Island Time Vacation by Darlene

A restful vacation is on beach time

When you go on a vacation at the beach, our favorite beach is Topsail Beach on Topsail Island. (Pronounced "Topsul" by the locals). Be prepared to relax and do nothing. Doing nothing is quite good for your health. We have found it to be a great stress buster.

When we arrive at our Answer to Prayer beach rental, it is right on a beach, so be prepared to take your watch off, put your to do list away and sit in your Adirondack chair and do nothing but listen to the ocean waves lap the shore.

Our first year, one of our guests put a “Beach Etiquette” list together and we read it every September when we are there and laugh as we put our cell phones away and take off our watches for the week.

BEACH ETIQUITTE

1. TAKE OFF YOUR WATCH – It is island time! If anyone asks for the time, proper responses include “daytime”, “almost dinnertime”, ‘time to pray”, "time for another swim”, “night time”, or "time for a drink”, All of these answers can be given confidently without the aid of timekeeping devices.

2. LEAVE ALL SAND OUTDOORS – if you fail to do this it will follow you around and chafe you in the darndest places when you least expect it.

3. NEVER SHAKE OUT A BEACH BLANKET IN AN INHABITED AREA – (THIS IS A COROLLARY OF #2) the sand will come back to get you or someone else.

4. THOU SHALT REGRET IT IF THOU FEEDEST THE SEA GULLS - They're beautiful, but they tend to thank you by leaving "white stuff" all over your deck, chairs, beach towel, and so forth.

5. THE OCEAN NEVER SLEEPS – it is cool and refreshing and can be enjoyed at any hour of the day (please refer back to #1 for hours of the day).

6. ALWAYS SWIM WITH A BUDDY - preferably with the name “Bob”.

7. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE WAVES WHEN SWIMMING – No two waves are alike and some are downright sneaky.

8. Almost anything you collect from the beach (except well washed shells) will smell just terrible after 2 days, especially if you pack it in a suitcase. Spread it back around the beach so someone else can collect it the next week.

9. Peanut butter and jellyfish sandwiches are NOT approved eating.

10. Bodysurfing requires no equipment and is to be recommended. For technique, just watch the natives.

11. Use outdoor shower whenever possible and keep showers short to preserve hot water – exceptions can be made for group showering.

12. With regard to #11, NO PEEKING!

13. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES may be consumed by those 21 years of age and older at anytime after the SUN IS "OVER THE YARDARM". Since no one can ever find yardarms on the island, this rule is subject to broad interpretation. IN THE PICTURE ABOVE, the crew is checking to see if the sun is above the yardarm!

14. The tide is always either coming or going in, usually when you least except it.

15. Finally, walk in love, have fun, and remember that God giveth us richly to enjoy, the ocean is one of them. Yippee let the good times roll!

Come to the beach and enjoy beach etiquette. Check out our website www.beach4rent.org