Oh, how we love beach vacations, and with the summer fast approaching, there will be plenty of people making their way to the beach via car. That being said, what do you bring with you when you’re trying to plan a beach getaway, and how do you even go about planning a trip like this?

Driving to the beach is something that I often take for granted nowadays. Growing up, my family lived (and still does) on Long Island, NY where the beach is practically in your backyard. On Saturday mornings, I can still remember my father and I taking a bike ride down to Jones Beach from our house where we would then park our bikes at the bike rack and walk to the beach to take a dip. It was a lot of fun. However, now, living in North Carolina, the beach is not an easy biking distance away at over 100 miles. It usually takes me approximately an hour and a half to get to the beach or more depending on which part of the North Carolina coast I’m heading to. Therefore, what I pack is essential because, unlike Long Island, I can’t exactly run home to grab something that I may have forgotten.

First things first. When you are planning a beach getaway- whether it’s for a day or several days, make sure that you do a once-over of your vehicle. Check your tire pressure and fluids to make sure that your car is in tip top shape. I also make it a point to double check my windshield washing fluid as there are often a lot of bugs that fly into your windshield this time of year. Additionally, ocean mists are often in the air the closer you are to the ocean, which can cause your windshield to develop a glaze over it.

Before you leave, determine what beach you are going to and then try to find out a little information about it. For instance, I know that when I go home and I drive to Jones Beach, there is a $9 per car fee that is payable either via cash or credit between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. However, when I first came down to North Carolina, I didn’t know that there were any fees at all. When I went to Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, there were no parking attendants, only parking meters that only took quarters. I didn’t have any quarters, so I had to go and get change. It was only later on that I discovered that there were other areas for parking in which you could pay via credit or debit.

Bring a couple of towels with you when you go to the beach as well as plenty of sun block and other sun protection in the form of an umbrella, etc. Buy your sun block before you go to the beach because otherwise, you’ll be paying a lot more than what you bargained for as prices are usually higher for certain beach-going items at the beach.