Taking A Day Trip To Ocean City, NJ: The Things You Don’t Think About Bringing, Tips and More

Hello Fellow Ocean City Lovers!

As you may know from my previous blog post, this blog was going to be a video, and while it’s not, I will post that video post within the next couple weeks as promised. One, because I keep my promises and two, because I am actually excited to make the video!  If you have read my “About Me” page, you also know that my car is a Jeep Wrangler. Well my Jeep broke this weekend and so I had no way of going to Ocean City to take the video I had planned. They always say to have a back up plan in journalism, and so far from everything I have learned about journalism, I have found that to be the truest.

So maybe you are planning on taking a day trip soon, or maybe not and you just want to read this post for fun and for the “just in case”  notion that maybe one day you will be taking a day trip and hey that’s ok with me! Either way, this post will inform you about things to remember to pack, good beach buys, and why you should bring extra cash and quarters.

Things you should not forget to pack

Ok, so you know the obvious right, Its a beach of course! Bring your towel, bathing suit, goggles, water shoes, umbrella, beach bag. cooler full of water and soon to be sandy sandwiches, kids (if applicable) , sunglasses, tanning oil, sandbuckets,beach chairs,  a shovel, a hat, sunblock, a change of clothes, a cover up, beach blanket, a volleyball, football, soccer ball, magazine, book, waterproof camera, a kite ( this is fun) or some type of entertainment.

So your thinking what else do I need?

Well you don’t neccessarily need these things but then again you don’t actually NEED to bring anything. These are just a few things I suggest bringing to make your trip better.

I like to add these thing to my list of beach accessories:

Plastic Shopping Bags– all those plastic shopping bags you have saved up from the supermarket but never use are perfect for the beach.  I like bringing them because after I get changed I keep  my wet and sandy items these bags without having to use one of my nicer bags.

 Extra Towels– You probably wouldn’t regret bringing as many towels as you can fit in your trunk. This is because you need a towel at the beach, a towel to change and dry off with, a towel to wipe the sand from all of your things, a towel to set on the seat or floor of your car and a towel for everything else. Trust me you have no idea how many times I have been unhappy cause I had to sit on my car seat wet with a wet, sandy towel from lack of beach packing. My point here is, just pack a few exta just in case and even if you don’t use them, you won’t regret it.

Baby Powder– This is perfect to get sand off your skin.  After a long, hot, sticky salt watery day it seems like the sand is practically glued to your skin and the more you try to wipe it off the more you find. Baby powderwill help the sand fall right off without feeling like your scraping yourself with sandpaper.

A Sheet– Typically I like this one for a few reasons similar to the extra towels. One because it is something nice and easy to put down on the ground or trunk of your car to put all your sandy items on top so you don’t have to vacuum your car afterwards. Also, If there are no changing rooms near the part of the beach you attend you can always go the old fashioned way and have a friend hold up the sheet between you and the car to get changed. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!

AloeVera- This is a plant that people use for a lotion type body spread. It is very soothing and cool feeling and it is perfect for sunburn.

 Ziplock bags or brown paper bags- These are handy when you or you child has collected seashells or rocks or something they would like to keep.I know I personally always find something that I want to take home.

Fish Net– While its alot of fun trying to use your hand to grab down in the water and grab the little fish you see, it is way more fun actually catching a bunch with a net you bring and putting a few in a bucket to watch them swim around for a little and then putting them back before you leave. You can also use this to catch Jelly fish or other fun things you may find in the water.

Floatation devices– Make sure you are aware of your swimming needs before you go out in the ocean. Sometimes bring a boogie board, a noodle, arm floaties, a tube or even something small is better then nothing at all. The waves can get pretty rough and it is better to be safe then sorry. Plus, it gives you something to hang on to when your tired or treading water and something to play with in the middle of the ocean!

First- aid kit or bandaids- I can’t tell you how many times I have stepped on a shell and cut my foot open. Having a few bandaids on hand never hurt.

Binoculars– There are so many things to see in Ocean City, and binoculars can make that aspect of the experience so much better.

Five Beach Products Worth Buying

Pal and Shovel– You can find these just about anywhere from your local dollar store to the nearest sports store. Wherever you buy this product, it has always been a beach essential. Theres nothing like sitting in the sand and creating something from the ground your sitting on and a bucket.

Beach Umbrella-The ultimate protection and shade from the sun when your getting just a little too hot.  I personally like the more expensive one that you stake into the ground and it gives you more of a half tent like umbrella. You can find the tent umbrella as well as many other umbrellas at Walmart.

Watershoes– These are great to have if you don’t like to step in the ocean touching sharp shells and rocks. I have a fear that a crab is going to pinch my toe off so I have no shame in wearing them!

Backpack beach chairs– Having these just means one less thing to carry, which is just fine with me. You can pick these up at your local Wal-Mart.

The neat sheet– This is my favorite. It is a sheet that has wieghts in each corner to keep it from blowing around and it is made of material that sand doesn’t stick to. This is my favorite beach accessory! You can find this product on Amazon.

A Few Reasons to Bring Extra Change

Tolls– Depending on the route you take to Ocean City, you are likely to run into a toll or two.

Parking Meters– Depending on where you park, you certianly can find free parking. However, there are days that it is very busy and you are going to have to either pay for parking at a lot or find a parking meter.

Ice Cream Man–  There are ice cream trucks that come around and sometimes in the hot sun a cold treat never sounded so good.

Also I found some cool links that were related to this post so check them out!

http://www.marthastewart.com/274773/60-beach-ideas/@center/276964/60-days-summer#185476

http://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/2012/07/top-10-things-to-bring-on-your-next.html

http://www.chicagoshopping.com/travel/chishop-10-cool-things-to-bring-to-the-beach-20120614,0,5265748.photogallery

Well thats all for now beach lovers! Please feel free to email me or comment below with any questions, ideas, comments, thoughts or anything!

 

Ocean City on Dwellable

Until next time,

“The cure for anything is salt water, sweat, tears or the sea”

Tierra Fisher