and there’s nowhere to park bc the whole state is there), and pack our lunches and water and enough ice to last the day, and my kids get bored, and there’s a rip current so it’s hot as h*ll but you aren’t allowed to go further than knee deep in the water, or the waves are so rough that it’s a fight for my life just to cool off, and then as soon as I start to really get into my book my family decides they’ve had enough and we have to pack up all our crap and lug it back to the house in the devil’s heat…..but we’re all supposed to be so grateful! Yeah, I guess I can relate.
Although going in the “off season” (September) has actually been glorious. No crowds. I can drive and park right by the beach and it’s hot, but slightly less hot.
This isn’t unpopular as it’s posted here constantly. But also, you just pick random things to get mad at and assume a vacation has to be a certain way when you are at the beach, which no one does.
Also, you point out things like the weather or getting sunburnt at the beach. Both things that easily impact your camping vacation. Not to mention, camping involves bugs, sleeping on uncomfortable grounds, I do care about being dirty, unhygienic bathrooms, cooking can be a chore and limiting. If you just look at the worst of anything, yeah, it doesn’t seem great.
I don’t like sand or direct sunlight for extended periods of time
Enjoy swimming though
Ideal situation is a city/town with access to water
i Totally understand your distaste of the beach vacay, especially if your family drives you crazy, the massive crowds, the “forced fun“, etc.
But a beach get away for me is idyllic.
i love running on the beach early in the a.m. , the sound of the waves, the smell of the salt water, the calm it provides (If you go to the right place )
that’s probably why we bought a place on the beach !
I agree. I am not a fan of beach holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I like walking long the beach but spending the day there would drive me insane.
I can’t do any water related activities because I’m not allowed to get water anywhere near my ear and if I very quickly turn into a lobster when exposed to hot sun. Sure, I could lie under a parasol, but then what? I can read but I can only do that for so long and then I’m just lying there with nothing to do and then I get bored and restless.
Give me a nice city break where I can hop from museum to museum and mostly stay out of the sun so I can keep the consumptive Victorian lady look I’ve been rocking my whole life.
I like them but only for 2-3 days. A week is too long.
They’re really exhausting with kids lol. I could probably sit at the edge of the water and listen to and watch the waves for ages but that’s not how it works with children. Nonstop play and always slightly stressed anytime they’re in the water.
I like outdoorsy beach activities. Gotta find a more secluded area. If im at the beach, I’m almost always in the water, not laying around. Body surfing, fishing, paddling, exploring. I grew up near the ocean. Been landlocked for 7 years. I miss it so much.
Well, my wife went to Mexico with her friend this week, and I’m home watching our kid and going to work.
You tell me where you’d rather be….
hop on a jet ski pet some sharks and drink a cocktail
I live near the beach but I rarely go. If I go all the time, it would ruin the beach
That said, I think I might like pool days better than beach days. All the benefits of the beach, without the downsides of the beach.
You’re not entirely wrong, but it depends on the beach. If you have good winds, you can wind surf or fly a kite. With good waves you can surf or belly board. Good sand: sand castles or beach volleyball. None of the above: fish or frisbee.
This isn’t unpopular. There are beach people and there are hate the beach people. I think they’re pretty evenly split. You just must know a lot of beach people. I wish I knew more beach people bc I’m a beach person surrounded by camping people and I definitely am not a camping person.
Sitting in my own filth in a van sounds like my idea of hell, personally. Beaches are nice because the water is right there to cool off. If you can’t get out of the beach vacation, at least try to prepare yourself. Plenty of cold drinks, sunscreen, floppy hats, invest in a parasol to block the sun. Take a walk to “look for seashells”, aka have your own personal time away from everyone.
It really helps if you dont have kids.
I agree with the beach thing, but I don’t how to square the circle of liking camping instead, when it’s as boring as the beach but more hassle.
I live near the beach and I hate the beach.
Okay, its fine to take a walk or run on, but the idea of laying down on a towel and just sitting in the sun getting sandy is the opposite of my idea of fun. The water is always murky and too cold (unless you are in the Caribbean) .
I completely agree with you. Beeches are boring and suck.
That’s how I feel but about mountain vacations. Like why would you go so far to look and climb up a big overcrowded rock? Makes no sense to me. Meanwhile I fuckin love beach vacation
I don’t like beach vacations either if I’m going to beach destinations where the actual water is uninviting. I hate just sitting on hot sand with no shade and a crowd of people.
Beach vacations with warm calm waters and colorful reefs? Count me in. I love snorkeling around the resort and going on small group excursions on boats to incredible reefs. Maybe kayaking on an estuary if you need a break from the salt. Maybe a jungle hike. Maybe the guide wants you to try some termites on a stick and you discover they taste just like carrots. Maybe you make it to a natural water slide to cool off. So many adventures to be had on these “beach vacations.” If your family want to sit on the beach and do nothing, then say, alright I’ll see you in a few hours.
Uncomfortable with regards to sand, but otherwise a beach holiday is what you make of it. There are lots of options in the water, on the beach and adjacent to it.
As a pale person who loves the beach I still agree. I feel dirty hot and sweaty all day and I have to keep putting sunscreen on when I’m not clean. I can’t drink multiple days in a row so I end up bored and a bit sick while everyone else is drunk at the pool/beach. I am however a fan of one beach day on vacation. And an even bigger fan of camping in sick places.
I disagree entirely about the beach, but dislike camping for similar reasons, so I get it. Having to upend your life for something that’s sort of self evidently great (the beach, nature) doesn’t work if you don’t intuitively enjoy yourself in the environment.
For me, driving to a beach house rental is the best way to do a beach vacation. No logistics around flights, everybody has a space to sleep under one roof, home is close enough to the sand to allow on the whim trips but also creates a space for relaxation away from the crowds.
Yes but being bored is underrated
Idk. I love the forest more. But some of my fav vacations are just beach hopping and snorkeling for hours with my wife in Hawaii. Idk how you have pressure in the beach. Even if you aren’t in to swimming and snorkeling, like just bring a book and relax.
I read your entire post in the hopes of seeing a complaint about sand so I could make an Anakin Skywalker joke. Alas, OP did not deliver.
But in all seriousness, I agree. I’ve live in Florida for decades with a lot of top tier beaches around me that are usable almost year-round and I find beaches to be… boring. I’d rather be at theme parks or driving hours up north just to hike somewhere with actual mountains. That doesn’t stop me from going to the beach a few times a year though. It’s rare but sometimes I like to swim in the ocean a bit, or just mellow out in a chair and a good umbrella and just stare at the horizon. Beach going is such a casual and regular activity here that it’s treated like going for a round of golf or something in small talk.
I mostly associate beach vacations with being a teenager where it was more of a large family get together so I had similarly aged cousins to hang out on the boardwalk with. I think as an adult, I’d only go if the beach is part of a nice resort.
I’ve never had a traditional beach vacation and always opt for the other options because that’s how I imagine it going. I actually love the beach, but not staying at a hotel on the beach for days. That would be boring.
I love hiking and then relaxing by the beach though, or relaxing by the beach for a bit and then fucking off to do other things.
My Beach days are more like heading to Michigan, hiking the dunes, relaxing by the water, and then camping out. Plenty of hotels and air bnbs for creature comforts.
I might just be too poor and low brow to understand an actual ocean beach vacation though, my vacations are based around budget and perhaps I’ve convinced myself I like it better this way.
Have you tried adding alcohol?
You know drinking water and wearing sunscreen is an option when at the beach?
Also I’m not sure I’m following your argument because you say the beach is boring because there’s nothing to do, but then say that camping is great cause there’s not much to do.
I’m with you, I hate beach vacations. Unfortunately, I married into a family that loves them, so I’m stuck going every year <__> I hate the heat, you can’t escape the sun, applying and reapplying sunblock all day feels disgusting, and I think the sea air smells bad. Horrible sensory experience all around!
Sounds like you just have shitty company or you are the shitty company
>keep trying to please my family who want to go on vacations with me
That’s your problem right there. I do not go on family vacations, at all. They’re insufferable.
If you know this about yourself, then plan and have a conversation about it with your significant other..
I also find the beach boring.. yet wife’s family does a week Long Beach trip every year and it’s like their family tradition so who am I to ruin that. But it’s relatively chill and I have set some expectations of how I enjoy my day, and compromise with wife and son.
I usually still wake up early, and I go for the 2ish mile walk to the general store to grab a coffee and walk back.. that’s some free downtime where I listen to a podcast or music and enjoy the scenery.. if raining, then I’ll maybe drive to a further coffee shop. I usually plan to leave the beach by 12:00-1:00 pm after getting back from walk as family is ready to beach, and usually just offer to take son to the pool, which he usually wants and wife will either come or stay on beach with parents.. we chill there for a bit, then go in, have some food, some relax time, shower, etc.. and plan an evening at a restaurant and/or touristy spot, and have a couple drinks.. I usually also book 1 or 2 early morning golf tee times, and back by like 11:00, meet them at the beach.. so I got to do something I like, they get to do something they like, doesn’t take up the whole day, etc etc..
If it was just wake up and sit at the beach for 7-8 hours, and then just sit in the hotel until the next morning, then nah, that sucks.. but also, like.. make it enjoyable
Aside from cost, you described the beach and camping almost identically, but with contrasting connotations (eg you said of both places that there isn’t much to do, but for camping that was a positive and for the beach it was a negative). It seems like the factors that are having more of an impact for you are weather preference (you seem to prefer cool weather over warm weather, to each their own) and the people you tend to go on each type of vacation with. Those are totally fair concerns for you, although they probably wouldn’t hold much weight to someone who enjoys warmth and goes to the beach with people with compatible travel styles to theirs
Maybe you could alternate the types of vacations you like and the ones that your wife enjoys. I can’t stand camping, but my husband loves it so I deal with it and try to do things for myself that make it bearable. Alternating the misery could be a compromise?
Eh personally I think all family vacations kind of suck, at least the ones I went on with my family as a kid. Now that I’m an adult and it’s just my husband and I, I think I could have fun anywhere on vacation with him. After doing northern Italy and Japan we’re planning on a beach vacation at an all inclusive next year in Jamaica to take a break from hectic big city sight seeing. We’re planning on doing quite a few activities like snorkeling, zip lining, rafting, rum tasting etc as well as lounging by the ocean. I can see how if all you’re doing is sitting by the beach with a bickering family that can’t agree on any activities it would suck though.
This hits home, you single? 🤣
Sounds like poor conditions. Not necessarily the beach itself? I like having cover from the sun, and my e-reader. Or I’ll bring headphones and listen to music, or an audiobook. Then if I want sun I can place one of my towels down and lay out, out go into the water. I also make sure to bring a hydrating drink. And of course sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
But I definitely do not spend the whole day there! It’s usually 1-3 hours max depending on who I’m with and the day. Sometimes I like going later in the day and just walking along the water. And it doesn’t have to be everyday. Exploring, shopping, finding great food etc are a big part of vacations. Also naps. Lots of relaxing naps 😂
Maybe you’re just an indoor cat, as I like to describe myself. I adore the woods and the mountains and huge cliffs and canyons. But once I’ve been outside for, say, 3+ hours, I’m tapped. I’m hot and dehydrated, the glare is hurting my eyes, I sunburn easily because I’m so pale, I hate bugs, and I sweat like fucking crazy even during winter.
Aside from my 1-2x daily 20 minute outside walks, I am an indoor cat. I don’t want to camp, don’t want to ski, don’t want to go swimming (almost drowned once), and road trips exhaust me. Let me stay inside with my quiet and peace and enjoy no humans around me. THAT’S a vacation.
Currently reading this in the car on the way back from a beach vacation with my wife. Hard agree. 100%
Let’s go to a place with no shade, where the sun reflects off the sand to roast you from every angle… but we do like shade so we have to bring and umbrella to shelter under. Even then, you have to either wear wrap-around singlasses or constantly squint because it’s so bright. Want to go get in the water or walk anywhere else? Walking on the sand in the sun is like walking on hot coals. Then we can swim in the water, which is so salty that it hurts like hell when it gets in your eyes or nose. If you’re on a somewhat crowded beach, you also have to listen to the dueling Bluetooth speakers from all sides. Then when you get home, sand. Sand everywhere. Sand in everything. Your life is become sand.
I do not see an upside. Yeah, the ocean is beautiful for about 20 minutes, but after that it’s basically just sitting on a pile of sand next to unpotable water.
Happy wife, happy life, though.
Here’s my hot take: if you use a portable speaker in public, ESPECIALLY in places where others are trying to enjoy nature, you’re an asshole.
I would not say that this is unpopular opinion at all. Lots and lots of people are not beach people and are quite vocal about it.