Packing for the trip

I always pack one month ahead, I start with washing everything before we leave. I pack my son, myself and my husband (only b/c he will pack dorky clothes).

When you pack for the beach with little ones do you buy your beach accessories (umbrella, chairs, towels, buckets, etc.) before you leave or do you buy all of that when you get to Myrtle? How expensive are beach items in Myrtle?

Flip flops, shorts, tees, sunblock and swim trunks is all ya need, right? I am to excited!

Packing for the trip

What time of year are you going? The beachwear stores usually put stuff on sale closer to the end of the season. We were there in August and found sand toys for my little girl for a cheap price, and we%26#39;ve found beach chairs before for ridiculously cheap at the end of the season. If you think your vehicle will be packed to the max already, then your best bet would be buying stuff when you get there. As for how you get it home...maybe tie hubby to the roof? :) If you have space in your car, then you could buy before you go and enjoy more time on the beach as soon as you get there! No matter how much we pack and take with us, we usually end up at one of the stores anyway because hubby decides he needs a different pair of flip flops or daughter sees another beach toy she wants. And you%26#39;re right...flip flops, shorts, tees, sunblock, and swimsuits should do it. It is the beach, after all!

Packing for the trip

We usually have chairs and towels and all of our other beach stuff already but we usually end up making several trips to those beach wear stores for odds and ends such as new beach toys, sunglasses, lotion or hermit crabs. Sometimes we%26#39;ve put worn, rusty beach chairs or umbrellas in the trash at the end of our vacation so we don%26#39;t have to pack and lug them back home...and then just buy new ones when we come back next year. I think that tall the beach stuff is actually cheaper in those beachwear stores and Wal-Marts down there that it is to buy it at home and take it down.

I%26#39;m not saying you would do this - but you mentioned something that reminded me...Visitors...whatever you do, please do not leave beach chairs, tents, etc. on the beach when you leave thinking ';someone else can now use it';. Those people are not doing us any favors, as the chairs end up taking up beach space, preventing sea turtles from nesting there, and are just an eyesore to everyone. Never leave items on the beach overnight, even if you live at the beach! Can you believe that people do this? OK - so havng said that...when you do leave, ask your hotel or motel management if you can leave chairs and beach toys with them. Or take them to Goodwill! Thank you all, and enjoy the clean, beautiful beaches! :)

Maybe things are different on other beaches but never noticed any items left on beach for the next weeks visitors. Ones I%26#39;ve seen are usually left just outside the unit%26#39;s door,out by the trash cans or in the parking lot.

We have several beach chairs we haul with us each trip. Cheap ones but they last several trips before needing replaced.

Umbrella pretty much waste of time. Takes more time to put up than anybody ever sits under it. ';IF'; you go with umbrella go ahead and splurge for one of those screw in sand anchors. Might save you a run down beach chasing the umbrella on extremely windy day.

Flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreen can all be bought down there. Don%26#39;t forget can coozies to keep your beverage cans cold. Anyplace you stop will have all supplies needed. Gas Stations, drug stores, grocery stores.

Yeah the beach shops are fun to browse through but the prices are pretty much the same no matter where you stop. The ';end of season';/';going out of business'; signs stay up all summer. Driving around comparing prices will cost more than what you save.

I%26#39;d shop for beach towels before the trip. Target, Kohl%26#39;s, Penny%26#39;s,etc....Ones from beach shops are pretty cheap. Couple washes they%26#39;re rags.

I would never leave stuff on the beach. You%26#39;ll notice that I wrote ';in the trash'; in my post.

Yes I did notice that. You%26#39;re not the problem - there are actually people who do the things I%26#39;ve said and seeing it happen once is enough! (I should know - we%26#39;re ';crack-of-dawn'; beach walkers and have seen abandoned beach toys - chairs, too - from time to time). Last fall when we volunteered for the organized ';Beach Clean-up'; where you have to tally each and every item before you throw it in the trash you might be surprised how many toys we found. (Ten points to anyone who can guess what the 2 most common beach trash items were? In an hour we picked up no fewer than 80 of each. OK - Guess?)

cigarette butts

Excellent - that%26#39;s one. How about the other?

Guessing beer bottles?

bottle rocket sticks