Beach Survival Guide

It’s been a little while since I’ve made my way to the beach. Now that I’ve got some warm weather here in Milwuakee, I’m ready to get some sun. This is a little beach survival guide that I’m conjuring up after running into some snags in my trip to Bradford Beach yesterday.

The Plan

I was incredibly excited so I planned my trip such that I had an 11:00 AM arrival, when the beach opens. Here was my plan:

Travel: Take the bus and get to the beach at 11:00 AM.

Order a drink and a bite from the tiki bar.

Do beach time: Sun bathe, take a quick dip in the water, read a book.

Return to the tiki bar to order another drink.

This is the way it worked last time.

The Trip

My journey was rather painless. Along the way, I decided it would be fun to stop and take a look at some of the historical landmarks in the area. A quick photo did the trick. I walked away with a smile.

I also had to take a little bit of time and appreciate the view of the beach before I traveled down there.

My journey was full of sights and fun until I stepped foot on the sand. I completely forgot how hot sand gets. My feet were screaming in agony as I tried my best put my shoes back on.

The Bar

I made my way to the only open tiki bar. They looked like they were just opening. There were three of us waiting to place our orders. The two people who arrived at the same time as me were served, then two more people showed up and also got their orders taken. I waited until someone decided to point out that I was still waiting on my order. The bartender came over and instead of ordering a bite to eat, I ordered a beer.

I laid my towel down and began to get comfortable. It wasn’t long enough. Fortunately; I brought two towels with me and it was hot enough that I’d be able to dry off in the sun. I added the other towel and had some beach time until I reas ready to return to the bar.

Two long lines formed on each end of the bar, but I took a seat anyway. I thought that they must have reserved some sort of process for people that wanted to grab a beer and get back to the beach. I read my book and waited. After I finished a chapter, I looked up and things were still quite busy. The line was getting longer. Service was provided to people who were in line.

When I made eye contact with the bartender serving the line, she glanced at it.

I wasn’t certain whether or not they even served food. There were menus. It’s one of the reason why I prefer this beach, so I got in line. When I was the second person in line; another bartender stepped aside and called the folks behind me to the spot where I was sitting, “Hey, you guys! I can help you out over here!”

The bartender I made eye contact with was there to get my order. I ordered a burger with fries and a cocktail before I returned to my seat. As she served my burger and fries, she turned to her colleagues and said, “We’re not serving food here for a while.”

I finish my burger and fries as I reminisce about the last time that I had a meal at the tiki bar. It was a delicious fish fry on a not too busy day two years ago.

After I ate, I returned to the sand to carve out another spot for myself. I got a little more sun, took another dip in the water, read a little more. When I returned home – I did some chores and then took off to my favorite restaurant to make up for my experience at the beach. I was not the only person who had a hard time getting served. I learned after reaching out to some friends that this is not unusual for people who are out alone.

After careful consideration about this experience, I’ve decided that It would behoove me to build my own beach survival guide. It’s a quick list of things that I am looking into acquiring to assure that I don’t have to rely on the tiki bar the next time I go to the beach. I mean, I know that I had a great time at the beach. Once upon a time, they had some great fish fry!

What are some things I need to enhance my beach experience?

Survival Guide Suggestion #1: Food and Drink

The Tiki bar had a great suggestion – an ice bucket of hard seltzer, beer, or wine coolers. They come in 16 oz. cans. I should make use of that tote I bought at a beer festival I attended years ago.

There’s a Whole Foods on the way to Bradford. That’s where I might like to make a stop for ice, snacks, and drinks.

Booze is nice, but I should remember to bring some water along, too.

Survival Guide Suggestion #2: Shoes and Such

Ouch! My feet hurt on that sand. It’s time to go out and find some good beach slippers. There are a lot of rocks and shells out there – I might want to get my hands on some water shoes.

Survival Guide Suggestion #3: Beach Blanket

Two towels worked out. That said, I might have an easier time with a blanket and some weights or something to keep it from flying around.

Survival Guide Requirement: SUN BLOCK

I didn’t forget sun block and applied it often enough. It’s most likely why I had such a great time.

Have a fun time at the beach everyone!